Easy Sheet Pan Bang Bang Chicken with Crispy Rice
Sheet Pan Bang Bang Chicken with Crispy Rice is a quick weeknight dinner made with golden brown chicken thighs, crispy white rice, and a creamy, slightly spicy sauce made from Thai sweet chili sauce, olive oil, and the perfect amount of sriracha.
- Total Time50 minutes
- Yield6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Chicken
• 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1½ Tbsp olive oil (21 g)
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch (8 g)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (3 g)
• 1 tsp paprika (2 g)
• ¾ tsp kosher salt (4.5 g)
• ¼ tsp black pepper (0.5 g)
Crispy Rice
• 3 cups cooked jasmine or white rice (450 g), completely cold
• 1½ Tbsp olive oil (21 g)
• ½ tsp kosher salt (3 g)
• ½ tsp garlic powder (1.5 g)
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce (15 g)
• 3 - 4 green onions, thinly sliced (about 30 g)
Bang Bang Sauce
• ½ cup mayonnaise (120 g)
• ¼ cup sweet chili sauce (60 g)
• 1–2 Tbsp sriracha (15–30 g), to taste
• 1 tsp rice vinegar (5 g)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken with olive oil (1½ Tbsp), cornstarch (1 Tbsp), garlic powder (1 tsp), paprika (1 tsp), kosher salt (¾ tsp), and black pepper (¼ tsp) until evenly coated. Carefully remove the hot sheet pan from the oven and spread the chicken in a single layer. Return to the oven and roast until cooked through and lightly browned, flipping once halfway, about 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Do not clean the pan.
- Add the cold cooked rice directly to the hot sheet pan along with olive oil (1½ Tbsp), kosher salt (½ tsp), garlic powder (½ tsp), and soy sauce (1 Tbsp). Toss everything together on the pan, then press the rice into a thin, even layer. Return to the oven and bake until the rice is deeply golden and crispy on the bottom, about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir once halfway if needed. For extra crisp edges, broil briefly at the end.
- Remove the rice from the oven and immediately stir in the sliced green onions (3 to 4).
- While the rice cooks, whisk together mayonnaise (½ cup), sweet chili sauce (¼ cup), sriracha (1–2 Tbsp), and rice vinegar (1 tsp) until smooth.
- Serve the crispy rice topped with the roasted chicken and drizzle generously with the bang bang sauce.
Notes
Nutrition information: This is an estimate and does not include bang bang sauce. Values may vary based on specific ingredients and brands used.
Cold Rice Matters: Use rice that is fully chilled. Cold, dry grains crisp instead of steaming, which is what gives you real texture on the pan.
Why No Parchment: Cooking directly on the sheet pan allows the rice to make full contact with the metal, which is how it gets deeply golden and crisp. Parchment will block that.
Don’t Rush the Rice: The rice may look done before it actually is. Let it stay in the oven until you see real golden color on the bottom. That’s where the flavor is.
Sauce Quantity: The recipe is written for a reasonable amount, but in practice most people want more. It keeps well in the fridge and is great on leftovers.
Cut Size: Cutting the chicken into roughly one-inch pieces helps it cook quickly and evenly without drying out.
Make Ahead: The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat rice and chicken in a hot skillet or oven to re-crisp slightly, then add the sauce after heating. You can also use the microwave but you will lose some texture.
Gluten-Free: Use tamari instead of soy sauce to keep the recipe gluten-free.
Nut-Free: This recipe is nut-free.
Dairy-Free: The dish itself is dairy-free, but the sauce contains mayonnaise. Choose a dairy-free mayo if needed.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6th of pan
- Calories: 233
- Sugar: 0.3 g
- Sodium: 367.2 mg
- Fat: 8.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg