Grilled chicken with homemade sweet chili sauce – the perfect sweet and spicy combo! Make it as spicy or as mild as you want. Great straight on the grill or on skewers or kabobs (or kebabs)!
So I’ve never been much of a griller.
When I plan something on the grill for supper it’s usually so that I get the night off and can weasel the hubs into cooking supper for me.
This summer, though, I’ve been trying harder to focus on more seasonal recipes and I’ve actually really started to enjoy grilling! I can’t say I hate the pudding pops or the no-bake desserts either. 🙂
I kind of like being “forced” to think more seasonally though.
Before I had the blog, I would just cook hearty comfort food pretty much year round. I would bake all summer and eat just whatever I felt like eating. Sometimes this meant turning on the grill, and sometimes it’d be hot soup or mac and cheese.
I find that focusing more on what season we’re in (or rather, focusing more on what season we’re going to be in in a month or two or three….) has made me love those seasons even more.
In the summer, I have an excuse to grill everything and never turn on the oven.
In the fall, I have an excuse to turn that oven back on and bake like crazy, especially with apples and cinnamon and caramel and…. All that good stuff (and yes, I left out the pumpkin on purpose.)
In the winter, I have an excuse to make all kinds of Christmas cookies and pretty pink and red things.
And in Spring, I’m breaking out the citrus. For some reason, Spring is all about citrus for me!
This sauce would be incredible just served with some chicken though (or just about anything else) – it tastes so much like the store bought version but all with normal ingredients! It’s not hard at all and totally worth it!
And please, please, don’t ever try to cook the sauce and puree it while it’s hot unless your blender is designed for that! You do not need a sweet chili explosion on your hands! Either puree the peppers before cooking the sauce or cook the sauce, cool, and then puree. Trust me on this one! And it doesn’t matter if the peppers get totally smooth – a few flecks of skin here are there just make it look like what it really is.
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Pin this recipe to your favorite boardHomemade Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 red chili peppers seeded and diced (leave the seeds in for extra spicy)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/8 cup vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp corn starch
- 1/2 tbsp. water
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced into strips
Instructions
- Make your sauce: in a small pot, combine water, garlic, chili peppers, sugar, vinegar, and salt and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until peppers have softened. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth (or as smooth as possible – it’s okay if there are a few flecks of peppers). Bring back to a simmer. Whisk together water and corn starch and add to sauce, cooking just until thickened.Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat your grill to 400-450 degrees F. I like to spray my grill with non-stick so that the chicken doesn’t stick, but this is optional. If you’d like, skewer your chicken pieces or just leave them as is – it won’t affect cooking time or instructions.
- Grill chicken on one side for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and brush top with chili sauce (the side that is now cooked).
- Cook another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (it’s always best to use a meat thermometer to ensure an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F). Flip and brush the other side with chili sauce. Remove from the grill and serve as desired.
Nutrition Information
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Shannon says
Loved the recipe! However, you list cornstarch/water in your ingredients, yet you never specify when to add them. After having made the recipe, it was quite thin/watery without it. Could you suggest when you add it? I’m assuming while it’s still hot. Would be nice if you updated the recipe to include!
Terry Cain says
Yes I have the same question!
Ashley Fehr says
Sorry about that! I have updated the recipe
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says
That sweet chili sauce sounds so good! What an amazing way to grill chicken!
Sam @ SugarSpunRun says
Ashley, this chicken could not look any more perfect! Seriously, it looks amazing!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
My husband does ALLLL the grilling. So whenever I want the night off cooking, it’s going to be a grilling night so he has to cook. Haha! This sweet chili chicken sounds so delicious!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes) says
I cannot tell you how much I need this in my life. Looks sensational!
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
This looks absolutely gorgeous and delicious!awesome! Loving sweet and spicy flavors here!! 🙂
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says
I always love grilling in the summer because it is a great excuse to get outside. The sweet chili glaze on this chicken looks amazing. I can almost taste the flavors already!
Zainab says
I agree…blogging has helped me eat more seasonal!! And I am like you, I am grilling more. Love this grilled chicken. Will be perfect on a fresh simple salad!!
Emanuele @ guyslovecooking says
I think that having any fruits or vegetables available all year round makes it quite challenging for most people to distinguish what’s on season and what’s not. Unless of course you like cooking and are mindful of what you are eating. Thanks for sharing!
Stacey @ Bake Eat Repeat says
That grilled chicken looks amazing! Love the homemade sweet chili sauce. I’ve never made that before, but now I definitely need to try it soon! We love sweet chili sauce!
Izzy says
These look so pretty and glossy!! Although, the weather in AZ allows us to grill all year round it is definitely more fun to grill in the summertime! Except when it is so hot outside that I’m scared the grill is going to blow up, haha! I’m so ready for apples and ovens though 🙂
Ashley says
Haha, oh me too! I think I will be so excited to bake!
Jessica @ Sweetest Menu says
Wow talk about delicious! This chicken looks like it stepped out of a restaurant! Your amazing Ashley!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
This chicken looks absolutely perfect!!! Love that you made a homemade sweet chili sauce! I’m with you, I can’t get enough of seasonal produce and grilled foods 🙂 Yum, so amazing!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
This looks awesome! So flavorful and love the sweet and spicy combination! 🙂
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says
You go Ashley. I’m way to scared to try out grilling. I should but it intimidates me. This grilled chicken look delicious! I love a good sweet chili sauce and on top of grilled chicken…Yum! I need to make this asap! Pinned.
Ashley says
Haha, I think I have taken over the grill this summer! Normally I don’t but with this whole food blog thing, I can’t trust my husband to get my pretty grill marks. Lol
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
Woa – this chicken! This looks fantastic! So succulently juicy!
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Ashley! I am definitely a seasonal cook, due in large part to our garden! I make a green chile sauce that I use for chicken (or pork) enchiladas – in fact, there are peppers just waiting to be picked out there now!
Ashley says
I so wish we could have had a real garden this year! Hopefully next!
Rachel @ Bakerita says
Oooh this sounds amazing!! I love grilled chicken in the summer (and always)…and with that sweet chili sauce, I’m all over it!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Ashley, I totally agree!!! Focusing more on what in season and cooking and eating that produce, has made me love the seasons even more! I love this sweet chili grilled chicken!!! delicious!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
I’m not much of a griller either, though I do LOVE grilled food! My husband is the griller, so that gets me off of dinner duty haha. This chicken looks fantastic! I love the chili flavor! Pinned!
Ashley says
Haha, that’s how it used to be until I took over! Sometimes it still works though 😉