Believe it or not, in between chowing down on all things cheesy or chocolaty that I put up here, I try to make healthy choices.
Well, at least sometimes.
And I know that a lot of you are right there with me, trying to keep your snacking down and your salad-consumption up. However, just because you are trying to steer clear of fried foods doesn't mean you have to write off tasty foods. For example, you can pop a bunch of this Baked Sweet Chili Garlic Popcorn Chicken in your mouth, and you won't even miss deep-fried wings. No, you won't miss them one bit.
When I first started making these, I accidentally used a spicier sauce, more similar to sriracha, and that was a bad idea. Don't do that, even if you like spicy food. Mind you, my friend Kait (who was over to "taste test") and I ate them all, but I think we may have given ourselves stomach ulcers from all of the heat. Learn from my mistakes.
Instead, you want to use a sweet chili garlic sauce, which is lighter in color and a bit more transparent. Double check the bottle (or jar) when you buy it. Triple check. Quadruple check. You get the idea.
These are perfect for Game Day, party appetizers, or even for dinner that even the pickiest people will love!
Baked Sweet Chili Garlic Popcorn Chicken
- Total Time: 43 minutes
- Yield: 3-5 1x
Ingredients
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ½" thick and cut into small chunks
- ½ cup flour
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup plain bread crumbs
- 1 ½ cups Thai sweet chili garlic sauce
- Sesame seeds, for topping
- Cilantro, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Put the flour in a shallow bowl and mix in salt and pepper, to taste.
- In a second shallow bowl, mix the 3 eggs with a tablespoon of water.
- In a third bowl, whisk together the panko bread crumbs and plain bread crumbs.
- Pour the sweet chili garlic sauce into a fourth bowl.
- Flip the chicken pieces in the flour until lightly coated. Then, dip them in the egg, making sure to coat all over. Allow excess egg to drip off. Press the chicken pieces in the bread crumb mixture and pat the mixture on top, pressing gently to make sure the breadcrumbs adhere all over the chicken pieces. Lastly, dip the chicken in the sauce, shake off excess, and set on a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue until all of the chicken has been breaded and coated.
- Sprinkle all of the chicken bites with the sesame seeds.
- Spray the chicken pieces lightly with cooking spray (this will help them get crispy).
- Bake 16-18 minutes, or until crispy, gently tossing half-way through.
- Serve with chopped cilantro, to garnish.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 18 mins
devon says
These look delicious! But could you tell us which brand of chili garlic sauce you used, or perhaps some you recommend? I can't wait to try these 🙂
Morgan says
I believe I used Thai Kitchen brand. The sauce may or may not say "Garlic" on the front, just check the ingredients to make sure there's a good amount and it will work fine. Oh, and then check again to make sure it says "Sweet Chili". Regular Chili Garlic Sauce (like Sriracha) is too spicy for these! Although you could probably add a lot of honey and a little vinegar to make a spicy-sweet sauce...
devon says
thank you!!
Tieghan says
THAT SAUCE!! It would be my favorite, I already no it! So good!
Millie l Add A Little says
I love the look of these and the fact that they're baked makes me want them even more!!
Marta says
Just wondering what kinda dipping sauce you used with these!?
Morgan says
I used a cilantro-garlic-lime dip that I made by adding a clove of minced garlic, a squeeze of lime juice, a pinch of salt, and some chopped cilantro to greek yogurt =)
Jason says
I just made this.
Marry me.
A'shia says
I have attempted to make this twice. Both times I have issues with it becoming crunchy like a typical popcorn chicken. I've tried using the broil on the oven but it still is having problems. Have any suggestions?