Grilled Sweet Chili Chicken — Tender, juicy, and full of FLAVOR from the sweet chili sauce!! EASY, healthy, ready in 10 minutes, zero cleanup, perfect for backyard barbecues or easy weeknight dinners!!
Easy Grilled Chicken Recipe
There’s nothing like the taste of grilled chicken in the summer. Tender, so juicy, and full of flavor.
This sweet chili sauce chicken packs some heat and spice from the sweet chili sauce I marinated the chicken in.
You’re going to want something refreshing to wash the chicken down with and I reached for Sutter Home White Zinfandel. This refreshing American original has a medium sweet flavor profile and delivers delicious notes of strawberry and melon.
It’s a flavorful pairing that perfectly balances the spicy heat of the chicken with the sweet refreshing taste of chilled wine just in time for warm weather. This sweet wine is especially great with Asian and Mexican dishes and paired perfectly with the chicken.
With warmer weather on the way, this grilled sweet chili chicken perfect for backyard barbecues or summer holidays like Memorial Day or the Fourth of July. Bring on summer grilling season!
What’s in Sweet Chili Chicken?
To make this sweet chili sauce chicken, you’ll need:
- Sweet chili sauce
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Chicken breasts
- Green onions
What Is Sweet Chili Sauce
I used this sauce from Trader Joe’s or try this Thai Kitchen brand sauce.
If you Google “chili sauce” there are also multiple homemade versions you can make.
How to Grill Sweet Chili Chicken
Add the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chicken to a bag and seal. Place the bag in the fridge and allow the chicken to marinate for 1 hour.
Once marinated, grill the chicken over medium-high heat until cooked through. Garnish with green onions just before serving.
For an easy, healthy, complete meal with zero cleanup, toss bell peppers or your favorite veggies on the grill as well, and dinner is ready in about 10 minutes. It’s a perfect main dish for our family but if you’d like to add a salad, rice, or potatoes, feel free.
This sweet chili chicken is great as an easy weeknight dinner when you need to get something on the table quickly.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
Yes, you’re probably fine to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. Just keep in mind that chicken thighs may need to cook for more or less time, depending on their thickness.
Do I Have to Grill the Chicken?
I’ve only made this as a grilled chicken recipe, so I can’t say for sure how you’d need to adapt the recipe if you wanted to bake or pan-fry the chicken. If you make this sweet chili sauce chicken in the oven or on the stovetop, leave me a comment below letting me know how it turned out!
Tips for Making Sweet Chili Chicken
I prefer using low-sodium soy sauce in this sweet chili chicken recipe because I like to control the amount of salt in my food. If you use regular soy sauce, I doubt you’ll need to add any additional salt to the marinade.
Don’t skip marinating the chicken. It needs time to soak up the flavors of the marinade and to tenderize.
If you have leftovers of this sweet chili sauce chicken, you can enjoy them cold in sandwiches, atop salads, and in grain bowls.
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Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweet chili sauce
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 to 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, I used one large breast that I sliced in half
- optional bell peppers, sliced into thin strips and lightly coated with olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste
- green onions, sliced into thin rounds for garnishing
- pair with Sutter Home White Zinfandel
Instructions
- To a large ziptop plastic bag, add the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, chicken, seal bag, and squish the contents around so chicken is evenly coated.
- Place bag in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour (overnight is great if you can plan ahead).
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Add the chicken, optional bell peppers, and grill for about 10 minutes, or until chicken (and peppers) are cooked through; flip intermittently to ensure even cooking.
- Garnish with green onions and pair with Sutter Home White Zinfandel.
Notes
- Chicken is best fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Grilled Chicken Recipes:
My favorite grilled chicken recipes are ALL HERE.
Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken Kabobs — Juicy chicken and crisp vegetables coated in a sweet-and-tangy sauce! Great for parties or easy weeknight dinners! Everything tastes better grilled!
Apple, White Cheddar, and Grilled Chicken Salad — All the flavors just pop in this fast, easy, and healthy salad! The Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette doubles as marinade + salad dressing to save time!
Grilled Lime Cilantro Chicken — EASY, ready in 10 minutes, and the cilantro chicken is so TENDER, juicy, and full of Mexican-inspired flavor!! Put this HEALTHY chicken recipe on your summer menu rotation and it’ll be a hit with everyone!!
Grilled Tandoori Chicken — Recreate this Indian favorite QUICKLY and EASILY at home! If you’re looking for a new spin on grilled chicken, this is THE recipe to try. It’s super juicy, flavorful, and you’ll LOVE IT!!
Grilled Cajun Chicken and Pineapple Foil Packets – EASY, tasty, ready in 15 minutes, HEALTHY, and since it’s made in a foil pack on the grill, there’s ZERO cleanup!! Perfect for easy-breezy summer meals!!
Grilled Lemon Chicken – EASY, ready in 10 minutes, and the chicken is so TENDER, juicy, and full of LEMON flavor!! With grilled broccoli on the side, this is a HEALTHY recipe perfect for swimsuit season that tastes AMAZING!!
Spicy Garlic Grilled Chicken – An EASY homemade marinade made with everyday ingredients that produces super FLAVORFUL, juicy chicken!! If you’re looking for a NEW marinade to jazz up grilled chicken, this is the one!!
Post is brought to you by Sutter Home. The recipe, images, text, and opinions expressed are my own. #SweetonSpice #SutterHome #SutterHomeWine #Wine #Cocktail #WineCocktail #WhiteZinfandel
I made the recipe as you suggested. It was very good. I just found that the amount of marinade was extreme, I only used less than half for the marinade, it covered the chicken well. The rest I used to brush on the chicken while on the BBQ. I still had marinade left for the next time! Very tasty!
I made the recipe as you suggested. It was very good. I just found that the amount of marinade was extreme, I only used less than half for the marinade, it covered the chicken well. The rest I used to brush on the chicken while on the BBQ. I still had marinade left for the next time! Very tasty!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was very good!
For me, when I marinate something, I like it to be really well covered and 1 1/4 cups marinade more or less for over a pound of chicken doesn’t seem too much for me personally. I throw it all in a ziplock bag and keep it in the fridge overnight. But you can always reduce it for the next time.
Great recipe. Thanks for sharing this. Nice addition to our family b-b-q meal!
Great recipe. Thanks for sharing this. Nice addition to our family b-b-q meal!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this was a nice addition to your barbecue!
The sweet chilli grilled chicken was delicious. We will be sharing this dish with friends this summer. Wow. So very good. Thanks
The sweet chilli grilled chicken was delicious. We will be sharing this dish with friends this summer. Wow. So very good. Thanks
Glad it was delicious and you’ll be sharing the dish with friends over the summer!
I marinated Pork Chops with the Sweet Chili Marinade. DELICIOUS! Thank you, the next time I grill I will use this recipe for Chickens.
I marinated Pork Chops with the Sweet Chili Marinade. DELICIOUS! Thank you, the next time I grill I will use this recipe for Chickens.
Wonderful to hear!
This looks and sounds delicious. I have it marinating in the fridge for tonight! What are some sides that you would recommend too go with it?
Well dinner has passed for you and hope you enjoyed it!
And of these salads/sides are great options https://www.averiecooks.com/category/entrees/vegetables/. Some are more ‘meal-like’ than sides but you can quickly scroll the photos and see what catches your eye.
We loved this!! The chili sauce with the grill flavor was awesome. It had a nice asian flare and the heat level was just right. The marinade would probably go well with beef or pork too.
Glad you found the heat level just right and that you loved it overall! I think it would work well with pork or beef, too.
This chicken looks amazing! Great recipe (I love the combo of ingredients for the marinade)!
Thanks much!
Where can I find the sweet chili sauce, and what brand is it
In the recipe card section, there are links to it
https://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/1167
https://amzn.to/2oZvg7e
Man this sounds good! And I’m a fan of anything sweet chili.
Me too – love sweet chili!
hey girl – this looks so yummy!
Thank you!
That looks delicious. I don’t have a grill – could I saute this instead, or bake?
I’m sure you probably could bake or sauté. I haven’t tried those methods so can’t comment for sure on baking times, etc. but I’m sure they would be work.
I absolutely LOVE all your chicken recipes. Grilled is where it’s at, and I could go for a glass of that wine right now!
I could go for wine right now like you can’t believe…quite the day :)
Another awesome looking chicken marinade!! I just used the last of my chili sauce so it’s time to re-stock. It has become a staple for me like soy sauce and sesame oil. We grill rather regularly so this will be a great recipe to double so I have leftovers:)
I love chili sauce too and it’s a staple for me just like for you along with soy and sesame oil. LMK what you think of this one if you try it!