Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken (2024)

Published: June 18, 2024Author: Amy

Honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sriracha come together to make an incredible sauce for this Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken Recipe. It offers the perfect balance of sweetness with some heat and sticky glaze. This chicken dish is super easy to make and will easily become a family favorite!

Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken Recipe

This recipe has a pretty self-explanatory name – it’s sweet, it’s spicy, and it’s sticky. And it’s quite honestly one of our family favorites. The flavor combo is awesome with just the right amount of sweetness balanced with some heat, and what’s not to love about a sticky glaze.

To turn this into a complete weeknight meal, just add your favorite rice and a veggie side and you’ve got dinner on the table in just 30 minutes.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Perfect balance of flavors. With brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, and sriracha, this sticky chicken recipe offers ALL the flavors – sweet, spicy, and savory.
• Sticky texture. As the name suggests, this chicken is beautifully sticky. The honey and brown sugar both work together to create that sticky texture which adheres to the crispy chicken. It’s *chef’s kiss*!
• SO easy! I’m not sure this recipe could be any easier. Just toss the chicken with cornstarch, pan fry, and simmer with the sauce. Dinner in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients Needed

This sweet, spicy, and sticky chicken recipe is made with just a handful of ingredients.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

• Chicken – You’ll want boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch wide strips.
• Salt & pepper – For seasoning the chicken.
• Cornstarch – Helps achieve a crispy outside on the chicken.
• Vegetable oil – Provides necessary moisture for pan frying the chicken.
• Soy sauce – I always use low sodium to avoid an overly salty dish.
• Honey – Adds the sweet & sticky to the recipe.
• Brown sugar – Also helps sweeten the sauce with deep notes of molasses flavor.
• Sriracha hot sauce – The “spicy” in sweet and spicy.
• Ginger & Garlic – For wonderful aromatics and earthy flavor.

How To Make Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken

Here’s an overview of how to make this sticky chicken recipe.
(Scroll to the bottom for our easy printable recipe with the complete directions and don’t miss the video below.)

1. Prepare the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then toss with 1/3 cup of cornstarch until coated.
2. Cook the chicken. Heat the oil until it shimmers then add the chicken. Cook (in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the pan) until golden, about 5 minutes per side.
3. Make the sauce. Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a saucepan, bringing to a bubble over medium heat to thicken.
4. Combine. Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken and simmer for a few minutes, until the chicken is coated and sticky.

Tips for Success

Here are a few important things to keep in mind when making this sticky chicken recipe.

• 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 as you don’t want the pieces to touch. Leaving space ensures they get crispy on all sides. Just add more oil as needed.
• Adjust the heat level. This recipe is pretty balanced between sweet and spicy but if you want a bit more heat, increase the amount of sriracha added or use a spicier hot sauce. You can always use a bit less for a sweeter dish too.

Video: Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken

Serving Suggestions

I typically serve this sweet & spicy sticky chicken over rice with a side of roasted broccoli. While I used regular white rice, fried rice or cauliflower rice would be great too.

Proper Storage

• Fridge. Store leftover sticky chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freezer. Store any cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe airtight container of 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

• Garlic Lime Chicken
• Sheet Pan Teriyaki Chicken
• Chicken Marsala
• Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full onTikTok,Facebook,Instagram,Pinterest, andYouTube!