Bang Bang Chicken is a quick and easy dinner made with crispy bite-sized chicken tossed in a creamy, sweet-and-spicy sauce. This homemade version is ready in about 25 minutes and delivers restaurant-quality flavor with simple pantry ingredients.
I tested this recipe multiple ways, including pan frying, air frying, and baking, to find the crispiest, most reliable method.
Quick Look at the Recipe
Ready in: 25 minutes | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy | Make-Ahead Friendly: Sauce only
Golden, crispy chicken coated in a creamy, slightly spicy sauce-this is the kind of meal that disappears almost as fast as you can make it.
Jump to:
- Quick Look at the Recipe
- What Is Bang Bang Chicken?
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredient Notes And Smart Swaps
- Recipe Variation
- How To Make Bang Bang Chicken
- Best Cooking Method (Tested And Compared)
- Serving Ideas
- Make Ahead And Storage Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- Tips To Ensure This Recipe Turns Out Perfectly
- More Chicken Recipes You'll Love
- Pull Up A Chair And Join The Conversation
- Recipe:
What Is Bang Bang Chicken?
Bang Bang Chicken is a popular dish made with crispy fried chicken pieces coated in a creamy sauce made from mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha. It's known for its signature balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors and is often served as an appetizer or quick main dish.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ready in about 25 minutes-faster than takeout
- Crispy outside, juicy inside
- Perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy
- Works as dinner, appetizer, or party food
- Easy to adjust the heat level
G&P Wisdom: Around here, if a recipe isn't quick and "lick-your-plate good," it doesn't make the cut, and this one passed with flying colors.
Ingredient Notes And Smart Swaps
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless breasts or thighs both work. Cut into evenly sized cubes for even cooking.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Essential for crispiness. Regular breadcrumbs won't give the same crunch.
- Eggs: Help the coating stick; no flour needed.
- Oil: Peanut, vegetable, or canola oil all work well.
- Bang Bang Sauce:
- Mayonnaise - creamy base
- Sweet chili sauce - sweetness + flavor
- Sriracha - heat (1 tablespoon is the sweet spot)
- Honey - rounds out the flavor
- Lime juice - brightens everything
Recipe Variation
In a hurry and need to get dinner on the table FAST? Make my easy Bang Bang Chicken copycat version: make the sauce, air-fry purchased frozen chicken nuggets, then top with the sauce.
How To Make Bang Bang Chicken
This is a summary of the steps; the complete directions are in the recipe card below.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, honey, and lime juice. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the coating: In a zip-top bag or shallow dish, combine panko, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Prep the chicken: Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes (about 1 to 1½ inches, at least ½ inch thick for best results).
- Coat the chicken: Dip chicken pieces in beaten eggs, then transfer to the panko mixture and coat well.
- Let it rest (don't skip this): Place coated chicken on a wire rack and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. This helps the coating stick and crisp up better.
- Cook the chicken: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through (165°F).
- Toss in the sauce and serve: Add cooked chicken to a bowl and toss with the sauce until evenly coated. Garnish with green onions and serve immediately.
Best Cooking Method (Tested And Compared)
After testing this recipe in the air fryer, oven, and on the stovetop, pan-frying over medium heat consistently produces the crispiest, most flavorful Bang Bang Chicken. While all methods work, especially once the chicken is coated in sauce, the stove-top version delivers the best texture and color.
If you prefer less cleanup, the air fryer and oven are great alternatives, but the chicken won't brown quite as well.
Serving Ideas
While rice is a classic, this Bang Bang Chicken is just as delicious served over garlic butter noodles, creamy mashed potatoes, or a crisp cabbage slaw for a lighter option.
Make Ahead And Storage Tips
- Sauce: Make up to 2 days ahead
- Chicken (uncooked): Coat and refrigerate up to 8 hours
- Leftovers: Store chicken and sauce separately up to 4 days
Reheat chicken in an air fryer at 400°F for 3-4 minutes or a 400°F oven to crisp it back up.
Recipe FAQs
Bang Bang Chicken is made with bite-sized chicken pieces coated in breadcrumbs, cooked until crispy, and tossed in a creamy sauce made with mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha.
Pan-frying over medium heat produces the crispiest, most flavorful results. Air frying and baking work, but the chicken may be slightly drier.
This recipe is mild to medium. One tablespoon of Sriracha and one teaspoon of honey provides balanced heat, but you can add more or less to taste.
Yes. Cook at 400°F for about 8 minutes, flipping halfway. It will be crispy but slightly less golden than pan-fried.
Make sure the chicken rests after coating, cook in batches, and avoid high heat, which can burn the panko before the chicken cooks through.
Tips To Ensure This Recipe Turns Out Perfectly
- Let coated chicken rest before cooking for better adhesion
- Use medium heat instead of medium-high; higher heat can brown the panko too quickly before the chicken cooks through.
- Don't overcrowd the pan
- Cut chicken into evenly sized pieces
- Toss in sauce instead of drizzling for best flavor
From My Kitchen: I tested multiple coating methods and found that skipping the flour and letting the coated chicken rest works just as well, and keeps this recipe simple.
More Chicken Recipes You'll Love
Looking for more easy chicken dinners? Try one of these reader favorites in my chicken recipes index.
Pull Up A Chair And Join The Conversation
Did you make this Bang Bang Chicken? I'd love to hear how it turned out for you! Please leave a comment and a star rating; it helps other readers and makes my day.
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Crispy Bang Bang Chicken (Easy 25-Minute Recipe)
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Juice from half of a lime, a little less than 2 tablespoons
Chicken Ingredients
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, at least ½ inch thick, cut into 1-2 inch cubes, white or dark meat
- ¼ cup peanut or pecan oil, may need to add more for a second batch or if the skillet is large
- 3 green onions, for garnish, chopped
Instructions
- Add the sauce ingredients to a bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Add the breadcrumbs and seasonings to a large plastic storage bag. Seal the bag and shake until the ingredients are well combined.
- Add the eggs to a bowl. Whisk the eggs until smooth.
- Add the chicken to the egg mixture and stir until fully coated.
- Transfer the chicken to the plastic bag. Seal the bag and gently shake to coat the chicken with the panko mixture. Place the coated pieces on a wire rack to allow the coating to dry and stick.
- Add the oil to a skillet over medium heat.
- Place the chicken into the pan. Don't overcrowd the pan. You may need to cook this in batches.
- Cook each side for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and crispy. You want the internal temperature to be 165° F. (If the chicken is browning too quickly, reduce the heat a bit.)
- Toss the chicken in the sauce, or drizzle the sauce on top, and sprinkle the green onions on top.
Sharon Rigsby
This easy recipe has been added to my go-to list of meals that I can get on the table fast!