If you’ve been looking for the perfect chicken tender recipe — one that’s sweet, spicy, sticky, saucy, and incredibly flavorful — this Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken Tenders recipe is about to become your new obsession. Imagine juicy pan-seared chicken coated in a glossy, caramelized glaze that delivers the ideal balance of sweetness, heat, and savory richness. Every bite is bold, addictive, and restaurant-quality.

This dish takes less than 20 minutes to cook, uses simple pantry ingredients, and gives you chicken tenders that taste like they came straight off a trendy Asian-fusion restaurant menu. Perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, lunch bowls, or impressing guests with minimal effort.

What Makes These Sticky Chicken Tenders Perfect

• They’re incredibly tender thanks to quick cooking and a high-simmer glaze.
• The sauce is next-level sticky with the perfect glossy finish.
• The sweetness + heat balance is customizable — go mild or fiery.
• Uses everyday pantry ingredients — no special ingredients needed.
• Ready in under 25 minutes from start to finish.

This is the kind of chicken dish you’ll want on repeat.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1 ½ lbs chicken tenders
• 1 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder

For the Sweet & Spicy Sticky Sauce

• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• ⅓ cup honey
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 1 tbsp sriracha or chili garlic paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated (optional but recommended)
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
• ⅓ cup water

To Thicken

• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water

Finishing Touches

• 1 tbsp butter
• Sesame seeds
• Green onions

Instructions

Season & Sear the Chicken

1. Season tenders
   Sprinkle chicken tenders with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Sear
   Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add tenders and cook 3–4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
   Remove and set aside.

Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken Tenders

Juicy chicken tenders coated in a glossy sweet and spicy sticky sauce with the perfect balance of heat and sweetness.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner, Main

Cuisine: Asian Fusion

Calories: 410

Ingredients

  

Chicken

• 1.5 lbs chicken tenders
• 1 tbsp oil
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder

Sticky Sauce

• 0.33 cup soy sauce
• 0.33 cup honey
• 0.25 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sriracha or chili garlic paste
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp ginger grated
• 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes optional
• 0.33 cup water

Thickener

• 1 tbsp cornstarch for slurry
• 2 tbsp water for slurry

Equipment

• Skillet
• Mixing bowls
• Tongs

Method

 

1. Season chicken tenders with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Sear chicken in hot oil until golden and cooked through.
3. Sauté garlic and ginger in skillet.
4. Add soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, sriracha, and water.
5. Simmer sauce and add cornstarch slurry to thicken.
6. Return chicken to skillet and toss in sticky sauce.
7. Finish with butter and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

Adjust spice by increasing or reducing sriracha or red pepper flakes.

Make the Sticky Sauce

3. Add aromatics to skillet
   Add garlic (and ginger if using) and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add sauce ingredients
   Pour in soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, sriracha/chili paste, red pepper flakes, and water.
5. Simmer
   Let the sauce bubble for 3–5 minutes to begin thickening.

Thicken & Coat

6. Add cornstarch slurry
   Stir together cornstarch + water. Add to skillet and stir until sauce becomes glossy and thick.
7. Add chicken back in
   Return tenders to the pan, tossing to coat in the sticky sauce.
8. Finish with butter
   Stir in the butter to create a silky shine and deeper flavor.

Serve

9. Garnish
   Top with sesame seeds and green onions.
10. Enjoy warm
    Serve over rice, noodles, or veggies — or enjoy them just as they are!

Tips for Perfect Sticky Chicken

1. Don’t overcook the chicken

Chicken tenders cook fast — 6–8 minutes total is usually enough.

2. Simmer, don’t boil

A gentle simmer helps the sugars caramelize and get sticky, not burnt.

3. Adjust heat easily

• Milder: reduce sriracha and red pepper flakes
• Spicier: add more chili paste or cayenne

4. Add butter at the end

This is the secret to ultra-glossy, professional-quality sauce.

Flavor Variations

Honey Lime Sticky Chicken

Add the juice and zest of 1 lime at the end.

Korean-Inspired Sticky Chicken

Swap sriracha for gochujang.

Garlic Explosion

Add 4–5 cloves of garlic and skip the ginger.

Sticky Orange Chicken

Add ⅓ cup orange juice + 1 tbsp zest.

What to Serve With Sticky Chicken Tenders

• Steamed rice
• Fried rice
• Noodles
• Stir-fried veggies
• Roasted broccoli
• Coconut rice
• Asian slaw

Storage & Reheating

• Fridge: 4 days
• Freezer: up to 2 months
• Reheat: Microwave with a splash of water or warm on low heat in pan

The sauce thickens beautifully even after reheating.