Sweet Chili Chicken Pasta (Print version)

Tender chicken and penne tossed in a creamy, sweet chili sauce with a 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 fresh lime juice

→ Garnish

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

# Directions:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly 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 brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
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 to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
05 - Return cooked chicken to the skillet. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and sauce to thicken slightly.
06 - Add cooked pasta and toss to coat evenly. If sauce appears too thick, add reserved pasta water gradually until desired consistency is achieved.
07 - Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with spring onions, fresh cilantro, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering delivery and tastes like you spent hours on it.
  • The sauce clings to every piece of pasta without being heavy or one dimensional.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, which almost never happens with creamy pasta dishes.
  • You can adjust the heat level without sacrificing the sweet tangy backbone of the sauce.
02 -
  • Do not skip reserving the pasta water because regular water will not help the sauce cling the way that starchy liquid does.
  • Let the chicken develop a golden crust before stirring it, otherwise it steams instead of sears and loses that caramelized flavor.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the pasta because sweet chili sauces vary wildly in heat and sweetness, and you might want to adjust.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet so the pasta has room to toss without clumping, and everything gets coated evenly.
  • Taste a piece of chicken before you take it all out of the pan because undercooked chicken ruins everything, but overcooked chicken gets rubbery.
  • If your sweet chili sauce is very thick, thin it slightly with a spoonful of water before adding it to the cream so it blends smoothly.
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