Slow Cooker Fiery Sweet Chili Chicken
Perfectly sweet & spicy and loaded with tender chicken and vegetables, this Slow Cooker Fiery Sweet Chili Chicken is an easy slow cooker meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights!
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Slow Cooker Fiery Sweet Chili Chicken is an incredibly easy and delicious dinner idea for the slow cooker.
It’s made with chicken, onion, and bell peppers in an addicting, spicy-sweet sauce featuring chili garlic sauce, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and fresh habanero for extra heat.
It kind of reminds me of sweet & sour chicken, but spicier and healthier since it’s not battered and fried.
Chili garlic sauce is tangy, garlicky, and spicy, while sweet chili sauce is garlicky and sweet.
I recipe tested this dish a lot. It was always tasty, however, it wasn’t quite as spicy as we wanted it to be. Once I added the habanero, it was perfect.
We like to serve this chicken with rice and a side of green beans, but it would also be great with noodles.
Slow Cooker Soy Jalapeno Chicken is another great Asian-inspired spicy chicken recipe.
Ingredients needed (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Chicken breasts (thighs could be used)
- Yellow onion
- Bell peppers (I like to use 2 different colors)
- Chili garlic sauce
- Sweet chili sauce
- Habanero
- Soy sauce
- Cornstarch
- Scallions
- Seasonings – white pepper, black pepper
I don’t add any garlic because it’s already in the sweet chili sauce and chili garlic sauce.
📍The full recipe with exact ingredient amounts and instructions is on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
how to serve fiery sweet chili chicken
This slow cooker chicken is great with your favorite side. Some of our favorites are:
- White, brown, or habanero garlic rice
- Over lo mein noodles
- With egg rolls, crab rangoon, or scallion pancakes
- Alongside garlic sesame green beans
💡Tips & Tricks
- Spiciness: This recipe was created to have a spicy-sweet sauce. If you don’t like a lot of heat, I would omit the habanero and reduce the chili garlic sauce.
- Meal prep: This is a great meal prep recipe. Add rice and the chicken & veggies to your containers and you’re all set.
- Salt: I don’t add salt to this recipe because there’s already salt in the soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and sweet chili sauce. I would wait until it’s done cooking before adding any salt.
Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Here are some favorites:
- Slow Cooker Japanese Chicken Curry
- Slow Cooker Sausage & Gnocchi Pizza Casserole
- Slow Cooker Lomo Saltado
- Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken
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Slow Cooker Fiery Sweet Chili Chicken
Equipment
- 5 or 6-quart slow cooker
- small bowl or cup (for cornstarch slurry)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
- 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 orange habanero halved (stem removed)
- 1 (10 ounce) bottle of sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 2 bell peppers chopped (I like to use 2 different colors)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- scallions optional
Instructions
- Add the cubed chicken, onion, and habanero to the slow cooker. Season with black pepper and white pepper. Add the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce to the slow cooker and give everything a stir. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
- After 3-4 hours, remove the habanero and add the chopped bell peppers, stir, and continue cooking for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, make the cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch and water in a small bowl or cup. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker and give everything a stir. Turn the slow cooker to high and rest the lid slightly ajar so moisture can escape. Cook on high for 10-15 minutes while the sauce thickens.
- We like to serve this over rice with sliced scallions as a garnish. Enjoy!
Notes
- The sweet chili sauce I used to develop this recipe is the one I linked to in the ingredient list.
- The bell peppers are added towards the end so that they have some texture. You could always add them with the chicken in the beginning if you don’t mind them being soft.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It can be frozen, but the bell peppers will turn to mush when defrosted.
This chicken couldn’t be any easier to make! It’s great for meal prepping too!