Sweet Chili Chicken Pasta (Printable)

Tender chicken and pasta tossed in creamy sweet chili sauce. A vibrant fusion dish with perfect balance of heat and sweetness.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fusilli pasta
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Chicken

03 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz), cut into bite-sized pieces
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Sauce

06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
10 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon lime juice

→ Garnish

12 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
13 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
14 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

# How to Make It:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 5–6 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and sliced red bell pepper. Sauté for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened.
04 - Pour in heavy cream, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
05 - Return the cooked chicken to the pan and simmer for 2–3 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.
06 - Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat evenly. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water in small amounts until desired consistency is achieved.
07 - Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with spring onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in half an hour, perfect for nights when youre too tired to think but still want something that tastes like you tried.
  • The sweet chili sauce does all the heavy lifting, bringing heat, sweetness, and tang without a long ingredient list.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to settle into the pasta.
  • You can swap the chicken for shrimp, tofu, or even leftover rotisserie and it still works beautifully.
02 -
  • Do not skip reserving the pasta water, it has starch that helps the sauce cling instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • If your sweet chili sauce is very sweet, cut back a little and add more lime juice to balance it out.
  • Overcooking the chicken will make it rubbery, pull it out of the pan the moment it is no longer pink inside.
  • Let the sauce simmer gently, a rolling boil will cause the cream to separate and turn grainy.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan for thirty seconds, it wakes up their nutty flavor and makes them taste intentional.
  • If you like more heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes when you saute the garlic.
  • Use kitchen shears to cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, it is faster and safer than wrestling with a knife.
  • Taste the sauce before you add the pasta, this is your chance to adjust sweetness, salt, or tang before it is too late.
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