Sweet and Sticky Chicken - tender strips of seasoned chicken thigh in a lick the spoon sweet and sticky sauce.
Sweet Sticky Chicken Skillet
When it comes to easy family meals, this one is at the top of the list. It is a perfect recipe for any day of the week and perfect with various different sides.
Using simple store cupboard ingredients and all ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes. It's a totally fuss-free meal.
Easy Sweet Sticky Sauce
So what's in the sauce? and what makes it sweet and sticky?
There are no complicated hard to find ingredients here and no need for ready-made bottled jars or bottles either, you can put this together as quick as it is to open a jar.
A delicious and yummy glossy sauce that coats every morsel of those tender chicken thigh pieces made from:
- Maple Syrup
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Soy Sauce
- Tomato Paste
- Water
yes that it, see how easy that was?
Can I use Chicken Breast?
You will notice I use boneless and skinless chicken thighs in this recipe. Chicken thigh pieces just absorb more flavour and stay lovely and tender.
That's not to say you can't use Chicken Breast pieces, just be aware that I recommend Chicken Thighs because the final result is so much nicer. Trust me!!
Seasoning Chicken
As well as that yummy sweet and sticky sauce, it's always important to season. Seasoning is really important in any recipe, especially basic salt and pepper. Salt enhances the flavour in any dish, so whenever you cook any recipe, the final step should always be to taste and season with salt and pepper.
As well as basic salt and black pepper we can complement any dish with a mix of spices of that go well with the other flavours. It doesn't need to be extravagant. For example, in this recipe, I just use some onion powder and garlic powder, great flavours for the sweet and sticky sauce.
Hey if you like a bit of spice, don't be afraid to add in a pinch of cayenne or even some red chilli flakes.
My Sauce is not thickening?
Are you using the correct measurement of ingredients for the sauce with no substitutions? Adjusting ingredients or using different items may affect the sauce.
Ensure your heat is not too low, the sauce needs to bubble to reduce and thicken. Also ensure you do not add the chicken back into the pan until the sauce has thickened. You will know it is ready when you run a wooden spoon through the centre of the sauce and it stays apart.
Sides for Sweet and Sticky Chicken
Need some suggestions for sides for this delicious dish? There are so many different ones to choose from.
Some of our favourites are:
- Garlic and Herb Wedges
- Perfect Oven Baked Chips
- Crushed Roast Potatoes
- Lime Coriander Rice
- Red Pepper Coriander Rice or even some plain rice.
Loads more options too in the sides section of Slimming Eats
For vegetables, I just went for some sauteed red onion, green pepper, red pepper and spring onions, seasoned and flavoured with a little drizzle sesame oil.
Some other great options are sauteed shredded greens (like cabbage, or Brussels), stir fry mixes or mushrooms etc.
More Chicken Recipes
Want some more chicken recipes? Check out these:
- HONEY AND MUSTARD CHICKEN TRAY BAKE
- SMOKED PAPRIKA CHICKEN CASSEROLE (INSTANT POT, SLOW COOKER OR STOVE TOP)
- ONE POT LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN RICE
- PEACH BARBECUE CHICKEN TRAY BAKE
- CHINESE CASHEW CHICKEN
- CREAMY CHEESY SPINACH STUFFED CHICKEN TRAY BAKE
- YAKITORI CHICKEN SKEWERS
or head on over to my Full Recipe Index with over 850 delicious Slimming Eats and Weight Watchers recipes all fully searchable by meal type, ingredients, and smart points etc
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Recipe Card
Sweet and Sticky Chicken
Sweet and Sticky Chicken - tender strips of seasoned chicken thigh in a lick the spoon sweet and sticky sauce
Ingredients
- 750g (26.5oz) of raw boneless skinless chicken thighs (trimmed of all visible fat), sliced into strips
- 1 tbs of freshly grated ginger root
- sea salt and black pepper
- ½ teaspoon of onion powder
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
For the sweet and sticky sauce
- 4 tbs of maple syrup
- 3 tbs of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbs of soy sauce
- 1 tbs of tomato paste (puree)
- ½ cup (120ml) of water
- cooking oil spray (I used avocado)
Instructions
- In a jug combine the water, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and tomato puree.
- Spray a frying pan over a high heat with some cooking oil spray.
- Add the chicken, ginger, onion powder, garlic powder and seasoned well with salt and black pepper.
- Fry until lightly golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- Add the sauce ingredients to the frying pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to the pan, this will add flavour to your sauce.
- Bubble the sauce on a high heat until it starts to thicken, you will know it is thickened enough if you run a wooden spoon through the sauce and the sauce divides.
- Once the sauce is to this consistency, add back in the chicken and continue to simmer until the chicken pieces are well coated in the sauce and cooked through.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.
- Serve with your choice of sides and enjoy!!
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
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Santoku Knife-MAD SHARK Pro Kitchen Knife 7 Inch Santoku Knife,Best Quality German High Carbon Stainless Steel Knife with Ergonomic Handle,Ultra Sharp,Best Choice for Home Kitchen and Restaurant -
Kirkland Maple Syrup, 100% Pure and Natural, Grade A Amber, Rich Taste 1Litre -
Le Creuset Toughened Non-Stick Shallow Frying Pan, 26 cm
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 292Total Fat 9.5gSaturated Fat 2.8gCholesterol 174mgSodium 446mgCarbohydrates 16.4gFiber 0.3gSugar 14.4gProtein 34.8g
Anonymous says
Could I substitute the maple syrup for honey or brown sugar?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
sure, honey will work fine 🙂
Jennifer says
Just made this for dinner, it was amazing!! Definitely one of the best meals I have ever made!! Thanks!
Kelly says
OMG! This is absolutely amazing. Will now be a regular on the list!!
Xx
Jackie says
Oh my .... this Is so tasty
Lesley Aitchison says
Looks fab im going to try it..but rice isn't allowed on an SP day is it ?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
No you would need to serve with veg or cauliflower rice
Stephanie Burden says
Made this tonight for my family, 1 year old, 9 year old and 2 adults. Everyone loved it. Even my super picky 9 year old. I did have to sub out tomato paste for tomato Ketchup because our shelves are empty at the grocery store right now and I really wanted to try it. Definitely going to become a staple in this house.
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
so glad to hear this was a hit with your whole family - thanks so much for sharing.
Deryn says
Just had this for dinner it was gorgeous. I had mine with cauliflower rice and my partner had his with basmati rice.
Definitely be having this again.
Thank you x
Phil Dunkley says
Hi, can you freeze this recipe?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
yes you can freeze
Leanne says
Omg made this tonight and it was amazing.If you haven't tried it then you NEED to try it ❤Ive not made one of your recipes yet that i haven't loved.Thanks so much for these super tasty recipes.x
Jessica says
How can I thicken the sauce if it doesn’t thicken please?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
if the sauce has not thickened, you have not got the heat high enough, make sure it thickens before you add back in the chicken. Running a wooden spoon down the middle of the sauce and it staying apart is an indicator that the sauce has thickened and you can add back in the chicken.
Christina says
I also always struggle to get the sauce to thicken. It’s definitely bubbling well. I’ve tried not adding as much water. But it still doesn’t want to thicken. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
Make sure you're using a large, flat-bottomed frying pan to avoid overcrowding, and keep the heat on high. It's also important to use chicken thighs instead of breast, as breast meat can release water and dilute the sauce. Finally, ensure you're using pure 100% maple syrup, as the caramelization of this is key to thickening the sauce.
Kam says
Can I use golden syrup instead of maple syrup? Thanks x
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
It will be a slightly different flavouring, but you could certainly give it a try.
Lorraine says
Does it matter if i do not put in balsamic vinegar?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
It definitely needs the balsamic vinegar.
Bernie says
Made this for tea last night. Amazing! Will definitely be a regular meal in our house, especially as my 26 year old son said it was better than a takeaway!
Helen says
Made this tonight , this was so tasty. Will be a regular meal from now on. Better than a takeaway.
Thank you.
Emma Berry says
Just made this but had to use golden syrup... omg winner winner! Even my four year old ate the lot! Thank you so much for your fabulous recipes xxxxx
Iveta says
Hello, does it have to be made with fresh ginger? Could I just used powder? I'm nauseated just smelling it
Thank you!
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
if you dislike ginger that much I would just omit. Enjoy!!
Naomi says
Hi Siobhan. What substitute can I use for balsamic vinegar. I have red wine vinegar, will that work? Thanks, trying to make this tonight
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
Hi there Naomi
You can’t really substitute the balsamic vinegar, because it has it’s own unique flavour and colouring compared to other vinegar, so you won’t really get the same result without it. It's worth waiting until you can get some.
Anne says
Wow! This is soooo good. Hubby couldn’t stop eating it. Fantastic with egg fried rice
Alison Davies says
Hi Siobhan, what type of balsamic vinegar should I use? I have two types, one that has the consistency of vinegar so very thin, the other is much thicker and sweeter, a pouring balsamic vinegar.
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
you want just balsamic vinegar, the other sounds like a glaze which will usually have some kind of sugar added.
Sarah Noble says
Can I use sugar free maple syrup?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
no as it won't reduce into a glossy sticky sauce, you must use the real stuff.
Keri says
Can I use tomato sauce in place of the paste/purée? Or would Ketchup work better?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
Paste is concentrated so you need to make sure it's the same thickness, ketchup may work but might make it overly sweet as it already has sugar added.
Lyndsey White says
Hey, Just switched from SW to WW and I know you say thigh meat is best and I agree as I make this once a week but if I used Breast do you know what the points adjustment would be on Blue?
Thanks
Lyndsey(Top fan) 🙂
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
If you use breast it will be 3 points on blue or purple 🙂
Annie Francis says
How can such an easy recipe with so few ingredients taste so good. I followed the recipe and added crushed chilli to the sauce and it was delicious. Thank you
Tracey McKie says
Have made this several times in the last few years, and last night's dinner it was a little tart. Could it be that the balsamic vinegar was too old? Was nice, but more sour than we wanted.... will shop and replace the vinegar today.
Sheri says
What a great recipe! Thank you for all your delicious and easy recipes! I never used to cook and dinner was a daily chore. Now my family look forward to what new tasty treat I am serving, it's been amazing, especially as they don't even realize how healthy the meals are. We've cut out ready meals and most takeaways. Me and my husband have lost over 7st between us!!
Thank you!!
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
that is amazing, well done to you both. I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes and finding a love for cooking.
Justine says
Could this be made in a slow cooker? If so how and for how long?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
This recipe is so quick to make that I wouldn't attempt it in a slow cooker, the sauce will not reduce down and go sticky.
Suzanne watt says
Love love love this recipe. Could I double the amount of ingredients to make more of the chicken.
Thank you
Suzanne
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
Yes that will be fine. Enjoy
Sharon Wells says
Just made this for the first time, absolutely delicious !! Will definitely be making this again.
Janey says
We love this with crispy roasted Brussels sprouts and brown rice or cauliflower rice.
Katie says
Could I use tofu instead of chicken in this as I have vegetarians aswell.as meat eaters in house
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
I haven't tested with tofu, so can't confirm how well it would work.
Mardie says
Hi there, another Successful dinner. Sides of stir fry vegetables and rice. Yummy! Mardie.
JOJO says
So good.
I roasted Peppers and mushrooms then added them in at the end to pick up the last of the sauce on the pan. Didnt have raw ginger so just used the ground ginger which worked just as good. Absolutely beautiful.
Chelsea says
This was absolutely amazing, I had to make a few changes due to not having all the ingredients, like swapping maple syrup for golden syrup and instead of ground ginger I used ginger powder, but it was absolutely wonderful! Definitely a favourite!
Charlotte says
This is a new family favourite in our house with rice and stir fried veg. Even my very fussy 2 and 6 year olds love it and ask me to make it
Mardie says
Absolutely yummy! Definitely be making this again, thanks Siobahn. Mxx
Debbie Carey says
Made this tonight instead of phoning for takeaway.
So easy and you get lots of flavour and delicious stickiness. Teenager had seconds!