Sweet and Spicy Chicken [Video]

Sweet and Spicy Chicken is perfectly crispy and coated in the most delicious sweet, sticky, and spicy sauce. It can be made in one pan in only 30 minutes! 

Sweet and Spicy Chicken is a restaurant-quality meal that beats takeout and can be made in the comfort of your kitchen in just 30 minutes. It requires simple ingredients, is budget-friendly, and is perfect for busy weeknight dinners when you want to cook less and eat more. I served it with my favorite, egg fried rice, which only takes 30 minutes to make all in one pan.

Why you will love this recipe 

• Better than takeout: You don’t need to go out. You can make it yourself, and it tastes even better. 
• Inexpensive: Not only does it taste better, but it is a lot more inexpensive than the restaurants, too.
• Easy cleanup: You only have one pan to clean, so there are not a lot of dishes.
• Healthier: No need to worry about MSG or other additives when you make it yourself. 

What you’ll need to make sweet and spicy chicken

Special items

• Bowls – For mixing ingredients. 
• Deep frying pan – To fry the chicken.
• Tongs – For cooking the ingredients. 

The ingredients for sweet and spicy chicken

Chicken and aromatics:

• Chicken – I use one pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into one-inch chunks for this dish. 
• Cornstarch – For coating the chicken before frying them. This works a lot better than flour in this recipe. 
• Oil – I like canola oil here because olive oil makes it too dark. 
• Garlic – Freshly minced garlic for the freshest flavor. 
• Ginger – Also freshly minced. You can tell the difference. 
• Red pepper flakes – You need these for that extra kick of heat. 
• Dried red peppers: are optional but give your chicken some spiciness.

For the sauce:

• Rice vinegar – Adds a nice, sweet tanginess to your sauce. 
• Soy sauce – You must have soy sauce for the telltale Asian flavor. 
• Hot sauce – Use your favorite hot sauce. 
• Water – To help everything come together. 
• Brown sugar – Light brown sugar for a mild sweetness or dark brown sugar for a richer taste, like molasses.
• Cornstarch – For thickening your sauce. Do not skip this ingredient. If you do not have it, use tapioca, flour, or potato starch. 

How to make sweet and spicy chicken?

1. Coat the chicken: First, toss the chicken in the cornstarch so every piece is well-coated. 
2. Make the sauce: Mix all the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set it aside.
3. Fry the chicken: Now, fill your frying pan half full and heat it on medium-high. Once it is hot, add the chicken and cook until it is golden and crispy. Remove the chicken pieces and place them in one layer on a plate covered in paper towels so they drain.
4. Heat the garlic: Drain the grease except for one tablespoon. Add the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook on low for about 30 seconds until you can smell the garlic. Stir continuously and be careful because it can burn quickly. 
5. Cook and serve: Finally, add the chicken to the pan and toss it all together before adding the sauce. Stir it again to coat it all, and let it cook for one more minute until it has thickened. 

Expert tip

Flour or cornstarch

I have always used flour when frying chicken. That is what my grandmother taught me and what she was taught by her grandmother. However, many people say that using cornstarch makes your chicken so much crispier. Others say it is a combination of the two. And some folks say they use flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. According to some, cornstarch makes the flour crispier and gives it a more golden color. 

For this recipe, and in others where I am cooking small pieces of chicken and other meats, I like to use cornstarch. It is similar to the velveting technique, an Asian trick that makes crispy and juicy meat. Cornstarch only has starch, but flour has starch, protein, and fiber. It should never be used instead of flour in baked goods, but frying small pieces of meat or vegetables is fine. Cornstarch prevents gluten development, absorbs moisture, and sticks to the chicken, helping it turn into crispy skin. 

I advise using flour and cornstarch when making large pieces of meat and vegetables. Replace a quarter of the amount of flour with cornstarch, and you will see a big difference in the crispiness of your food. The juiciness will be more pronounced as well. When cooking small pieces, use cornstarch. You will notice the difference right away. It is 100% more crispy. 

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Another meat: Experiment with different kinds of meat such as turkey, ham, pork, and beef. I tried pork cut from boneless pork chops, which were delicious. 
• Different cut: You could use chicken breast meat instead of thighs. But keep an eye on the temperature so it does not overcook. White meat dries out faster. 
• No spice: For those who do not like spicy food, make sweet chicken. Leave out the peppers, red pepper flakes, and hot sauce. If you want the tomato flavor, use tomato paste and diced tomatoes.
• More veggies: To make this a heartier meal, toss in some more veggies, such as chopped mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli florets. 
• Add fruit: Another way to make it a sweet and savory meal is to add some fruit. My kids love it with pineapple chunks, and I like to add mandarin oranges.

Serving suggestions:

This is an excellent full entrée to serve with any side dish. Try one of these great ideas. 

• My Asian chicken salad would be an excellent accompaniment to this sweet and spicy dish. 
• Serve it with white rice, brown rice, fried rice, or low-carb cauliflower rice.
• It also goes great with noodles!
• You could also serve it with egg rolls, won tons, crab Rangoon, and dumplings.
• Everything goes with French fries. Even Asian food. Make some sweet potato fries to go with this chicken. 
• These little cucumber sushi rolls would be an excellent side dish to go with this chicken, too. 
• For dessert, Mandarin orange salad, green tea ice cream, or sesame cookies. 

Frequently asked questions

How can I make this healthier?

To make this a healthier dish, do not put cornstarch on the chicken. Season it with salt and pepper and cook with the garlic, ginger, and red chili flakes. You can add a spritz of nonstick cooking spray to keep it from sticking. Then, set that aside and cook the sauce and chicken mixture in the pan for about a minute until the sauce thickens. It will not be as crispy, but it will still taste incredible.  

Why is my chicken so tough?

It is possible that you cooked it too long. Overcooked chicken can be tough and rubbery, hard to chew. If you use chicken thighs, this should not be as much of a problem. But chicken breasts are picky and can dry out quickly, causing them to become chewy and tough. Make sure you cook them just to 163 degrees F. They will continue to cook as they rest, so they will be perfect at 165 degrees F when you eat them. Remember, dark meat is more tender than white, so I use thighs.  

Is this the same as Chang’s Spicy Chicken?

They are similar, but Chang’s Spicy Chicken recipe has green onions, sweet chili sauce, hoisin sauce, and chili flakes. This recipe calls for ginger, rice vinegar, hot sauce, and brown sugar instead. The tastes are almost the same, but this sweet and spicy chicken is a bit spicier than Chang’s with its hot sauce and red pepper flakes. The chili flakes and hoisin sauce are milder. 

Can I make this in a wok?

Although the middle of a wok is deep enough to fry some things, I would not use it for this dish. First, everything would get trapped in the middle of the pan. The slope of the pan tends to make everything slide to the center, so the chicken would not cook evenly. The oil would be deep in the middle of the pan as well. Also, since a wok is made of thin metal, you risk damaging it because of the high temperatures. 

How to store leftovers:

• Refrigerate: Put leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days.   
• Freezing: If you want to keep it longer, put it in a freezer-safe container, and it can stay frozen for up to four months.  
• Defrost: Thaw overnight in the fridge for the best taste and texture. 
• Reheating: Microwave for 60 to 90 seconds to reheat.   

Looking for more easy chicken dinner? Check these out:

• Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken – a one-pan meal that is also healthier.
• Lemon Thyme Chicken – creamy and with a refreshing flavor.

Recipe tips:

• Put the cornstarch and chicken in a baggie and shake it for easier coating. 
• Make sure it is evenly coated. The cornstarch is the breading, so it has to coat each piece.
• Leave out the frying for a healthier dish. Just cook it in the sauce.
• For those sensitive to spicy food, leave out the red pepper flakes and hot sauce. Use a mild salsa instead. 
• Do not use flour instead of cornstarch. It does not work as well. 
• It is not a good idea to use a wok for deep frying. It is too thin and slanted.