This sweet chili chicken stir fry packs in juicy chicken and crunchy veggies glazed in a sauce that’s sweet and tangy with a little spicy kick! Don’t like bell peppers or broccoli? Swap them out for your favorite vegetables. Serve this over rice, and it’s a complete meal that deserves to be on your dinner rotation.
What vegetables can I use for this sweet chili chicken stir fry?
For a colorful dish that incorporates a mixture of textures and flavors, I like bell peppers (2 different colors), broccoli, and onion.
If you prefer other vegetables, here are some others that would work well:
- green beans
- zucchini
- baby corn
- carrots
- snap peas or snow peas
- any other veggies with some sturdiness to them to withstand stir frying!
How do I make sweet chili sauce?
The key ingredient to a great sweet chili sauce is sambal olek, a flavor-packed southeast Asian chili sauce that you can find at most Asian grocery stores (and at some large retailers like Safeway)! It consists of mostly red peppers, salt, and vinegar, and some also include garlic and other additional ingredients.
Including sambal olek, you’ll also need:
- honey: most bottled sweet thai chili sauces will use sugar or corn syrup, but I like to use honey as a more nutritionally balanced substitute without sacrificing sweetness and flavor
- rice vinegar: adds tanginess to the sauce, which balances the sweet and spicy flavors
- soy sauce (regular or light soy sauce): adds a touch of salt and umami
- minced garlic: optional, but a must for garlic lovers!
If you don’t have sambal, you can also use sriracha, which has a smoother, pureed texture compared to sambal (more chunky, visible peppers). I personally prefer sambal for this, but they’re both spicy, tangy, and incredibly flavorful.
You may also like these other recipes:
- Chinese stir-fry tomato and eggs with beef
- Stir-fry rice cakes (for Lunar New Year)
- Cantonese minced beef and eggs
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Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
Chicken marinade:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs cubed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
Vegetables:
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper
- 1/4 yellow onion
- 2 cups broccoli florets
Sauce:
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 2.5 tbsp sambal olek (adjust to your personal spice preference)
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp water
Cornstarch slurry:
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp water
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Slice the boneless skinless chicken thighs into ~1 inch cubes.2 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Place the cubed chicken into a bowl, and add salt and cornstarch. Mix until evenly incorporated, then set aside to let marinate.1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- While the chicken marinates, prepare the vegetables. Chop the onion and bell peppers into ~1 inch pieces. Chop the broccoli into florets. Mince the garlic.1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 yellow bell pepper, 1/4 yellow onion, 2 cups broccoli florets, 2 cloves garlic
- In a bowl, mix together all the sauce ingredients. Set aside.1/2 tsp soy sauce, 2.5 tbsp sambal olek, 3 tbsp honey, 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp water
- In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water for the cornstarch slurry.1 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp water
Stir fry the ingredients
- Heat up a pan on medium to medium high heat, then add 1/2 tbsp of neutral cooking oil.
- Once it’s warm, add the marinated chicken. Spread out each piece across the pan, then let it sear on one side untouched for 3-4 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- Flip each piece and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. Once both sides are nicely golden, remove the chicken pieces from the pan.
- Lower the heat to medium, then add in the broccoli florets with a few tbsp of water. Place a lid onto the pan to let the broccoli steam for about 1 minute.
- Remove the broccoli from the pan, and increase the heat to medium high.
- Add in the chopped onions and bell peppers. If the pan is dry, add in a touch more oil. Stir fry for 4-5 minutes or until the veggies get a slight char and have lightly softened.
- Season the veggies with a tiny pinch of salt (~1/8 tsp). Add back the broccoli and cooked chicken. Pour the sauce into the pan, and toss to incorporate evenly.
- Lastly, mix any undissolved cornstarch in the cornstarch slurry, and pour it into the pan. Quickly mix this into the sauce as it will thicken quickly.
- Once the sauce is mixed and thickened to your liking, turn off the heat, and it’s ready to enjoy with rice!
