If you're craving Asian takeout but don't want to wait for delivery, this sweet chili chicken stir fry is exactly what you need. Juicy chicken thighs and crisp-tender veggies come together in a thick, glossy homemade sweet chili sauce that's ready in just 35 minutes. The sauce is sweet and flavorful with just a mild heat, making it a great option for the whole family, kids included. Serve it over rice or noodles for a satisfying weeknight dinner everyone will love.
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Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
This stir-fry has become my go-to when we're craving Asian takeout, but I don't want to spend the money or wait for delivery. I love making stir fry in general because once your ingredients are prepped, dinner is on the table in minutes, and the cleanup is minimal. This one, along with my peanut chicken stir fry, is on regular rotation in our house.
What keeps me coming back to this one specifically is the sauce. Instead of pouring bottled sweet chili sauce straight into the pan, I build it from scratch with chili garlic sauce, coconut aminos, honey, fresh ginger, and a splash of rice vinegar. I tested the ratios more times than I'd like to admit to get the balance just right: enough honey to keep it sweet, enough acid to keep it from tasting flat, and just enough chili garlic sauce for a mild, savory warmth without any real heat. My other favorite thing about it? I can throw in whatever vegetables I have in the fridge, and it always comes together. It's a great way to clean out the crisper and still end up with something really satisfying. Read on for everything you need to make it.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken thighs. I always reach for thighs over breasts in stir fry. They're juicier, more flavorful, and they hold up to high heat without drying out. If you only have chicken breasts on hand, they'll work. Just keep a close eye on them since they cook faster and are less forgiving.
- Chili garlic sauce. This is not the same as bottled Thai sweet chili sauce. Chili garlic sauce is more savory and concentrated, and it's what gives this dish its depth. Look for one where the ingredients are simply chili, garlic, vinegar, and salt. If your brand contains added sugar, scale back the honey slightly to taste.
- Coconut aminos. I prefer coconut aminos over soy sauce here because it's lower in sodium, slightly sweeter, and naturally gluten-free. That said, low-sodium soy sauce works as a 1:1 swap if that's what you have.
- Rice vinegar. A small amount goes a long way. It adds a subtle tang that keeps the sauce from tasting heavy or one-note. Don't skip it.
- Sesame oil. Added to both the pan and the sauce. It adds a nutty, toasty flavor that rounds everything out. A little goes a long way here, too.
- Honey. This is what balances the saltiness of the coconut aminos and the savory heat of the chili garlic sauce. Use pure honey for the best flavor.
- Fresh ginger and garlic. Please use fresh here, not powdered. Freshly grated ginger and garlic make a noticeable difference in the flavor of the sauce. I use a microplane for both, so they melt right into the sauce.
- Stir fry vegetables. I used bell pepper, broccoli, and yellow onion for this recipe. It's also great with snap peas, green beans, edamame, cauliflower, carrots, or a store-bought frozen stir fry mix. Harder vegetables like broccoli and carrots go in first. Softer ones like snap peas and bell peppers go in during the last couple of minutes so they stay crisp.
- Cornstarch. Mix with cold water to make a slurry that thickens the sauce into that glossy, coat-everything consistency. More on this in the tips below.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Before you start cooking, take a few minutes to get everything ready. Cut your chicken, prep your vegetables, and whisk together your sauce ingredients - the garlic, ginger, chili garlic sauce, coconut aminos, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and honey - so it's all within reach. Once the pan is hot, this comes together quickly, and you won't want to stop mid-cook.
Step 2: Heat sesame oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken in a single layer. Don't stir it right away. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes, so it develops a golden sear on the outside. Cook for about 5 minutes total, then remove from the pan and set aside. If you're working with a smaller pan, cook the chicken in two batches. The chicken should be golden on the outside and just cooked through.
Step 3: Add a little more oil to the pan if needed, then add the onion, bell pepper, and broccoli. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The broccoli should turn bright green and be slightly tender but still have a little bite to it. If it turns dull or olive green, it's overcooked. Season lightly with salt.
Step 4: While the vegetables cook, give the sauce ingredients another whisk (garlic, ginger, chili garlic sauce, coconut aminos, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and honey). Make sure the honey is fully dissolved, and the sauce looks uniform in color.
Step 5: Add the chicken back to the pan with the vegetables. Pour the sauce over everything and stir to coat. Let it simmer for about 3 minutes. Then stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and turns glossy. It should coat the back of a spoon. Serve immediately over rice or noodles and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions if desired.
Sarah's Top Tips
- Prep everything before you turn on the heat. This recipe moves fast once the pan is hot, and there's no time to stop and chop mid-cook. I always have my chicken cut, my vegetables prepped, and my sauce whisked and ready to go before I even turn on the stove. It makes the whole process so much smoother and a lot less stressful.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking the chicken. This is the single thing that separates a good stir fry from a disappointing one. When I tested this with a full pound of chicken in a standard 10-inch skillet, I ended up with pale, steamed chicken that had no color and very little flavor. Once I switched to a 12-inch skillet and cooked in two batches, the difference was night and day. The chicken got that golden, caramelized sear on the outside that makes it so much more flavorful. It's only an extra 3 minutes and is completely worth it.
- The sauce is easy to customize. I tested this sauce more times than I'd like to admit to get the balance just right. The chili garlic sauce brings that mild savory warmth, the honey rounds it out with sweetness, and the rice vinegar cuts through so the whole thing doesn't taste heavy or flat. Once you know that, adjusting it to your taste is easy. Want it sweeter? Add a little more honey. Want more warmth? Add a touch more chili garlic sauce. Just don't skip the rice vinegar. It's a small amount, but without it, the sauce falls flat every time.
- Always make a cornstarch slurry before adding it to the pan. The first time I made this, I added the cornstarch straight to the hot pan and ended up with lumps that wouldn't dissolve no matter how hard I stirred. Always mix the cornstarch with cold water first until it's fully dissolved, then pour it into the pan slowly while stirring. It takes 30 extra seconds and makes all the difference.
Serving
This stir fry is delicious served over jasmine rice, which is my go-to because it soaks up the sweet chili sauce and makes every bite really satisfying. Lo mein, chow mein, or rice noodles are great options too if you're in the mood for a noodle bowl. If you want to keep things lighter, cauliflower rice works really well and soaks up the sauce just as nicely. This is filling enough to be a complete meal on its own, but if you want to round it out, a simple cucumber salad or some steamed edamame on the side adds a cool, fresh contrast to the warm sweetness of the sauce. If I'm feeding a crowd, I'll sometimes start with my honey garlic wings or sweet and spicy meatballs as an appetizer since they're in the same flavor family and easy to prep ahead.
Storage & Reheating
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I like to keep a little extra sauce on the side to add back in when reheating, since the cornstarch will thicken the sauce further as it sits.
Reheating: Warm in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or extra sauce until heated through. The microwave works too - cover loosely and heat in 60-second intervals, stirring in between.
Freezer: Let the stir fry cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 2 months. The vegetables will soften slightly after freezing, so for the best results, freeze the chicken and sauce separately from the veggies. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop.
Make ahead tip: You can marinate the raw chicken in half the sauce and freeze it uncooked. On cooking day, thaw overnight in the fridge and cook as directed. The chicken soaks up so much flavor this way, and it makes weeknight cooking even faster.
More Chicken Recipes To Try
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below-I'd love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil or olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- salt, to taste
Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
Slurry
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch , + ½ cup cold water for thickening
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, turn the heat to medium and add the chicken to the pan.
- Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the onion, red pepper and broccoli to the pan. Pour in a little more oil if needed. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Next, add the chicken back to the pan and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Season with some salt.
- Combine the sauce ingredients, add to the pan and stir to combine everything. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Whisk together water and cornstarch until dissolved, then stir into pan.
- Allow the sauce to thicken and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve immediately over noodles or rice.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, if desired.
Sarah's Tips
- Cook the chicken in a 12-inch skillet and in two batches if needed. Crowding the pan will steam the chicken instead of searing it.
- Always dissolve the cornstarch in cold water before adding it to the pan. Adding it dry will cause lumps that won't incorporate into the sauce.
- To adjust the sauce: add more honey for sweetness, more chili garlic sauce for warmth, or more rice vinegar for tang.
- Use fresh ginger and garlic if possible. It makes a noticeable difference in the flavor of the sauce.
- Harder vegetables like broccoli and carrots go in first. Softer ones like snap peas and bell pepper go in during the last 2 minutes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep a little extra sauce on the side to loosen it up when reheating.
- To freeze, let cool completely and store in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop
Lilly says
So delish and came together so quickly! Will absolutely be making again.