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Jalapeno chicken is sticky, sweet and salty with a great kick of heat! This better-than-takeout dinner comes together in just 30 minutes with a handful of ingredients. It’s an easy, flavorful dinner that’s worthy of a spot on your regular meal rotation.
Behind This Jalapeno Chicken Recipe
Every time we make this sticky jalapeno chicken recipe I am reminded of how good it is and we are back to fighting over seconds! It’s inspired by one of my go-to Chinese takeout dishes, with bite-sized pieces of chicken simmered with jalapeno slices in a sticky sweet sauce. The fresh slices of jalapeno turn into candied jalapeños in the sweet bubbling pan sauce are just absolutely irresistible. It has the best spicy-sweet flavor that has a nice bit of kick to it without being incredibly spicy.
The heat level in this is pretty similar to my hot orange chicken recipe and maybe a bit more than my General Tso’s chicken. If you like either of those, I bet you’ll love this one too!
The best part? It’s ready with just 15 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of cook time.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Adjust the heat level. You can adjust the heat level of this yummy takeout style meal by removing the seeds from the jalapeno before adding them to the sauce. This removes about half the heat.
- Add more veggies. Bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and snap peas are all good options to add after cooking the chicken.
- Make the sauce ahead. This sticky jalapeno chicken comes together pretty quickly and easily. But if you want to cut that time down even more, you can combin all of the sauce ingredients together and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or so. The chicken can also be cut into bite-sized pieces ahead of time.
- Try another protein. Swap the chicken for shrimp or tofu for another flavorful twist on this recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need & Why
This copycat takeout recipe is made with just a handful of basic, easy-to-find ingredients. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the exact measurements.
- Chicken – I used boneless, skinless breasts but thighs work great too.
- Jalapeños – Slices of fresh jalapeños are added into the pan sauce. Remove the seeds to reduce the heat.
- Cornstarch – Coats the chicken to give it a bit of texture and is also added to the pan sauce to thicken it.
- Soy sauce – I opt for low sodium soy sauce to avoid making my dishes overly salty.
- Brown sugar – Adds the sweetness to the sauce. You can use an equal amount of honey if desired.
- Garlic – Freshly minced is always superior in flavor to jarred or a tube.
- Chicken stock – Lots of people use water in Asian sauces, but I prefer a chicken stock (or broth) to add more savory flavor instead of diluting flavor.
What to Pair with Jalapeno Chicken?
Nothing beats warm and fluffy white rice with takeout-style chicken. You can sub this for a lower carb option like Banza Rice (one of my favorites since RightRice was taken off the shelves). In addition to rice, I love to add a green veggie to this sticky and sweet jalapeno chicken. Zucchini or broccoli work perfect. You can roast them in the oven with some olive oil and salt and pepper.
Proper Storage
Store leftover sticky jalapeno chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I recommend storing rice or anything else you served it with separately, so all of the sauce isn’t absorbed.
Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of chicken stock to prevent it from drying out or pop it in the microwave.
Looking For More Takeout Copycat Recipes?
I hope you enjoyed this Jalapeno Chicken recipe. I look forward to your questions and feedback below.
Please be sure to tag me @BadBatchBaking using hashtag #badbatchbaking if you made this recipe and I will feature you on my story! Plus, I LOVE to see your baking accomplishments.
Sticky Jalapeno Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken boneless skinless breasts or thighs, diced into 1" pieces
- 3 large jalapeños, sliced deseeded for less heat
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- optional: rice and green veggies for pairing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the soy sauce, chicken stock, garlic and brown sugar into a bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds or until the brown sugar mostly dissolves.
- Add the diced chicken into a shallow dish in an even layer and sprinkle over 4 tablespoons of corn starch and salt and pepper. Toss well to coat and try to separate the chicken so they don't get goopy and stick together.
- Drizzle olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat, then add in the chicken and cook about 3-4 minutes per side or until it's cooked through and golden brown on each side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl, mix to make a slurry.
- Wipe away excess pan grease. Pour in the sauce and jalapeno slices then bring to a low boil. Add in the cornstarch slurry and whisk to combine.
- Toss the chicken back into the skillet and coat in the sauce, allowing it to heat through about 5 minutes as the sauce simmers and thickens. Serve over white rice with extra sauce. Pair with a green veggie like broccoli or zucchini for a complete meal.
I love, love, love this recipe. I’ve made it multiple times, and it’s so easy.
Absolutely delicious! And easy! Will make this on repeat.
This turned out really yummy. I followed the recipe exactly minus I added some chunks of white onion cuz why not. Will def be adding to our dinner rotations. Was super easy to make and flavorful.
Honestly, better than restaurant Jalapeño chicken! I used tofu and coated in the sauce and my family ate chicken, it’s amazing. Thank you!
Ok, that’s a great compliment. This is a dish I could probably eat on a weekly basis. So simple but still one of my favorites.
Yum! I halved the recipe and it was great!
Yum!!! This is better than takeout. One of our favorites to make it’s always on rotation in our house. For those that like less heat just take out the seeds. It helps a lot.
So good and easy to make definitely adding this jalapeño chicken to our regular menu at home, everyone loved it!