These chicken bites are sweet, spicy, and coated in a sticky five-ingredient sauce. Serve them over cauliflower rice or traditional rice with a side of vegetables for a satisfying dinner, or offer them as an irresistible appetizer.
There’s a little heat, a pleasant sweetness, and a sauce so good you’ll want to lick the plate. The sauce uses only five simple ingredients and comes together in minutes — surprisingly easy for something so addictive.
This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, and Paleo-friendly. It’s quick to make and built from nourishing ingredients, making it a great weeknight option.
Start by cutting chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces so they cook quickly and evenly. Sauté the pieces in a small amount of oil until browned on the outside but not completely cooked through.
Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl. The sauce will be thin at first — pour it into the skillet with the browned chicken and let it simmer on medium-high heat for about five minutes. As it simmers the sauce will bubble and reduce, becoming thick and sticky so it clings to each bite of chicken.
You can adjust the spiciness by adding more or less sriracha. Crushed red pepper flakes are potent, so add them sparingly if you’re sensitive to heat.
What if the sauce doesn’t bubble and thicken?
If the sauce isn’t bubbling, increase the heat. For this recipe, medium-high is ideal — medium heat is usually too low to properly reduce and thicken the sauce.
How to serve these sticky chicken bites?
Serve the chicken over steamed cauliflower or traditional rice with a side of roasted or sautéed vegetables for a complete meal. That combination makes a balanced, flavorful plate.
You can also serve these as an appetizer — just keep them warm before serving so the sauce stays glossy and sticky.
Sweet & Spicy Chicken Bites
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Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Sweet & Spicy Sauce
- 6 tbsp coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
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Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces, season with chili powder, garlic powder, and salt, and sauté uncovered for 4–5 minutes, turning occasionally, until pieces are browned and nearly cooked through.
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While the chicken cooks, whisk together the coconut aminos, honey, sriracha, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes in a bowl. Taste and add more sriracha if you want extra heat.
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Pour the sauce into the skillet with the chicken. Simmer on medium-high for 4–5 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and thickens and the chicken is cooked through.
Notes
If you want more heat, add an extra teaspoon of sriracha. If you prefer milder, reduce the sriracha and taste as you go. Crushed red pepper flakes add concentrated heat, so use them sparingly.
This recipe yields about 2–4 servings depending on the sides you serve. Serving over rice or cauliflower with a vegetable side will provide four servings.
Nutrition information is based on four servings and should be used as an estimate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.