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    Home > Recipes > Chicken

    Sweet Chili Chicken

    Published: Oct 7, 2015 · Modified: Apr 19, 2022 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 6 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    chicken over rice in white and blue bowls
    adding sauce to chicken in a white bowl
    Thai Sweet Chili Chicken over rice
    sweet chili chicken

    Chicken in a bowl with rice

    Sweet Chili Chicken is a delicious tribute to the sticky, sweet, tangy Thai dipping sauce our house loved putting on everything in Thailand. It's also a slow-cooker recipe that takes 10 minutes to put together. Served over rice with roasted broccoli or sautéed green beans, this is a quick, crowd-pleasing dinner.

    I've been a predictable cook this month, content to cook the things I know over and over again.  We spent some time in a log cabin on a mountain in Eastern Tennessee which only fed my craving to slow down and settle in.  Sit on the porch, watch the sun set, wrap my hands around a warm bowl of soup.  Repeat.

    Sauce for Sweet Chili Chicken in a white bowl

    The slow-cooker has been the backdrop of this year's transition of seasons.  I use it all through the hot months when I don't want to turn on the oven, but there's something about its soft steamy sound and the way it fills a whole house with heady, hunger-inducing smells that makes me want the slow-cooker doing it's thing all fall.  And I've been doing my best to make that happen.  For nearly 48 hours I slow-cooked local apples down into a deep caramel-color, rich apple butter that needed no added sugar at all.  This week it was chicken stock that became so fragrant while cooking overnight that I had a dream I was floating in a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

    Pouring Sauce over chicken in a white bowl

    Sweet Chili Chicken has a bit more happening than a bunch of chopped apples but, like the best throw-it-all-in-and-turn-it-on slow-cooker recipes it takes 10 minutes to put together.  Combine ingredients for the sauce, add chicken, flip the switch on.  This entire dish is a bit of a tribute to the sticky, sweet, tangy Thai dipping sauce that I ate on just about everything while we lived in Bangkok.  It's comfort food with a kick.  My recipe below has a spicy bite, like many Thai recipes, but reduce the red pepper flakes if you prefer.  I like this dish made with chicken breasts, which tend to get a bit dry in the slow-cooker, but are not at all dry once tossed with the sauce.  Served over rice with roasted broccoli or sautéed green beans, this is a quick, crowd-pleasing dinner.

    Chicken in bowls over rice

    More Easy Chicken Recipes

    • 20 Minute Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles
    • Honey Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
    • Chicken Enchilada Pasta
    • Slow Cooker Green Salsa Chicken
    • Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken
    • Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas
    • Simple Chicken Noodle Soup with Miso
    • Sheet Pan Honey Dijon Chicken
    • BBQ Pulled Chicken
    • Honey Garlic Chicken Fried Rice

    Favorite Tools

    • KitchenAid 6-Quart Slow Cooker
    • Cutting Board
    • Pyrex 2-cup Glass Measuring Cup 
    • Whisk
    • 6-inch Global Knife
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Sweet Chili Chicken

    This sweet, spicy, tangy chicken in a rich, sticky sauce comes together fast in the slow-cooker.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time3 hrs 30 mins
    Total Time3 hrs 40 mins
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Thai
    Keyword: chicken dinner, easy dinner, gluten free, slow cooker recipe
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 389kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

    Equipment

    • 6-quart Slow Cooker

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
    • ¼ cup Soy Sauce (sub Tamari for gluten-free)
    • ¼ cup Rice Vinegar
    • ¼ cup Brown Sugar
    • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
    • 2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (this makes a sauce with a fairly good kick, so add or reduce to preference)
    • 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
    • 2 stalks chopped Green Onions, for topping (optional)

    Instructions

    • Season chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper and place in the bowl of a slow-cooker. Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic and red pepper flakes. Pour sauce over the chicken and slow-cook until the chicken is cooked through, 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
    • When chicken is cooked, remove from the slow-cooker and allow to cool on a cutting board.
    • Whisk cornstarch with ¼ cup hot water and add to sauce in slow-cooker. Turn heat to high and continue slow-cooking, covered for 30 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
    • While sauce is finishing, roughly chop chicken. Just before serving, toss chicken with hot sauce. Top with green onions. Serve over rice.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1326mg | Sugar: 27g

    Molly and Clara have a newfound love of fountains, which they call "bubbles".  Might have to put one of these in the backyard.  Should be easy enough.  Right?

    IMG_2166

    *This post contains affiliate links*

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    About Jess

    Hi! I'm Jess. I am the recipe creator and photographer behind the 900+ recipes you’ll find on Inquiring Chef. As a mom to three young kids and professional cook, my mission is to make every moment in the kitchen and around the table count. If you’re looking for easy, flavorful, family-approved recipes, you’ve come to the right place! Learn more about me here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kit White

      October 07, 2015 at 10:35 am

      This chicken recipe looks great. I don't have a slow cooker. Do you think I could slow poach it over a stove burner? By the way, maybe you should wait until Spring for the bubbles in your yard. I also rush to the ends of your posts to see what the girls are up to. So enjoy their photos. Thanks

      Reply
      • Jess

        October 07, 2015 at 10:27 pm

        Yes, definitely Kit! I'd simmer the sauce separately and then poach or just pan-sear the chicken breasts. Chop and toss in the sauce and you should have a very similar result. And thanks so much for the kind note about my girls...good point on the delay until warmer weather. 😉

        Reply
    2. Monica

      October 07, 2015 at 1:50 pm

      I definitely feel the pull of the slow-cooker right now. It's so nice to have a hearty meal cooking away while you just sit back and sniff the air appreciatively! : ) This sweet chili chicken would certainly hit the spot. And with a slow cooking doing the work, there's more time to go outside and play with the "bubbles". : )

      Reply
    3. Ellen

      November 11, 2015 at 5:36 pm

      This was so delicious! Super easy and the flavors were perfect balance of sweet and spicy. My house smelled amazing all day.

      Reply
    4. Liz

      January 02, 2016 at 10:39 am

      Sounds good Jessie. Thank you and have a great weekend. Girls are as cute as ever.

      Reply
    5. Mobasir hassan

      June 08, 2020 at 4:35 pm

      5 stars
      I really appreciate the way you made it in such a simple way. It helped me to make the recipe at home. And I made sweet chill Chicken for the first time. Looking for more such yummy recipes.

      Reply

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