If you’re looking for an easy way to add plenty of flavour to chicken, this air fryer sweet chilli chicken is a great recipe to have on hand. Tender pieces of chicken are coated in a simple sweet chilli marinade before being air fried until lightly caramelised around the edges and perfectly juicy in the middle.
Serve it with salad for a lighter lunch, add it to wraps or rice bowls, toss it through noodles or simply enjoy it with your favourite vegetables for an easy weeknight dinner.
What You Need
👉 For more concise ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card.
- 600g chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger (or ½ tsp ground ginger)
- Juice of ½ lime
- Freshly ground black pepper
Optional to serve:
- Sesame seeds
- Chopped spring onions
- Fresh coriander
How To Make Air Fryer Sweet Chilli Chicken
Place the chicken pieces into a large bowl and sprinkle over the cornflour. Toss everything together until the chicken is lightly coated. This helps the sweet chilli sauce cling to the chicken and creates a lovely sticky finish once cooked.
Add the sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, crushed garlic, grated ginger, lime juice and a generous grinding of black pepper. Stir well so every piece of chicken is coated in the marinade.
If you have time, cover the bowl and leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge for around 30 minutes. This step is optional, but it gives the flavours a little more time to develop.
Arrange the chicken in a single layer in your air fryer basket, leaving a little space between the pieces. If your air fryer is on the smaller side, it’s better to cook the chicken in batches than overcrowd the basket.
Air fry at 200°C for 12 to 14 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking. The chicken is ready when it’s lightly caramelised around the edges, cooked through and has reached an internal temperature of 75°C.
Transfer to a serving dish and, if you like, finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, chopped spring onions and fresh coriander before serving.
Top Tips
- Cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces so it cooks at the same rate.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket or the chicken will steam instead of caramelising.
- Marinating the chicken for 30 minutes adds extra flavour, but it’s still delicious if you’re short on time.
- Always check the chicken has reached 75°C before serving.
- Chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breast if you prefer.
Serving Suggestions
This sweet chilli chicken is incredibly versatile and works with all sorts of meals.
- Over a mixed salad with cucumber, peppers, avocado and mango.
- In a wrap with lettuce, grated carrot and mayonnaise.
- With steamed rice and stir-fried vegetables.
- In a rice bowl with edamame, cucumber and shredded carrots.
- Tossed through noodles with a little extra sweet chilli sauce.
Variations
- Add a pinch of chilli flakes for a little extra heat.
- Swap the lime juice for lemon if that’s what you have.
- Add a drizzle of sriracha before serving if you like things spicy.
- Stir through some toasted sesame oil after cooking for a richer flavour.
Storage and Reheating
- Allow the chicken to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, place the chicken back into the air fryer at 180°C for 3 to 4 minutes, or until piping hot throughout.
- You can also enjoy any leftovers cold in salads or wraps, making this a great recipe for meal prep.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
If you are looking for more chicken recipes for your air fryer, check out these for inspiration:
- Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan with Cherry Tomatoes
- Air Fryer Hunters Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
- Air Fryer Chicken Kebabs
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken
- Air Fryer Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Whole Roasted Chicken Joint
Air Fryer Sweet Chilli Chicken
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Ingredients
- 600 g chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger or ½ tsp ground ginger
- Juice of ½ lime
- Freshly ground black pepper
To serve (optional)
- Sesame seeds
- Chopped spring onions
- Fresh coriander
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and sprinkle over the cornflour. Toss until lightly coated.
- Add the sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, ginger, lime juice and a generous grinding of black pepper. Mix well until the chicken is evenly coated. If you have time, cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving a little space between the pieces.
- Air fry at 200°C for 12–14 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through, lightly caramelised and reaches an internal temperature of 75°C.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds, chopped spring onions and fresh coriander, if using.
Notes
- Chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breast and may need an extra 1–2 minutes of cooking time.
- The cornflour helps create a light coating so the sweet chilli sauce clings to the chicken.
- Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket, cook in batches if needed.
- Delicious served in salads, wraps, rice bowls or with noodles.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 3–4 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an estimate.