This simple, sweet chili chicken stir fry recipe is a winner. I made a straightforward sweet chili sauce from Korean apple Oligo syrup and fiery red Thai chili peppers that my friend Snow grows.

I like spicy food and have created countless dishes using chili peppers. However, this dish pushed the boundaries of spicy; it is hot! The spicy, sweet chili sauce that coated the chicken was delicious, even though it had a spicy, hot kick.

My sweet chili chicken stir fry is a dish I made on the fly. I pulled together a bunch of ingredients I had on hand and made this delicious meal. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fresh garlic, shallots, chili peppers, and apple syrup.

I coated the chicken in salt, pepper, corn flour, black vinegar, and dark soy sauce, which gave it a tangy, umami flavor. As a professional chef, making dishes from scratch has become second nature. So, if you want to know about creating dishes on the fly, you’ve come to the right place.

Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry Ingredient Deep Dive

Here is my deep dive into my sweet chili chicken stir fry ingredients. Both for the chicken coating and the sweet chili sauce, which I made from scratch.

Chicken Coating Ingredients

• 500g (1.1lb) Chicken thighs skinless, boneless (diced).
• 2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar.
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce dark.
• 3 tbsp Corn flour.
• ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper.

• Corn Flour — Also known as cornstarch, corn flour is commonly used in Asian cuisine as a coating for meats and a thickening agent for sauces. Corn flour creates a crispy exterior on the chicken when used as a coating, adding texture to the dish. It also helps seal the chicken’s juices, keeping it moist and tender.
• Chinkiang Vinegar — Also known as Chinese black vinegar. It adds a tangy and slightly sweet flavor to the chicken coating. It balances out the savoriness of the soy sauce and adds depth to the overall taste profile. The acidity of the vinegar also helps to tenderize the meat.
• Korean Dark Soy Sauce — This is richer and less salty than regular traditional soy sauce, with a slightly sweet undertone. It adds color and depth of flavor to the chicken coating, imparting a savory and umami-rich taste. Dark soy sauce also contributes to the caramelization of the chicken during cooking.
• Salt And Pepper—I always use Himalayan pink salt, freshly ground black pepper, and fundamental seasoning ingredients.

Sweet Chili Sauce Ingredients

• 3-4 Chili peppers.
• 6-8 cloves of Garlic (sliced).
• 2 small Shallots (sliced).
• ¼ cup Apple syrup.

• Oligo Apple Syrup—This is a natural sweetener made from apples. It adds sweetness to the chili sauce while providing a subtle fruity flavor. Compared to refined sugars, using a natural sweetener like apple syrup can add depth and complexity to the sauce without making it overly sweet.
• Shallots — With their mild onion flavor, shallots add aromatic depth to the sweet chili sauce. When sautéed, they develop a natural sweet and fragrant flavor that enhances the overall taste. They also contribute texture to the sauce, adding a bit of crunchiness.
• Garlic — Fresh local garlic is a staple ingredient in Asian cuisine, known for its intense flavor and aroma. It adds a savory depth to the sweet chili sauce. Garlic also has natural antibacterial properties and can contribute to overall health.
• Red Thai Chilies — They provide the heat and spice needed for a good sweet chili sauce. They add a vibrant color and intense flavor to the sauce, balancing out the sweetness from the apple syrup. Depending on your preference for spiciness, you can adjust the amount of chilies used in the sauce.

Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry The Simplest Recipe

The sweet chili chicken stir fry is dead easy. The subtle sweetness of the sauce tempers the spicy Thai chili peppers and compliments the chicken.

1. This will be the easiest chicken dish you will ever cook. I cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and season it with dark soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, freshly ground black pepper, and a little Himalayan pink salt.
2. Leave the chicken to sit for 10 minutes. That is the hardest part of this simple chicken recipe. Chicken is versatile and can be matched with just about any ingredient.

Best Boneless Chicken Cut To Use For Stir-Fried Dishes

Stir-fried boneless chicken thighs are delicious. They have a meaty flavor, are tender when cooked, and don’t dry out. When it comes to boneless chicken, I only use skinless boneless thighs.

This is because they don’t dry out and become stringy when cooked. The fat content between the layers of meat helps to keep them moist and tender when cooked. And the most important thing, they taste awesome—way better than chicken breast.

Cooking Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry

3. To Cook The Chicken, Heat a heavy-based skillet and add a drizzle of vegetable oil. I use rice bran oil with a neutral flavor and a high smoke point. Add the seasoned chicken in small batches, stir fry, then remove it from the skillet.

A high smoke point refers to the heat the oil reaches before it smokes and burns. When the oil burns, it can taint the flavor of the food. Oils with a high smoking point are corn oil, sunflower, rice bran, and refined avocado oil.

4. To Make The Sweet Chili Sauce, you only need four ingredients: hot Thai chilies, shallots, garlic, and apple syrup. Thinly slice the chili peppers, shallots, and garlic. Use the same skillet the chicken was cooked in. Heat the skillet again until hot, and add a drizzle of vegetable oil.
5. Add The Chili, Shallots, And Garlic, stir fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the apple syrup. It will start to bubble, and the bubbles will be big. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, and the bubbles will begin to become smaller. Remove it from the heat; the sweet chili sauce will be done.
6. Add The Cooked Chicken to the sauce and mix well so the sweet chili sauce evenly coats the cooked chicken pieces.

Word of advice: I used four of these potent Thai red chilies. The sweet chili sauce was hot—not just hot, but hot! If you enjoy hot, spicy food, only use one or two fiery red Thai chilies.

How Do I Stir Fry Chicken So It’s Not Dry?

When stir-frying chicken so it’s not dry there are two things you need to consider. The cut of chicken you’re using and the method you use to stir fry it. First, the cut of chicken you should use is skinless boneless thigh meat that needs to be diced into bite-sized pieces.

The second is that the diced chicken thighs should be stir-fried in a hot, heavy-based skillet or wok and cooked in small batches. This is so you don’t overcrowd the skillet, which causes it to lose all the heat and cause the chicken to start stewing in its own juices.

Cooking Is A Science And A Skill

Cooking is a science and a skill that requires a deep understanding of both the technical and creative aspects. Cooking is also a matter of precise measurements and ratios.

For example, baking is particularly sensitive to accurate measurements and temperatures. A slight deviation in the amount of an ingredient or cooking degrees can result in a completely different outcome. So, to help you here is a handy little unit converter tool for cooking without guesswork.

Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry

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PREP TIME: | 15 minutes mins

COOK TIME: | 20 minutes mins

TOTAL TIME: | 35 minutes mins

SERVINGS: | 4 people

AUTHOR: | Shannon The Helpful Chef

PIN PRINT RECIPE

DESCRIPTION

DISH SUMMARY

Sweet chili chicken stir fry is the most straightforward recipe you'll find. It packs a spicy punch. Try this kicking hot, sweet chili chicken recipe today.

Equipment

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  Cookware
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  Kitchen Gadgets
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  Kitchen Knives

Ingredients

1x2x3x

METRICUS CUSTOMARY

• ▢ 500 g Chicken thighs boneless, skinless
• ▢ 2 tbsp Black vinegar Chinese
• ▢ 2 tbsp Soy sauce Korean dark
• ▢ ¼ cup Corn flour
• ▢ ¼ tsp Salt Himalayan pink
• ▢ ¼ tsp Black pepper freshly ground
• ▢ 2 tbsp Rice bran oil

Chili Caramel Sauce

• ▢ 4 Hot peppers red Thai chilies
• ▢ 8 cloves Garlic
• ▢ 2 Shallots
• ▢ 1 cup Apple syrup Oligo

Instructions

SHOWHIDE

• Dice the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Place into a bowl and add the soy sauce, black vinegar, corn flour, salt, and pepper. Mix well and let sit for 5 minutes. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based skillet. add the chicken in small batches and fry off, remove from the skillet.
  
• Add the sliced chilies, shallots, and garlic to the hot skillet. Quickly stir fry, then add the Oligo apple syrup. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken back in and coal in the chili caramel sauce.
  
• Serving suggestion place inside a large iceberg lettuce leaf with a side of white or purple multigrain rice.
  

Chef Tips

HEATING THE OIL

The easiest way to tell how hot a pan or skillet is is to add a drizzle of oil and tilt the pan from side to side. If the oil looks thin, shimmers, and moves fast, the pan is quite hot.

BATCH COOKING THE CHICKEN

• When making sweet chili chicken, stir fry and cook the chicken in small batches. The hot skillet will stay at a constant heat, searing and caramelizing the chicken quickly and sealing in all those beautiful juices. This searing and caramelizing process will help keep the chicken moist and flavorful.

MAKING THE SWEET CHILI SAUCE

• When you add the apple syrup, it will start to bubble, and the bubbles will be big. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, and the bubbles will begin to become smaller. Remove it from the heat.
• You can use only the red flesh. Remove the seeds and pith from the chilies for a slightly milder flavor. Most of the heat comes from the seeds and pith.

Nutrition

Serving>1 serve | Calories>466kcal | Carbohydrates>16g | Protein>27g | Fat>33g | Saturated Fat>7g | Polyunsaturated Fat>7g | Monounsaturated Fat>15g | Trans Fat>0.2g | Cholesterol>147mg | Sodium>665mg | Potassium>553mg | Fiber>2g | Sugar>4g | Vitamin A>547IU | Vitamin C>68mg | Calcium>48mg | Iron>2mg

COURSE:

Main Course

CUISINE:

Fusion

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Korean

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Thai

KEYWORD:

Chicken Thigh

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Stir Fry

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Sweet Chili

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