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You want to know how to become an accomplished cook? Repeat dishes. Well, I love food too much and want to try so many different recipes that I don’t often repeat a dish. So how about repeating a technique and changing the flavor. I recently made a Sriracha Crispy Skin Chicken. It was awesome. I loved the crispy skin and the Sriracha sauce was amazing. So how about putting a Korean spin on it? Use the same cooking technique to recreate the crispy skin but change it up by crossing the globe to come up with this Sweet Chili Chicken.
Sweet Chili Chicken
This dish is pretty darn easy to put together. This is a recipe to impress your friends and tell them it took hours to make. All you need is 12 minutes to crisp up the skin. Then, add the sauce and let it bake off. Now, that was easy. Yes it was. Please do not tell anyone. After you try this recipe, you will want to make this for friends. After they tell you how good it is, don’t share the recipe. Tell them it is so complicated that they will not have the patience to make it. Is this negative vibe working? I didn’t think so. You are saying “this is so unlike you.” How could this be coming from Feed Your Soul Too.
OK. Busted. I guess I am willing to share this Sweet Chili Chicken since I am posting it. Just salt and pepper the chicken. Get your oil good and hot in a skillet. Cook the chicken skin side down until good and crisp. Pour and brush on the sweet chili sauce and finish cooking in the oven. This dish is that simple.
- 8 chicken thighs skin on
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup Sweet Chili Sauce (estimate - put in as much as you want)
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 lemons, cut into wedges for plating
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, garnish
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a cast iron skillet on high heat.
- Heat to the smoking point but not smoking.
- Arrange chicken thighs skin side down.
- Cook for 2 minutes and reduce heat to medium high.
- Cook for another 12 minutes.
- Finish Cooking
- Transfer chicken to a bowl and coat well with the sweet chili sauce. Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes.
- Return chicken to cast iron skillet skin side up and cook for 20 – 25 minutes.
- Brush the marinade on the chicken one more time.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Let rest for a few minutes and garnish with the lemons and cilantro.
- Serve and enjoy!
Plated
Wow! .. Yes, Please! Cilantro and chili sauce are my two favorite things when it comes to chicken. Excellent recipe and beautiful pictures 🙂
Thx so much Heather.
This is my kind of cooking!! Perfectly simple. Taking a recipe and riffing on it – perfect!
I guess you do call it riffing. Thx Pam.
Good point about cooking something with a similar technique and varying flavors…and this seems to be a very tasty example of that approach!
Thx David. It was tasty and I have some other ideas in mind for the same technique and different flavor.
Very nice recipe and looks yummy
Thx so much Krish.
I love simple dishes that can be customized to make different meals. The flavors in this are so tempting, I love sweet chili sauce. The color and the skin are totally calling my name!
The skin truly makes this dish. That is why I cannot make it too often.
I love your idea of “repeating a technique and changing the flavor”! Sometimes adventure leads to some decadent stuff – as evidenced here!
You are so right Shashi.
“Simple-ly” delicious. Something I have to learn to do. Think simple Ai Ping. Think simple…. I love thighs and sweet chili’s my fav. Yum.
Thx so much Ai.
Hi Peter! Sweet chili is one of my favorite flavors and this sweet chili chicken looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
It is such a good ingredient to work with. Thx so much.
I absolutely agree with you about always wanting to try new stuff. I love the idea of modifying the flavors of a good old standby!
I am sure you change things up a lot given your blog name.
yes to sweet chili! thanks for this amazing recipe.
You are funny Claudia. It feels like cheating because you don’t do much more than put the sauce on.
Sweet chili chicken is my favourite! This looks absolutely delicious!
Thx for stopping by Marsha. I love using Sweet Chili – the sweet and spicy.
This looks great. Can you share the Siracha variation?
Linda, thx for stopping by. The link for the sriracha chicken is in the top paragraph. For ease, I have also provided it here – http://www.feedyoursoul2.com/2015/04/sriracha-chicken.html
This looks amazing, Peter. It’s definitely going on the menu soon!
Great flavors in this chicken….and THAT SKIN – yes sir!
I know. I have to stop making this with the skin!!!!
This looks fantastic! Is there a way to make this dish without the cast iron skillet?
You can certainly use a regular skillet. Be sure to grease it well and start cooking the skin on very hot heat so the skin does not stick. It might be a little hard to clean.
The family will love this! Yum!
Let me know if you try to make it.
So easy and flavorful, amazing!
Some nights that is what you want!
You know me and crispy skin – this looks great!
Me too Patty and I maybe wish it wasn’t so. 🙂
Absolutely wonderful in its simplicity. Bravo, my friend. This one’s going in my recipe file.
Sometimes, Adam,, you really can create great flavor with only a few ingredients.