Grilled Sriracha Barbecue Chicken

Seriously delicious Sriracha Chicken that is made on the grill is a dish that will impress your guests and is a must for anyone who loves spicy food.

As a family, we hardly ate any spicy food growing up. It wasn't exactly standard fare in New England at the time and just wasn't something my mom prepared. But now we are all addicted to spice and it often shows up at dinner, especially in the form of Sriracha. Like many, we are obsessed and try to work it into as many recipes as we can. 

Recently, we needed an easy dish for a big family dinner and ended up making this amazing Sriracha Chicken. It can be used for chicken thighs, chicken breasts, or even pork and I can't even tell you how good the sauce is. It is like the best spicy barbecue sauce and adds so much yummy to any protein.  I want to swim in the Sriracha dipping sauce it is so good. 

Want a little extra heat? Add 1-2 tbsp of Sriracha to the marinade as well. This is something I know I will be making all summer.

What is Sriracha Chicken?

Sriracha is a delicious, spicy sauce that is commonly used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking. The main ingredients that make up this sauce are red chili peppers, which gives the sauce its famous kick, garlic, and vinegar. If you are like me and love spicy foods, then this sauce is a pantry staple.

I put it on everything from steak fajitas to baked potatoes. I practically have an arsenal of sriracha recipes at the ready for when I am in the mood for spicy food. Sriracha also adds great flavor to chicken dishes, especially when used in a dipping sauce.

This sriracha chicken recipe is a flavorful, spicy dish that will impress any barbeque or dinner guest. Now that I have my hands on this delicious recipe, I will be cooking tasty sriracha barbecue chicken often during this upcoming summer.

What Goes With Sriracha Chicken?

One of my favorite barbecue recipes is grilled corn on the cob. Grilled garlic corn goes well with this sriracha barbecue chicken. To make this side dish, shuck the corn cobs. Place each cob onto a piece of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Wrap in the foil and cook on the grill grate for 15 minutes. The garlic powder in the corn recipe would highlight the garlic used in the sriracha chicken recipe marinade.

Another great side dish is roasted potato wedges. To make this side dish first preheat the oven to 475°F. Cut potatoes into wedges and place on a baking tray. Drizzle over a few teaspoons of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried dill. Bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Make sure to flip the wedges halfway through. Serve alongside the sriracha chicken, and even dunk them into the same sriracha barbecue dipping sauce.

Sriracha Barbecue Chicken FAQ

Is this sriracha chicken recipe healthy? How can I make it more diet friendly?

In general, chicken is a healthy meat to consume. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, lower in fat than red meats, and is high in protein. However, the cut of chicken you use is an important health consideration. The white meat of the chicken is lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol. So if you are on a diet or watching calories, I would recommend swapping out chicken thighs for chicken breasts.

As far as the ingredients go, this recipe does contain sugar and sodium, both of which can be unhealthy in large quantities. You can always reduce the amount of sugar and soy sauce in the recipe to make it healthier. If you don't mind the taste of Stevia, you can use that in place of the sugar or opt for an unrefined sugar like maple syrup or honey.

I do not have a grill. How else can I cook the Sriracha chicken?

This sriracha barbecue chicken recipe can easily be cooked in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray an oven-safe, glass cooking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place the marinated chicken in the dish and cook in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes until fully cooked. You will know the chicken is fully cooked when there is no pink meat and the center is white.

Would my kids like this recipe?

Chicken is a safe bet when it comes to cooking for children. Kids are sensitive to strong flavors, so if you were to make this sriracha recipe for your children, you should reduce the amount of spice you add. This could mean making two separate dipping sauces: one without sriracha for the kids and one with sriracha for the adults.

This recipe originally was published in May 2012 but has been updated with new photos and recipe tips.