This Bang Bang Chicken recipe is a lighter, fresher take on the fried classic. There's no breading required, and we cook it quickly in the oven or air fryer for crisp, caramelized edges and juicy chicken. Tossed in a deliciously creamy, sweet-spicy bang bang sauce, it's a quick and flavor packed dish that's perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
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Bang bang sauce was made popular by the Bonefish Grill's menu item, Bang bang shrimp. It's all about the incredibly delicious, simple bang bang sauce. Which is just as good on chicken as it is on shrimp.
I love bang bang chicken. But, I don't love the extra fat and calories of the battered and fried bang bang chicken version. And the amazing flavor of this dish is all in the delicious, bang bang sauce. This recipe gives you that creamy, flavorful sauce without the mess of breading and frying, and minus the extra fat and calories.
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Why you'll love this bang bang chicken
- Quick and easy. This bang bang chicken recipe is easy to put together and it's ready in thirty minutes or less.
- Versatile. You can serve this with rice and veggies for dinner, or thread the chicken on skewers to serve as appetizers. You can also make bang bang chicken bowls with rice or quinoa and fresh vegetables, which is perfect for meal prep.
- Healthier. This recipe doesn't involve batter, breading, or frying in oil. Baking the chicken in the oven or air fryer keeps the fat and calories down, without losing out on flavor.
- Allergy friendly. This bang bang chicken recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, so everyone can enjoy!
Ingredient notes
Ingredient quantities and complete instructions are in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Chicken
- Chicken thighs. I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you can also use chicken breast.
- Oil. You can use vegetable oil or another, high smoke point oil, like peanut oil, or avocado oil. Refined olive oil is ok to use, but avoid using extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. It doesn't stand up to the high heat that we're cooking with here.
- Cornstarch. Coating the chicken in cornstarch gives it a crisper exterior and helps the seasonings adhere. It also acts as a moisture barrier, locking in juices for tender chicken.
- Seasonings. For this recipe, we're simply seasoning with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. The flavor impact of this dish is going to come from the bang bang sauce.
Bang Bang Sauce
- Mayonnaise. Be sure to use real mayonnaise made with whole eggs.
- Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. You can find this in the Asian section of most grocery stores. Check the label if you need this to be gluten-free.
- Sriracha. I have also made this sauce with Sambal Oelek, which is a similar tangy hot chili sauce.
How to make it, step by step
- In a medium bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together. Refrigerate while you prepare the chicken.
- Slice the chicken into bite sized pieces and put them into a large bowl. Add the oil and toss to coat.
- Add the cornstarch and toss so that all the pieces are coated.
- Sprinkle the seasonings over, stirring to combine.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer, leaving space between them.
- Air fry 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Put the cooked chicken pieces in a large bowl and toss with half of the sauce, then add more to your liking. If you have leftover sauce, serve it on the side for dipping.
- Garnish with sliced spring onions and sesame seeds.
Tips for success
- Spice level. You can change the amount of sriracha in the sauce to make it more or less spicy. Decrease the quantity from 3 to 2 tablespoons for less heat, and increase it for more of a spicy sauce. Add a tablespoon at time, tasting until you have the right amount of heat for your liking. You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper when you're seasoning the chicken.
- Chicken pieces. I prefer to cut the chicken into bite sized pieces before cooking. It results in more surface area for each chicken piece to crisp, and to hold on the sauce. However, if you prefer, you can use whole chicken pieces, but will need to increase the cooking time by up to 10 minutes. You can also thread the chicken pieces onto skewers to cook on the grill. Grill for 10 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature is 165°
- Cornstarch. Don't skip the cornstarch. It results in crispier, juicier chicken. You can substitute potato starch or tapioca starch.
- Don't crowd. Be sure to cook the chicken pieces in a single layer and leave space around them. Otherwise, you'll will end up with steamed, instead of browned and crisp chicken.
- Cooking times. The cooking times in this recipe are approximate, because air fryers and ovens can vary. The best way to tell if chicken is cooked perfectly is to use an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165°
- Make ahead. You can cook the chicken and make the sauce ahead of time. Keep them separate in the fridge. Reheat the chicken on a baking sheet in the oven at 350° for 10 minutes, or in the air fryer at 400° for 5 minutes.
- Storage. Store bang bang chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- Freezing. Freeze cooked and completely cooled chicken, without sauce, in a freezer safe container or resealable bag for up to 3 months. Thaw the chicken overnight in the fridge, make the sauce, and reheat as instructed above. Toss with the bang bang sauce before serving.
Serving suggestions
Serve bang bang chicken over rice, or cauliflower rice, alongside steamed broccoli, broccolini, or sautéed green beans.
Other sides that I love with this dish are miso sweet potatoes, cabbage stir fry, or tahini roasted cauliflower.
Another great way to serve this chicken is as a bang bang chicken bowl. Use long grain white rice or brown rice, or another grain like quinoa as the base.
Just add lots of veggies, like cucumber, shredded cabbage, kale, carrots, grape tomatoes, or whatever you like.
Top with bang bang chicken bites, and drizzle with bang bang sauce. Garnish with avocado slices or try my quick pickled red cabbage. These are great for meal prep!
More delicious dinners with chicken
- Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken
- Air Fryer Orange Chicken
- Buffalo Chicken Thighs
- Marry Me Chicken
- Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
- French Onion Chicken Bake
- Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating in the comments below and let us know how it turned out. Did you make any changes? We would love for you to share and your feedback is important! Thank you for visiting The Food Blog!
Recipe
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Bang Bang Chicken Recipe
This Bang Bang Chicken recipe is a lighter, fresher take on the fried classic. There's no breading required, and we cook it quickly in the oven or air fryer for crisp, caramelized edges and juicy chicken. Tossed in a deliciously creamy, sweet-spicy bang bang sauce, it's a quick and flavor packed dish that's perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 363kcal
Ingredients
Bang Bang Sauce
- ½ cup whole egg mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 3 tablespoon sriracha sauce
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs cubed
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Make the bang bang sauce by whisking together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha in a small bowl. Refrigerate until the chicken is cooked.
- If you're using the oven, and not an air fryer, to cook the chicken, preheat it to 425°, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs, and cut into one inch cubes.
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the oil.
- Add the cornstarch and toss to coat the chicken pieces.
- Add the garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper, stirring to combine.
- Spread the chicken in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer, or, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Be sure to leave space around the pieces.
- Air fry at 400° for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to cook in batches. Or bake in an oven pre-heated to 425° for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through. For either cooking method, the chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°.
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken with sauce. Start with half the sauce, adding more if you prefer. Serve the remaining sauce on the side for dipping.
- Serve with rice and vegetables, garnished with green onion slices, and/or sesame seeds.
Notes
- Spice level. You can change the amount of sriracha in the sauce to make it more or less spicy. Decrease the quantity from 3 to 2 tablespoons for less heat, and increase it for more of a spicy sauce. Add a tablespoon at time, tasting until you have the right amount of heat for your liking. You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper when you're seasoning the chicken.
- Chicken pieces. I prefer to cut the chicken into bite sized pieces before cooking. It results in more surface area for each chicken piece to crisp, and to hold on the sauce. However, if you prefer, you can use whole chicken pieces, but will need to increase the cooking time by up to 10 minutes. You can also thread the chicken pieces onto skewers to cook on the grill. Grill for 10 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature is 165°
- Cornstarch. Don't skip the cornstarch. It results in crispier, juicier chicken. You can substitute potato starch or tapioca starch.
- Don't crowd. Be sure to cook the chicken pieces in a single layer and leave space around them. Otherwise, you'll will end up with steamed, instead of browned and crisp chicken.
- Cooking times. The cooking times in this recipe are approximate, because air fryers and ovens can vary. The best way to tell if chicken is cooked perfectly is to use an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165°
- Make ahead. You can cook the chicken and make the sauce ahead of time. Keep them separate in the fridge. Reheat the chicken on a baking sheet in the oven at 350° for 10 minutes, or in the air fryer at 400° for 5 minutes.
- Storage. Store bang bang chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- Freezing. Freeze cooked and completely cooled chicken, without sauce, in a freezer safe container or resealable bag for up to 3 months. Thaw the chicken overnight in the fridge, make the sauce, and reheat as instructed above. Toss with the bang bang sauce before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 726mg | Potassium: 402mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 225IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
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Jeanett Lampo says
Great Post.
Colleen says
This dish is so simple to make, and so delicious.