This crispy sweet chilli chicken is an easy, quick meal idea, ready in 30 minutes. Crispy chicken tossed in a sweet, spicy, tangy sauce makes this better than takeout.

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This sweet chilli chicken is delicious! The recipe literally takes 30 minutes and makes a better-than-takeout chicken recipe.

The sweet chilli chicken sauce is sweet, spicy, and tangy, making it perfect to coat the chicken and tastes amazing with rice or noodles.

You will love how easy it is to make a takeout-style recipe at home, and that too with such little effort.

closer look at white plate with sweet chili chicken

Sweet Chilli Chicken

Name: Try This Ultimate Sweet Chilli Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1.5 Cup Chicken, boneless, breast, cut into bite-sized pieces; 1/4 Cup Cornstarch; 3/4 Cup Flour; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Pepper Powder; 1/2 tsp Paprika; 1/2 tso Baking Powder; 1/3 Cup Cold Soda/ Water; 4 Tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce; 2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce; 1 Tbsp Hot Sauce; 1 tsp Garlic, minced; 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar; 2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar; 1/2 tsp Ginger, minced; 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil; 2 Tbsp Water; 1/4 tsp Salt

Ingredients to make the sweet chilli chicken recipe:

Chicken breast meat: Cut this into bite-sized pieces. You can use thigh meat, too.
Cornstarch + Flour: For the chicken coating
Sesame Oil or Vegetable Oil
Salt / Black Pepper Powder
Spring Onion + Sesame Seeds ( for garnish)
Baking Powder
Paprika

Ingredients for the sweet chilli chicken sauce:

Soy Sauce: Use low-sodium soy sauce.
Rice Vinegar: You can alternatively use apple cider or white vinegar, too.
Ginger / Garlic: Use freshly grated or minced garlic/ginger.
Hot Sauce: If you have sriracha, use that instead.
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Brown Sugar: You can use honey instead.

ingredients to make sweet chili chicken sauce

How to make sweet chilli chicken?

Step 1: In a cup, add all the sauce ingredients. Mix well and keep this aside.

Step 2: In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the batter, except the chilled soda/water.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan.

Add chilled soda/water to the flour to make a smooth batter. Make sure the batter is neither dry nor watery, and no lumps in the batter.

steps to make batter for sweet chili chicken

Step 3: Add chicken pieces to the batter, and coat the chicken well with the batter. Fry in oil till golden.

steps to fry chicken to make for sweet chili chicken

Step 4: In a pan, add the sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes. Add chicken pieces to the pan and toss well to coat the chicken with the sauce.

Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onion.

Tips to make the sweet chilli chicken recipe

Using chicken thigh meat works well, as it's juicy compared to breast meat.
Make sure the chicken pieces are coated well with the batter before frying.
Make batter with chilled soda or water.
Make sure the oil is hot while frying.
Fry the chicken in small batches. Do not overcrowd the pan.

FAQ's

What to serve with crispy sweet chilli chicken stir fry?

Ideally, this sweet chilli chicken tastes amazing with steamed rice, fried rice, or noodles, but you can also serve this chicken with steamed and stir-fried vegetables.

Can I air fry the chicken instead of deep frying?

Yes! You can spray cooking oil over the chicken pieces arranged in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Do this in batches; do not overlap chicken pieces. Bake at 375°F for 20 mins, flipping the chicken pieces once.

Storage & Leftovers

Leftovers: This dish will stay refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.

Reheat: To reheat this dish, microwave it until the chicken is heated through.

Freezing: To freeze, arrange fried chicken in a freezer-safe container for up to a month. Freeze sauce separately.

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Try This Ultimate Sweet Chilli Chicken

Sweet Chilli Chicken

Ingredients to make the sweet chilli chicken recipe: