Sweet Chili Chicken Skillet

Indulge in the ultimate camping meal with our Sweet Chili Chicken Skillet! Savor tender chicken in a spicy-sweet glaze, cooked to perfection in a trusty cast iron skillet.

When we put together a camping menu, we look for recipes with simple ingredients that we can make in 30 minutes or less. After a long day of hanging out at the beach or exploring, we want to be able to make a quick and delicious meal that everyone will eat.

We don’t want to spend so much time cooking that we miss out on all the fun of camping!

Too busy to make this right away? Pin it for later! Pin this post to your favorite board on Pinterest and it will be there when you’re ready!

Today’s recipe for sweet chili chicken is just the kind of thing that we look for. Fast and easy to make, it fits all of our criteria for a great camp meal.

We also happen to love Thai sweet chili sauce. It is so yummy!

This sweet and spicy sauce makes a great dipping sauce for egg rolls or chicken strips, goes great in a stir fry, and adds the perfect flavor to this chicken skillet.

Sweet Chili Chicken

This is a great recipe to make at home on the stove top for an easy weeknight dinner, but it is an ideal addition to your camping menu as well. We always have at least one large cast iron skillet in our camp kitchen.

It is our go-to for tons of meal and snack recipes. Using thin chicken breasts means that the cooking time will be faster too and there will be less chance of undercooking the meat, especially when cooking over the fire.

My boys and I think this Thai sweet chili chicken is delicious over either white rice or brown rice. When I want a low carb option, I go with cauliflower rice.

We sometimes add veggies like green beans or red bell peppers into the skillet for a complete meal that always satisfies. Your family is going to love it too.

Variations

• Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces before cooking.
• Try this easy recipe with boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts.
• Add sliced veggies to the skillet for an easy one-pot meal.

This post contains affiliate links.

Tips for cooking with cast iron

• When cooking with cast iron, be sure to season the surface first.
• Always use gloves or oven mitts while cooking as the surface of the iron will be hot.
• Cook the recipe over an open fire using hot coals, not open flames.  A fire that is too hot will burn the outside of your recipe and not cook the inside. Learn how to make a campfire for cooking.
• Be sure to clean the cast iron with a rough vegetable scrubber, rinse and dry thoroughly before storing.

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Italian seasoning or a combination of dried oregano, basil and parsley
• Salt & pepper
• Paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Cloves garlic, minced
• Sweet chili sauce – use your favorite grocery store brand or make your own homemade sweet chili sauce.
• Chicken broth
• Honey
• Cornstarch
• Soy sauce
• White vinegar
• Lime juice – fresh lime juice gives the best results, but you can also used the bottled kind.
• Sesame seeds
• Fresh cilantro – we sometimes add green onions too.

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel.

2. Cut each breast in half horizontally into two thinner cutlets. Alternately, place the chicken under a layer of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness.

3. Season the chicken breast with Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper.

4. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet.

5. Heat oil over medium heat until it starts to sizzle.

6. Add the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

7. Flip and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.

8. Remove the cooked chicken to a tray and cover to keep warm.

9. Repeat with any remaining cutlets.

10. In a medium mixing bowl, combine chili sauce, honey, broth, soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch.

11. Add garlic to the pan and sauté until fragrant.

12. Pour the sauce into the pan and stir until it begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.

13. Add chicken back to the pan and spoon the sauce over the chicken.

14. Simmer in the sauce until the chicken is heated through and the sauce has reduced slightly.

15. Top with cilantro and sesame seeds.

Tips and Tricks

• When adding cornstarch into a sauce, I like to mix it with a little bit of cold water first. This helps avoid lumps in the sauce.
• If the sauce seems too thick, add an extra splash of chicken stock.
• When planning for camping, I like to do as much meal prep as possible before we leave. Having easy access to hot running water makes clean up much easier.
• Be sure your chicken is fully cooked, check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat.
• Store any leftover chicken in the fridge or cooler in an airtight container.

Whip up this sweet chili chicken recipe for comfort food the whole family will enjoy!

Skillet Chicken Recipes

For more easy dinner ideas to add to this year’s camping menu, check out these chicken skillet recipes.

• Creamy Bacon Ranch Chicken Skillet
• Blackened Chicken Skillet
• Garlic Butter Chicken Skillet
• Creamy Tuscan Chicken
• Easy Sweet Chili Chicken Skillet
• Honey Mustard Chicken Skillet
• Creamy Mushroom Chicken Skillet
• Tomato Mozza Chicken Skillet

If you love this sweet chili chicken skillet recipe, please give it a five star review and share it on Facebook or Pinterest so that others can enjoy it too.