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Plate with broccoli, rice and saucy chicken tenders.

Sweet Spicy Sticky Chicken

Yield: 5 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 ½ pounds chicken tenders
  • Salt and pepper
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup white or apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
  • Hot, cooked rice, for serving

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place butter in glass 9X13-pan. Place in oven so the butter can melt. (Don't let it burn!) Remove from the oven when butter is melted. Alternately, you can melt the butter and spread in the pan (but where's the fun in that?).
  • Pat the chicken tenders dry with paper towels. Season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper.
  • Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken tenders in flour to coat. Shake off excess. Place the chicken in a single layer in the buttered pan.
  • Bake for 10 minutes. It will bake longer in a following step. While the chicken bakes, make the sauce.
  • In a medium saucepan, whisk together the broth, vinegar, ketchup, granulated sugar, brown sugar, soy sauce and chili garlic sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Pour the sauce over the chicken and return to the oven to bake for 15 minutes until chicken is baked through and the sauce is bubbly and slightly thickened. The sauce will continue to thicken out of the oven as it cools.
  • Serve the chicken and sauce over hot, cooked rice.

Notes

Sauce: the sauce thickens more quickly in the oven if it is simmered on the stovetop before using (which also helps prevent over cooking the chicken). 
Chili Garlic Sauce: add more or less chili garlic sauce to taste depending on how spicy you want the finished dish. As written, it is mildly spicy for our family. Different brands of chili garlic sauce may vary in heat, so adjust accordingly.