This is one of those recipes that is so good, you’ll be demanding all of your friends and family make it, just so you can talk with them about how good it is! I have officially entered my “I want to make everything in the oven” era, and there is no better recipe for oven-baking than this Bang Bang Chicken. No stove splatter, minimal prep time, minimal washing up and perfectly cooked chicken with a caramelised, crispy glaze. You can serve this meal with just about anything, but we love it with salads and steamed rice to soak up all of the delicious roasting juices.
The chicken is marinated in simple pantry ingredients, before being brushed with a drool-worthy ”bang bang sauce” (a mix of whole-egg mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce) and oven-baked. If you think mayonnaise in a marinade sounds weird, this recipe will change that forever. The flavour is just AMAZING. I’ve made this for dinner several times in the last few weeks because it’s just so quick and easy. Marinate the chicken, pop it in the oven and then dinner is on the table in less than 30 minutes, with minimal effort and minimal time spent in the kitchen. Hooray for simple, delicious dinners!
What else can I serve with Bang Bang Chicken?
I try to prepare a whole heap of vegetables at the beginning of each week that we can use for quick lunches and dinners. Cabbage, kale and most varieties of lettuce are all great choices to prep ahead of time, as they are robust enough to last a couple of days after being cut. Refrigerate your cut vegetables in an airtight container. Ensure they are completely dry and add a piece of paper towel at the bottom and top of the container to help absorb moisture. This will extend the life of your produce by multiple days. We love serving this recipe with rice and mixed salads for everyone to pile up at the dinner table, but I have lots of other serving ideas for you. This Bang Bang Chicken goes with just about anything!
Try steamed broccoli, broccolini (tenderstem broccoli), cauliflower, carrots, snow peas (mangetout), green beans, baby corn or sautéed mushrooms. Other salad combinations like bean sprouts, wombok (napa) cabbage, coriander (cilantro), red onions, capsicum (bell pepper), shredded iceberg lettuce or gem lettuce also work well. Instead of rice, you could try rice noodles or egg noodles. Even a creamy mashed potato or sweet potato mash would be delicious!
Watch how to make Bang Bang Chicken
Can I use chicken breast instead of chicken thigh?
Absolutely. Just make sure you follow step 3 and pound the chicken to an even thickness. You will also have to modify the cooking time to 18–20 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through. Grill (broil) on high heat for 2–3 minutes if required to caramelise.
Bang Bang Chicken
“We love this recipe! I love how I can have it all ready beforehand, and then just bake the chicken for half an hour and dinner is done, especially when we have guests.” Share PrintIngredients
- 250 g (1 cup) whole-egg mayonnaise
- 60 g (¼ cup) sweet chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp sriracha or hot chilli sauce (optional)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 600 g (1¼ lb) boneless chicken thighs, skin on or off
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp tamari or regular soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 60 g (¼ cup) bang bang sauce (see above)
- 1 spring onion (scallion), sliced
- Steamed rice
- 75 g (1 cup) shredded red cabbage
- 2 carrots, grated or julienned
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1 spring onion (scallion), finely sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a baking tray with baking (parchment) paper.
- Make the bang bang sauce – Combine the bang bang sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Reserve one-quarter of the sauce in a separate bowl to brush over the raw chicken prior to baking.
- Prep the chicken – Place the chicken on a chopping board with a sheet of baking paper over the top. Use a mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken to an even thickness. Cut each piece in half vertically.
- Marinate the chicken – Place the chicken in a large shallow bowl and add the sweet paprika, onion powder, black pepper, tamari, brown sugar and olive oil. Using tongs, toss the chicken to coat it evenly in the marinade.
- Cook the chicken – Arrange the chicken on the prepared baking tray, so that it is not overlapping. This is important. If the chicken is overcrowded in the baking tray, it will “steam” and it will be much more difficult to achieve a caramelised crust.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the reserved one-quarter of the bang bang sauce all over the tops of the chicken pieces.
- Bake the chicken for 25–30 minutes or until golden and cooked through (see note 1 for troubleshooting).
- Serve – Serve with steamed rice, red cabbage, carrot and cucumber. Drizzle with the remaining bang bang sauce and sprinkle with spring onions.
Nutrition information
Disclaimer re gluten-free and dairy-free recipes
Mel says:
Love this recipe! We used prawns instead of chicken and it was just delicious. Coated prawns instead batter with seasoning and had with wraps and the salad. Everyone loved it and requested again!
Nicole says:
Hi Mel, thanks for sharing how you served the recipe and thrilled to hear it worked well with prawns! Thanks also for the rating, Nic x
Maria says:
Only had chicken tenders in the fridge, so used them instead of thighs. Didn’t take too long to cook in the oven and browned them at the end for 5 mins under the grill, to get some colour. Perfect for a mid week dinner. The sauce and the chicken was an amazing flavour combination. Served with rice and baked sweet potato. Big hit with the whole family!
Nicole says:
Thanks for this fantastic feedback, Maria! I love your recipe tweaks and so happy it was a hit! Thanks also for the rating, Nic x
Hunter says:
Great recipe! Even my picky kids (8, 7, 4, and 1 years old) ate the chicken with no complaints! Thank you!
Nicole says:
Wonderful to hear, Hunter! And I especially love the thumbs-up from little eaters! Thanks also for the rating! Nic x
Kristi says:
Amazing I make this every week
Nicole says:
Wow, that is the best compliment, Kristi! Thanks so much! Nic x
Abi says:
This is SO delicious and well worth serving with all the sides, it’s so fresh and the mix of textures is amazing. The only thing I would change is to double the amount of chicken because everyone wants seconds
Nicole says:
Thanks for the lovely feedback and the rating, Abi! Nic x
Claudia Baker says:
I’m confused about the sauce amount here, do I use it all or just the quarter cup at the end? Thanks!
Nicole says:
Hi Claudia, you use 1/4 cup of the sauce to brush over the chicken in step 6, then you use the rest of the sauce in step 8. I hope this helps. Nic x
Adrianna says:
I have made quite a few of your recipes and love them all. Made this one for the first time last night and the whole family loved it. Will definitely be added to the rotation!
Nicole says:
I’m so glad you enjoyed this, Adrianna, and VERY happy to hear you’ll be putting it on the rotation! Thanks for the rating and for your lovely comments about the recipes. Nic x
Kate says:
I absolutely love your recipes. I have your cookbook as well and I can’t fault them. This was a 10/10 both hubby and I had seconds, so delicious!! Will be adding this to the fortnightly dinner plan.
Nicole says:
Thank you so much, Kate! I am really happy that you are enjoying the recipes on the website and that you also have the book! Bang Bang Chicken is a favourite at my place too. Thanks for sharing and rating the recipe. Nic x
Nicky says:
Another hit with my 12 yr old boy…thank you for the ideas and for such great recipes..you know you are making a difference in people’s lives when a boy walks into the kitchen remarking “Simple Home Edit again Mum? Let’s gooooooooo!”
Nicole says:
Oh, Nicky, you’ve made my day! That is such lovely feedback!!! Thank you so much. Nic x
Stacey says:
So delicious! It was a real hit with my family of 3… we will be fighting over who gets the leftovers! Looking forward to making it again!
Nicole says:
So wonderful to hear, Stacey! And thanks for rating the recipe. Nic x
Olga says:
Absolutely amazing! Just made this for dinner and the chicken was so flavorful and juicy! Can’t wait to make this dish again.
Nicole says:
Hi Olga, I’m thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed this! It really is delicious, isn’t it … if I say so myself! Nic x
Patty says:
What brand of sweet chili sauce did you use?
Nicole says:
Hi Patty, I use Trident! It’s my absolute fave. Nic x