SWEET & SPICY GRILLED STICKY CHICKEN

Sweet Spicy Grilled Sticky Chicken made with basic pantry spices for a fantastic grilled chicken dinner! Sweet & spicy chicken that’s tender, juicy & super easy to make!

Sweet sticky spicy chicken is a perfect meal for a warm spring or summer night, cooked on the grill to prevent warming up the oven. This sweet and sticky chicken has a sticky glaze, with a depth of sweet flavor, absolute deliciousness in every bite.

Sweet Spicy Grilled Sticky Chicken

We love grilling chicken, so I am always on the hunt for a great new recipe to try. This one is so fantastic! The sauce is flavorful with a bit of a kick to it and I love how easy it is to make. We usually served it with grilled pineapple, asparagus and a side of steamed rice for a full meal. Every time we have this for dinner there are never leftovers, it is just so delicious!

Why we think you will love this recipe!

If we had to narrow it down to just three reasons why you’ll enjoy this recipe, these would have to be our top ideas:

• It’s really easy to make. Slice the breasts, mix the marinade and let it rest. Grill for a few minutes and then serve. These steps are pretty much the only ones you’ll need for this easy sweet, and spicy chicken.
• You can adjust the heat. While we like this marinated spicy chicken as-is, you can always tone down the heat by reducing the hot sauce (or omitting it). You could go the other route and add more hot sauce for a stronger kick of heat.
• You can’t beat the flavors and textures. This dish is delicious, from the slightly crispy chicken on the outside to the tender and juicy chicken on the inside. Add in the slightly charred sticky sauce, and you’ve got a real winner on your hands!

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken Ingredients

Chicken breasts: You will need 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Trim off any fats or silver skin as needed. You can also use chicken thighs if you prefer that cut of meat, they will be delicious as well.

For the spicy chicken marinade, you will need:

Soy sauce: Use ½ cup of soy sauce to add a nice depth of flavor to the marinade.

Brown sugar: Use ⅓ cup of brown sugar to thicken the glaze and give it a nice depth of sweet flavor.

Honey: Adding in ¼ cup of honey will make the glaze taste even better!

Seasonings: You will need 2 teaspoons each of garlic powder, ground ginger, and onion powder to make sure this marinade is perfectly seasoned.

Hot sauce: Use 2 tablespoons of Franks Red Hot Sauce to give this marinade the kick of heat it needs. You can also use whatever hot sauce you have on hand, it will be great either way.

Pepper: Add in just ¼ teaspoon of pepper to help enhance the flavors in this recipe.

Cornstarch: You will need 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to help thicken the marinade so that it sticks to the chicken better.

How to make Spicy Grilled Chicken

Prep chicken

Start by cutting your chicken into 6 to 8 pieces to help it grill more quickly. You also get more sauce to meat ratio when doing it like this. If using chicken thighs, you don’t need to do this step.

Then, place your chicken in an airtight container or ziplocked bag and set it aside.

Make the marinade

Next, in a 2 cup measuring cup or small microwave safe bowl, combine all of the marinade ingredients (except for the cornstarch). Whisk it together until combined and smooth.

Proceed to put the sauce into the microwave and heat for 3 minutes. The sauce will begin to boil and reduce slightly.

Marinate the chicken

Then, pour half of the sauce into the container with the chicken and let it marinate for 2-4 hours in the refrigerator.

Make the sauce

Using the other half of the marinade, take 2 tablespoons and add it to a small bowl and combine with the cornstarch.

Whisk together until smooth, and then add it back into the rest of the remaining marinade.

Then, microwave it all for 2 minutes and stir well once it is heated up.

Set the sauce aside and let it rest until it’s time to grill.

Grill chicken

Heat the grill to medium heat, and coat your sauce over both sides of the chicken as you cook.

The chicken will be finished cooking when the internal temp has reached 165 degrees F.

I like to reserve a little sauce to brush over the chicken right after it comes off of the grill to help it look more glazed.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

What to Serve With Sweet, Spicy Grilled Sticky Chicken

This chicken goes great with cooked white rice, baked potatoes, and any number of vegetable side dishes like green beans, brussel sprouts, or corn on the cob, but we like to add pineapple. Grill some pineapple rings (canned or fresh), brush a small amount of reserved sauce over the top (but only a small amount), and grill until warm. Yum!

What is a Good Meat Thermometer?

A good meat thermometer is key. My all-time favorite meat thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great meat thermometer is the ThermoPop, a more basic version that works just as well! 

Can I use different cuts of chicken?

Yes! Feel free to adjust this recipe to make sweet and spicy grille chicken wings or even sweet and spicy grilled chicken thighs, depending on what you prefer. The process is similar, but you will need to adjust the cooking time for the cuts you use because they may take longer due to their bigger sizes.

Find even more BBQ recipes here:

• BBQ Chicken Pineapple Kabobs with Bacon
• Greek Chicken Souvlaki with Lemon Rice
• Ranch Chicken Bacon Kabobs
• Best Grilled Steak Recipe Ever
• Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken
• Easy Grilled Italian Chicken with Vegetables
• Grilled BBQ Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
• Jack Cheese Pineapple Chicken
• Grilled Honey Chicken with Glazed Pineapple
• Grilled Spatchcock Chicken Recipe

Hungry for more? Try some more grilled chicken recipes!

• Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
• Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe
• BBQ Chicken with Pineapple Salsa Recipe
• Easy Smoked Chicken Legs Recipe
• Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe
• Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe
• BBQ Chicken Kabobs with Bacon and Pineapple Recipe
• Honey Glazed Chicken Wings Recipe
• Ranch Chicken Kabobs Recipe
• Cheesy Grilled Pineapple Chicken Recipe

This grilled Sticky Chicken recipe uses a tangy chicken marinate with a nice kick of spice and flavor! The sauce is easy to make and results in a sticky glaze on top, tender, juicy grilled chicken.