Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken
Updated
Updated
In this Sweet and Spicy Sticky Chicken recipe, I’ve taken honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sriracha to create an incredible sauce. It offers the perfect balance of sweetness with a touch of heat and a deliciously sticky glaze. This chicken dish is super easy to make and will easily become a family favorite.
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5 STAR REVIEW
Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken Recipe
This recipe lives up to its name—sweet, spicy, and sticky, and it’s one of my family’s favorites. The flavor combo is awesome with just the right amount of sweetness balanced with a touch of heat. And, the sticky glaze clings to every bite. Make sure you use a knife and fork, or you’ll end up with messy fingers for sure!
I can easily turn this chicken recipe into a complete weeknight meal by adding a side of rice and veggies. Best of all, I can get it all on the table and into hungry mouths in about 30 minutes tops.
Helpful Tips and Variations
- Coat the chicken completely. The cornstarch gives the chicken the crispy texture, which soaks up the sauce. Be sure to shake until it’s well coated – you can do this in batches if needed – and shake off excess cornstarch to avoid clumps.
- Cook in batches. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook the chicken in batches so the pieces don’t touch. Leaving space ensures they get crispy on all sides. Add more oil as needed.
- Adjust the heat level. I find this recipe is pretty balanced between sweet and spicy, but if you want more heat, increase the amount of sriracha or use a spicier hot sauce. Or, you can always use a bit less.
- Add a vegetable. When I want to add something green to our plates, I’ll add ½ lb. of crisp-tender broccoli florets and cook them with the chicken and sauce.
Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken
Ingredients
- 1¼ lbs. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch wide strips
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup + 1 tsp cornstarch, divided
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tbsp sriracha hot sauce
- 2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Season the chicken strips on both sides with the salt and pepper, then place them in a plastic bag with ⅓ cup of cornstarch. Seal and toss until the chicken is well coated, then shake off any excess.
- Warm oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the chicken (cooking in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the pan and adding more oil, as necessary.) Brown chicken strips until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. Place the soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, sriracha, ginger, garlic, and 1 tsp cornstarch in a small saucepan. Whisk together and bring to a bubble, over medium heat until thickened.
- Transfer all the cooked chicken back to the skillet and pour sauce over the top. Simmer for a couple more minutes until the chicken is coated and sticky.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How To Make Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken Step by Step
Gather the ingredients.
Prepare the chicken: Season 1¼ lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch wide strips with salt and pepper, then toss with ⅓ cup cornstarch until well coated, shaking off any excess.
Cook the chicken: Heat 2 tbsp oil until it shimmers, then add the chicken. Cook (in batches if necessary so you don’t overcrowd the pan) until golden. This usually takes me about 5 minutes per side.
Make the sauce: In a saucepan, whisk together 1 tsp cornstarch, ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 3 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp brown sugar, ½ tbsp sriracha hot sauce, 2 tsp chopped fresh ginger, and 2 cloves garlic, minced. Bring to a boil and let it thicken over medium heat.
Combine: Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken and let it simmer for a few minutes, until the chicken is coated and sticky.
Serve: Serve the sticky chicken with a side of rice and your favorite veggie.
Serving Suggestions
I typically serve this sweet & spicy sticky chicken over rice with a side of crisp roasted broccoli. While I used regular white rice, this flavorful fried rice or a low-carb cauliflower rice would be great too.
How to Store
- Fridge. Store leftover sticky chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer. If you want to freeze the chicken, store any cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe airtight container or plastic bag for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat. Reheat the chicken in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
More Easy Chicken Recipes To Try
- This easy Salsa Verde Chicken only requires a few pantry ingredients, 5 minutes of prep, and then it bakes in one pan.
- These Southwestern Chicken Foil Packets are loaded with seasoned chicken, salsa, black beans, corn, and a plethora of melty cheese.
- This Balsamic Lemon Chicken cooks in a bright lemon and rich balsamic vinegar glaze to create the perfect balance of tangy and savory flavors.
I made this for dinner tonight I made the sauce and used chicken thighs. So good I will make this again for sure. I think this sauce would be great with pot stickers too! Thank you so much!
Just made this… this was really good. This recipe is a keeper and I will definitely make it again.. some of my pieces of chicken were too thick and I would make sure all pieces were more uniformed in size as the recipe states.
This is the 4th time making!!!! Simple easy recipe made it with beef tonight. I enjoy your videos
My family loved this!
Made this tonight. Very tasty. I reduced the sriracha amount to fit our taste. I used ginger from a squeeze tube which worked fine. I needed a bit more corn starch to coat the chicken. Next time I’ll do that in two batches. I did cook in two batches. It looked almost as good as the video. Maybe next time it will look perfect.