Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken (Printable)
Tender grilled chicken with a sweet, tangy chili glaze—ideal for summer cookouts.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Sweet Chili Marinade & Glaze
05 - 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
06 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free tamari if needed)
07 - 1 tablespoon honey
08 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
09 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
11 - 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
→ Garnish
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
13 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
14 - Lime wedges for serving
# Directions:
01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and lime juice until well combined. Divide the mixture in half—reserve one portion for basting during grilling.
02 - Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Drizzle with olive oil and season both sides evenly with salt and black pepper.
03 - Place the seasoned chicken in a resealable plastic bag or shallow dish. Pour half of the marinade over the chicken, turning each piece to coat thoroughly. Seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours for more pronounced flavor.
04 - Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (approximately 400°F). Lightly oil the grates to prevent sticking.
05 - Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Discard the used marinade. Place the chicken on the hot grill and cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side, basting with the reserved marinade during the last few minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
06 - Transfer the grilled chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute before slicing.
07 - Arrange the sliced chicken on a platter. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges alongside grilled vegetables or steamed jasmine rice.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The glaze doubles as marinade and basting sauce, so you get deep flavor with almost no extra work.
- It survives every mistake I have thrown at it: too-hot grills, forgotten flip timers, even a substitution emergency with apricot jam instead of honey.
02 -
- The reserved marinade never touches raw chicken, so it is safe to baste with straight from the bowl.
- If your grill runs hot, move the chicken to a cooler spot after the first flip to prevent the sugary glaze from burning before the center finishes cooking.
03 -
- Baste in the last three minutes of cooking rather than from the start, and you get all the flavor without the burnt sugar problem.
- Toasting the sesame seeds in a dry pan for sixty seconds turns them from decoration into something actually worth eating.