A great weeknight meal! This Asian Sweet and Spicy Sticky Chicken is made in one pan in about 45 minutes (including 30 minutes of just simmering away time).
My freezer always seems to have one or two packages of chicken thighs, so I have a dozen and one ways to cook them. This sticky, sweet and spicy Asian Chicken recipe is a family favourite and is a great one-pan, weeknight meal.
This one can be made with bone-in/skin-on chicken thighs or boneless/skinless, as you like. Simply cook/brown the chicken thighs in a skillet while you mix up the sauce. Then pour the sauce over-top and let it simmer away on the stove-top for another 30 minutes or so. The sauce thickens up nicely all on its own.
Cook’s Notes
I like to serve this with rice and a vegetable. Bok Choy or snap peas are nice with this one, as is steamed broccoli. This would also be nice with some Asian noodles. Or skip the carbs altogether and double up on the vegetables :)
Adjust the amount of Asian Chili Garlic sauce to taste, depending on your heat tolerance. You could also use a lesser amount of Sambal Oelek.
If you don’t have Asian Chili Garlic sauce on hand, you could substitute 1-2 Tbsp. ketchup or tomato paste mixed with 1/8-1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes.
Get the Recipe: Asian Sweet and Spicy Sticky Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
- 5-6 bone-in or boneless chicken thighs , skin on or removed
- 2/3 cup water , or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup orange juice, (freshly squeezed is best if you can)
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1-2 tsp Asian Chili Garlic sauce
- 2 Tbsp white or rice vinegar
- For garnish: Sliced green onions, sesame seeds and orange zest
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the water/broth, brown sugar, orange juice, soy sauce, Asian Chili Garlic sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dry chicken thighs and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Place in hot skillet, skin-side down if using skin-on, and cook until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for another 8 minutes or so. Remove chicken to a plate and discard any oil/fat in the pan.
- Add sauce to pan and bring to a light boil. Return chicken to pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, flipping chicken occasionally, until cooked through and sauce thickens and becomes syrupy, about 30-35 minutes.
- Serve garnished with sesame seeds, sliced green onions and orange zest. Nice with rice.
This is honestly one of the best recipes ever. It’s SO easy and SO delicious. I’ve made it four times in the last two weeks and I cannot wait to make it again. The sauce is next level delicious!
So glad to hear, Nicole :) Thanks so much!
Morning Jennifer.
I made the dish yesterday and it was so fantastic and delicious. I had to prepare everything in the morning because we play bridge all afternoon. I poured the sauce over the browned chicken and put it in the fridge. When we got home I finished the dinner off. I did seven thighs, I ate two and my husband ate five and asked if there was more! If I could I would give this so many stars.
Stay well.
Susan
So glad you both enjoyed them, Susan :) Thanks!
So glad I came across this recipe! It’s exavtly what I was craving. This is the best recipe I’ve tried in years. Thank you so much for sharing this. I didn’t have Asian garlic sauce and appreciate your suggestions. I ended up just using Sriracha with some garlic and it turned out great. Like others have commented, we are adding this to our meal rotation. Thanks again for sharing such a flavourful meal.
So glad you enjoyed it, Krista :) Thanks so much!
I made this recipe for the first time about 6 months ago and it was a huge hit! It’s since become part of my monthly rotation meals. I host a ladies night one Saturday a month and cooked this along with steamed pea pods, Asian salad and jasmine rice and they all loved it! I gave them the recipe and they all made it at home and their families enjoyed it! Sesame seeds, orange zest and chopped green onions are a must and make this meal look fancy. Thank you!
Thank you, Kathy! So glad everyone is enjoying it :)
This has become a recipe in our regular rotation. It’s perfect!
Made these for dinner & they were delicious!! Thanks for posting the recipe!
So glad to hear, Rachel :) Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I just had to comment and say all your recipes are fantastic! I couldn’t get the sauce to thicken up, but that didn’t matter one bit because it was so good. Overall, my entire family loved the dish. We paired it with rice, and next time we are going to serve it with brocoli too :)
So glad you enjoyed it Erinn! You an always mix up a couple teaspoons of cornstarch with a Tablespoon of water and add a bit to your sauce at the end to thicken it, if you like :)
I did this for my wife last night, along with your Pan Haggerty. Maybe an odd combination, but it was one of the best meals I have done for her…….and I have done many. Thank you so much for this great, inspirational site.
So glad you enjoyed both dishes, Barry! Thanks for coming back to let me know :)
This is the best sticky chicken i have every tasted that is home made. thanks for such an amazing recipe
So glad you enjoyed it, Melissa. Thanks for coming back to let me know :)
This sounds so good, but my husband doesn’t like chicken thighs. Jennifer, is it possible to make it with skinless boneless chicken breasts? If so, should it be cut in small piece and how long to cook in the sauce? Thank you.
Hi Faith and yes, you can make it with skinless/boneless chicken breasts. I would cut them in half lengthwise, at least, so that the chicken cooks before the glaze starts to burn. You could make them a bit smaller, if you like (cut each of the halves in half again). Enjoy!
What is Asian Chili Garlic Sauce? Does it just come bottled under that name? I shop a lot at the local Asian markets but don’t remember seeing it. Or can I just find it at my usual large chain grocery?
Love that this uses thighs. To me, they’re the tastiest, most moist part of the chicken.
Hi Nancy, Yes, that’s the name on the jar. It’s easily available at my small town grocery store in with the Asian sauces etc. Enjoy!
These look sticky delicious, love the Asian flavors!
Thanks Laura!
I can see why this is a family favorite, looks amazing!!
Thanks so much, Cheri :)
This doesn’t look like a weeknight meal. It looks like an I worked in the kitchen all day and made this fabulous dish meal. So the fact that it takes 45 minutes? Uh, you’re a wizard.
Thanks Sarah. But we can tell them it took all day to make ;)
Oh man do these look good!! The name says it all – all my favorite words in one place! Gorgeous photos, Jennifer.
Thanks so much, Liz :)
Lovely recipe, Jennifer! I am so glad you have more than a dozen ways to cook chicken! I get stuck in the rut sometimes!
Thanks Julia and me, too :)
Yum! My whole family would love this. We are a fan of sticky, spicy, and sweet.
Thanks Thao. Enjoy!
Sticky, sweet and spicy. . 3 things I love. . oh my gawd, this chicken looks amazing. . and we are big thigh meat people at my house. . LOVE this!
Thanks Alice. We eat a lot of thighs, too, so always nice to have another way to cook them :)
I only have one way to cook chicken thighs so I’m so glad you’ve posted another! Another one of your recipes I’ll have to try – I’m making your bean and bacon soups as we speak although I did a little twist and put it in the slow cooker while I was at work.
I think you’d love these Jessica and let me know how the soup turned out in the slow cooker!
Oh my god all that sticky sauce is just making me drool! This dish is just DIVINE.
Thanks so much, Thalia :)
That name says it all — well, the photos tell a little bit of the story, too. I am addicted to sweet and spicy combos, looks fabulous Jennifer!
Thanks Sue. I’m a fan of sweet/spicy, as well!