If you need a sweet chili chicken rice bowl that comes together faster than delivery, this is the one I make on repeat. Tender chicken gets tossed in a sticky homemade sweet chili sauce, then piled over rice with crunchy veggies for a dinner that tastes way more involved than it actually is. It’s right up there with my honey garlic chicken rice bowl when I need something fast that still feels special.
I started making this on the nights my husband works late and it’s just me and the kids scrambling to eat before soccer practice. My youngest calls it “the shiny chicken” because of how glossy the sauce gets once it hits the pan, and honestly, that’s the best description anyone’s given it. I usually double the sauce because my oldest likes to drizzle extra over her rice, and there’s rarely a drop left in the bowl by the time dinner’s done. Once you taste that sauce thicken up and coat the chicken, you’ll get why it goes so fast in my house. Let’s get into how I make it.
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Ingredients for Sweet Chili Chicken Rice Bowl
Here’s what I use for this one, plus a few swaps if your pantry looks different than mine.
Sweet Chili Sauce
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (85g)
- 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sriracha (optional, for heat)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
For the Chicken
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- fresh cracked pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 whole red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
For the Bowls
- 2 cups cooked jasmine rice (cauliflower rice works too, if you’re cutting carbs)
- green onions, for garnish
- sesame seeds, for garnish
- chopped peanuts, for garnish
My go-to brand for sweet chili sauce is Mae Ploy. It’s thicker than most grocery store versions and gives the glaze better cling. If you’re out of chicken breast, thighs work great here too, they just take a minute or two longer to cook through. When I want a change of pace, I’ll swap in the glaze from my sesame chicken rice bowl instead, since it uses almost the same cornstarch slurry trick.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
In my experience, the trick to this recipe is having your sauce mixed and ready before the chicken hits the pan, since everything moves fast after that.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, and cornstarch slurry. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced chicken and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the sliced bell pepper and carrots to the skillet. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly tender, then pour in the sauce. Stir to coat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens and turns glossy. Keep the heat at medium once the sauce goes in. It thickens fast, and too much heat can scorch the sugar in the sauce before the vegetables finish cooking.
- For your bowls, add 1/2 cup cooked rice, about 168 grams of the chicken mixture, and your toppings of choice: green onions, sesame seeds, and chopped peanuts.
Sweet Chili Chicken Rice Bowl
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, and cornstarch slurry. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced chicken and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the sliced bell pepper and carrots to the skillet. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly tender, then pour in the sauce. Stir to coat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens and turns glossy.Keep the heat at medium once the sauce goes in. It thickens fast, and too much heat can scorch the sugar in the sauce before the vegetables finish cooking.
- For your bowls, add 1/2 cup cooked rice, about 168 grams of the chicken mixture, and your toppings of choice: green onions, sesame seeds, and chopped peanuts.
Nutrition
Notes
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What to Serve With Sweet Chili Chicken Rice Bowl
This bowl is already balanced, but a side or two rounds it out for a fuller dinner.
- Steamed edamame: Adds protein and a little salt that plays well against the sweetness of the sauce.
- Cucumber salad: A quick vinegar cucumber salad cools things down if you added the sriracha for heat.
- Miso soup: Light and savory, it’s an easy starter that doesn’t compete with the bowl’s flavors.
- Egg rolls: For nights when I want this to feel like a full takeout spread at home.
For meal-prep weeks, I like rotating this with my street corn chicken rice bowl so the lineup doesn’t get repetitive.
Storage & Serving Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I keep the rice and chicken mixture together since the sauce actually gets better as it sits.
To reheat, warm it in a skillet over medium heat or microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between so the sauce doesn’t separate. Add a splash of water if the sauce looks too thick after reheating.
This recipe is easy to switch up. Swap the jasmine rice for cauliflower rice or quinoa, use pineapple instead of bell pepper for a sweeter bowl, or wrap the whole filling in a tortilla for a totally different meal.
My Favorite Sauces for Sweet Chili Chicken Rice Bowl
The sauce already built into this recipe is sticky and sweet, so I like pairing it with something that adds contrast, whether that’s heat, creaminess, or acidity.
- Sriracha mayo: Blend mayo with a spoonful of sriracha for a cool, creamy drizzle that cuts through the sweetness of the glaze.
- Spicy peanut sauce: Peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, and a little chili garlic sauce whisked together brings a nutty, savory layer that works especially well with the peanuts already in the bowl.
- Gochujang drizzle: Thin Korean gochujang paste with a bit of water and rice vinegar for a smoky, fermented heat that’s a nice change from the sriracha.
- Cilantro lime crema: Sour cream, lime juice, and chopped cilantro blended together add brightness and a cooling contrast to the sticky chicken.
- Sesame ginger sauce: Soy sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, and rice vinegar make a light, tangy option if you want something less sweet than the main glaze.
If you’d rather lean into something richer than sweet, the sauce from my garlic butter chicken rice bowl is a good stand-in here.
Conclusion
This is one of those meals that feels like a treat but takes less effort than most weeknight dinners I make. The sauce does all the heavy lifting, and once you have the rhythm down, from sauce to chicken to veggies, it comes together in under 30 minutes. Give it a try this week and see if it earns a spot in your dinner rotation like it did in mine. If this one earns a permanent spot, my bbq chicken rice bowl is worth trying next.
