Grilled Sweet Chili Chicken

Ingredients + Substitutions

• Chicken Pieces – We are using bone-in chicken pieces for variety. Specifically chicken breast, legs, and thighs. But you can use this recipe with any chicken.
• Seasoning – We like a simple kosher salt and pepper seasoning to the chicken. Or you can use our grilled chicken rub or any of your favorite chicken seasonings. We recommend avoiding any rub with sugar when grilling.

Simple Marinade

You can modify it with any flavors you like including freshly squeezed lime juice, ginger, or other flavors.

• Soy Sauce – The soy adds acidicty and savory flavors.
• Balsamic Vinegar – The flavor is a nice balance to the soy sauce.
• Honey – Honey adds a natural sweetness to the marinade so you don’t have to add sugar.
• Garlic Cloves – Whole crushed cloves.
• Rosemary – Fresh sprigs add an aromatic and herbal flavor. You can substitute with any fresh herb.

Sweet Chili Glaze

We use sauces already thickened so there is no need for a flour or cornstarch slurry. If you want to offset the sweet add a touch of kosher salt.

• Thai Sweet Chili Sauce – This is the base to sweet flavor.
• Sriracha – Adds nice heat and acidity.
• Orange Juice – We like the natural sweetness that orange juice offers versus lime.
• Orange Zest – Nice offset and aromatics to the richer sriracha.

Garnish

You can add fun garnish when the chicken is done including chopped green onions, lime wedges, or sesame seeds.

Start With Marinade

In a large bowl place a one gallon size baggie. Add your marinade ingredients into the baggie and stir to combine. Add chicken pieces, seal and then place in the refrigerator for at lease one hour and up to 8 hours.

Make Sweet Chili Glaze

While the chicken is marinating, you can prep your glaze. We like to keep this simple by mixing sweet Thai red chili sauce and sriracha with a pinch of orange zest and some fresh squeezed orange juice.

This adds a lovely citrusy flavor in the background. This will last in an airtight container for up to three days if you want to prep in advance.

Grill Chicken And Glaze

Preheat grill for two-zone grilling using a charcoal chimney starter. Target an internal temperature of 500 degrees in the grill. If using a gas grill prepare two burners for medium-high heat or 500 degrees F. We recommend you invest in a good instant read thermometer like the Thermoworks Thermapen for the best results.

1. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat the chicken dry. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
2. When the grill has preheated place on grill grates over direct heat and watch closely to avoid flare-ups, rotate and flip chicken frequently to get a nice crusty exterior. When you’ve established a nice crust on the outside, move to the indirect side of the grill and place the lid to cover.
3. When the internal temperature of chicken reaches 150 degrees F brush your prepared glaze on all sides of the chicken then cover again. Remove chicken when the internal temperature is 158 degrees for the breast and 170 degrees for the thighs and legs. Re-glaze once more as it rests.

4. Let it rest for 10 minutes to allow for carryover cooking and then serve with your favorite sides. This is going to produce the juiciest chicken you have eaten.

How to Serve Grilled Sriracha Sweet Chili Chicken

• Our favorite way is to serve it as a rice bowl with roasted bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and broccoli. The sweet roasted veggies complement the flavors in the dish. Or grill the veggies as the chicken cooks on the indirect side.
• Serve with roasted potatoes.
• Shred and serve over some greens for a light dinner salad.

The result of this dish is the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy. But not too spicy (even kids love it!). It’s full of outgoing flavor and personality.

Reheating Instructions

Reheat the chicken in an oven preheated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place chicken on a sheet tray and cover with foil. Bake on center rack until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit in the center.

Wine Pairing for Sweet Chili Chicken

We’ve got a lot going on here, from the tender savory grilled chicken, to the crispy sweet and spicy outside crust. We want a wine that can stand up to all these bold flavors, as well as something that can handle a little heat (mmmm Sriracha!). One option is a semi-sweet Riesling.

The sweet fruit works quite well to counter the spicy sauce while matching the sweetness in the sauce. But a mildly sweet sparkling wine is an even better choice. Fruity Prosecco or something with a touch of residual sweetness and bright fruit works as an excellent palate cleanser for this dish, and the bubbles are a great balance for the glaze.

More Grilled Chicken Recipes

Explore all of our chicken recipes or explore our favorites.

• Grilled Chicken with a Cranberry Chipotle Citrus Glaze
• Grilled Chicken with Cherry Chipotle BBQ Glaze
• Chipotle Honey Grilled Chicken
• Grilled Chicken with Ancho Chilies and Prunes
• Dry Brined Smoked Chicken with a Carolina Glaze