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Jalapeno chicken is sticky, sweet and salty with a great kick of heat! You can throw together this better-than-takeout meal in 30 minutes and the pan sauce only uses four ingredients. Serve this over rice for a cheap and easy meal that’s so flavorful it’s worthy of a spot on your regular meal rotation.
This mouth-watering jalapeno chicken is so perfect for meal prepping it will make you look forward to the work day. Every time we make this dish I am reminded of how good it is and we are back to fighting over seconds!
If you love Asian takeout dishes, you’ve gotta also try my General Tso’s chicken, Apricot Chicken, and PF Changs Crispy Honey Chicken, and my Hot Orange Chicken Panda Express copycat recipe.
Why You’ll Love Jalapeno Chicken
- Sweet & Spicy – The fresh slices of jalapeno turn into candied jalapeños in the sweet bubbling pan sauce.
- Meal Prep Friendly – is there really anything better to bring to work for lunch, honestly?
- 30 Minute Meal – just a quick 15 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of cook time.
Key Ingredients
Chicken – boneless, skinless breasts or thighs, cut into 1″ pieces.
Jalapeños – slices of fresh jalapeños are added into the pan sauce. Remove the seeds to reduce the heat.
Corn starch – a few tablespoons to coat the chicken which gives them a bit of texture, plus a little in the pan sauce to help it thicken.
Seasonings – just salt and pepper are used in this recipe.
Soy sauce – I opt for low sodium soy sauce to avoid making my dishes overly salty.
Brown sugar – this adds the sweetness. You can also sub for equal amount of honey.
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.
How to Make Jalapeno Chicken
Prep the Sauce and Chicken
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 the 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.
Cook the Chicken
In a skillet over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil then add in the chicken and cook about 3 minutes per side or until it’s cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside. Wipe away away excess pan grease. Pour in the sauce and bring to a low boil. Add in the cornstarch slurry and whisk to combine.
Finish & Enjoy
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 and a green veggie like broccoli or zucchini for a complete meal.
Want to Make Jalapeno Chicken Less Spicy?
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.
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.
Looking for More Homemade Asian Takeout Dishes?
General Tso’s Chicken
Honey Garlic Chicken
PF Changs Crispy Honey Chicken
Panda Express Hot Orange Chicken
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 lbs chicken boneless skinless breasts or thighs diced into 1" pieces
- 3 large jalapeños, sliced deseeded for less heat
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp 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.
So good and easy to make definitely adding this jalapeño chicken to our regular menu at home, everyone loved it!