If there’s anything I love, it has to be an easy chicken dinner. This sticky Asian chicken is exactly that. It has all the makings of a flavorful and unique Asian dish. Yet, it is Whole30 friendly. When you look at this dish, everything about it screams “dangerous and sexy”. But I promise you it is delicious and healthy.
My motto when creating a recipe is “never compromise flavor”. Whether I want a dish to be Whole30, Paleo, gluten-free, Keto or Vegan, I tend to focus on flavor first. That is something that is very important because I want you to know that you don’t ever have to compromise flavor to live a healthy life.
Now another thing I love about this recipe is how easy it is. If there is one thing I want to provide for you during your Whole30 is recipes that are easy and come together in little to no time. This recipe is no exception to that goal. In little to no time, you will have a delicious, easy and impressive dinner on the table.
Whole30 friendly Asian Chicken
You will notice I use some traditional Asian flavors to bring this recipe to life. But, instead of using sugar (we don’t want sugar because we wanted to keep the recipe Whole30), I used unsweetened BBQ sauce to add some smoky and sweet flavor to the dish. And, instead of soy sauce (which you will find in many “sticky” or “sweet” Asian recipes, we are using coconut aminos. The coconut aminos is really a great addition because it adds the richness of soy sauce but also adds a little sweetness from the coconut.
Everything about this recipe will make your mouth water so just make it already. It’s one that will impress all your dinner guests and they won’t even know it took you less than 30 minutes to put together.
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Sticky Asian Chicken
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Chicken thighs seared and lightly braised in a sweet an spicy Asian inspired sauce.
Ingredients
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. avocado oil
1/2 cup coconut aminos
1 tbsp. pure sesame seed oil
2 tbsp. compliant unsweetened BBQ sauce (I like Primal Kitchen Foods)
1 tsp. grated ginger
2 garlic cloves (pressed through a garlic press or finely minced)
1 tsp. Korean pepper flakes (or crushed red pepper flakes)
scallions (cilantro or chives for garnish)
Instructions
To begin, preheat the oven to broil
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season them with a few pinches of salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the avocado oil in a large oven-safe skillet. Add the chicken to the skillet and sear them for 3-5 minutes on both sides or until the internal temperature is 167˚F or higher. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Now, whisk the rest of the ingredients (except the garnish) together in a bowl and transfer the mixture to the same skillet you just cooked the chicken in. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and use a spoon to coat the chicken with the sauce.
Now, transfer the skillet to the oven and broil for 3-5 minutes until the chicken is brown and the sauce thickens a little more.
Serve with cauliflower rice.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: 30 minute dinners
- Cuisine: Asian
Keywords: Sticky Asian Chicken
This was so delicious and easy! Taste just like wonderful Chinese take-out! Made enough for leftovers and now I can’t wait for lunch tomorrow!
Thank you so much for sharing Staci! I am so happy you loved it!
This recipe is so good! I literally had to make a second batch immediately. Definitely a must try!!! Thanks for sharing.
This was so delicious!!! Absolutely one of the best recipes I’ve made on whole 30. Thanks girl!
Another solid and easy recipe by Charlotte. Your recipes are always makes being on Whole30 so worth it…really! It’s my second go around so I was going to just revisit some of recipes I used before, but one look at this photo and read how easy it was, my god! I simply can’t wait to make it again and other recipes Charlotte comes up with. Next up is probably Chicken Casablanca. Yum!
Alisa you are going to love Casablanca chicken! It is yet another simple and delicious Whole30 dish!
I know the receipe calls for coconut aminos but I don’t like coconut. I want to try it with tamari sauce but not sure if I can just switch it. Can I do it?
Hi Laquetha! Yes you can! Coconut aminos is a substitute for soy sauce, and Tamari is just another variation of soy sauce. So definitely try it and let us know!
I had plan to use Tamari but I was out so I need to pick something things up from Trader Joe’s. I bought coconut aminos and I didn’t taste the coconut. It was spicy and delicious. A great meal but I did have to cook rice twice because I got distracted and burnt rice a first for me. Thanks for a delicious receipe.
Oh no burnt rice. Cleaning the pot must have been a pain!! Lol
But I’m so glad you loved the recipe doll! Thank you so much for sharing!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!! Just made it and will be making it often in the future. I also shared it with a few friends that I know would enjoy it
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer! Sharing is caring!
You’ll want to double this recipe! Trust me, it’s that good!
Great advice Sabrina! My girl! Thank you so much for sharing I’m so glad you love it.
Another winner from CFC!!!
Honestly you should rewrite this recipe with double the quantities because everyone will want to (or just should) double it!! I did because I know how good your recipes are and always double yours.
I served mine with rice, kimchi, and sautéed carrots and zucchini. Even my picky husband loved it.
THANK YOU!!!
OMG yummy! I am definitely serving it with rice, kimchi and veggies next time i make it!! So yummy! I am so glad you and your hubby enjoyed it Becca! And that’s exactly why I added the scale on the recipe card. Now everyone can adjust if they want to double or triple the recipe.
Man i was all ready to make this just to realize my oven wont turn on. Bummer!
Oh no! You can just finish it on the stove. Broiling is just meant to add color.
I love this recipe!!! It’s so tasty!
Can you share what you do with the leftover BBQ sauce though? Even if I double up this recipe I struggle to use up all of the BBQ sauce and since I buy a cleaner version with no sugar or preservatives it’s not gonna stay good for long!
Thanks!
Hey love! I’m so glad you love this dish! It’s so yummy. As for the extra sauce, you can always cook extra protein (I like searing pork or steak) and tossing them in the sauce for extra Mealprep. I’ve had others tell me it’s great on seafood too.
Such a delicious recipe!! So easy to make, and tastes just like the take-out I would eat as a kid. Thank you!!
Thank you so much Konika! Glad you enjoyed it
This is one of my go-to dishes when I’m craving take-out! We have this at least twice a month. Seriously. Incredibly easy to prepare, and ALL THE FLAVOR!
I love you Karin. Thank you for the support love.
I made this tonight for my family and it was easy, quick, and delicious! The sauce thickened up nicely and coated the chicken well, which was impressive to me because most asian sauce recipes I try end up too runny. I subbed regular soy sauce for coconut aminos and Sweet Baby Ray’s for the no-sugar BBQ sauce because that’s what I had on hand. I added extra salt to offset some of the extra sweetness from the Sweet Baby Ray’s but I wouldn’t recommend doing that because it ended up a bit too salty. I ended up drizzling the chicken with honey before I broiled it to balance out the flavor.
I just found this blog via instagram and it’s my new favorite for weeknight recipes! I love how accessible the healthy recipes feel and that Charlotte shares cooking techniques and down-to-earth, real life content. Thank you!!
Thank you so much Brooke! This is the sweetest and makes me so happy. So glad you’re a member of our internet family.
Such a delicious and easy recipe!
An easy and delicious meal for a weeknight!
Thank you Anna:)
Amazing! Finally tried this last night, and it was a hit with the whole family! Will definitely be making again, and again…thank you so much for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Linda😍
My kids absolutely love this recipe. The first time I made it, they asked me to make it again the next night. They request it at least once a week! Definitely a must try!
YAS!! I love it when the kiddos approve!
Absolutely love this recipe! It is a weekly dinner staple!
Thank you, Emery! Thank you for taking the time to write a review!
Absolutely delicious. So much flavor and adding to my list of regulars!
Thank you, Jennifer! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
This sauce was such a delicious balance of flavors!
Thank you Amanda. I appreciate you so much doll.