Description
This Easy Bang Bang Chicken Pasta Recipe combines tender, paprika-seasoned chicken with spaghetti noodles and a flavorful creamy bang bang sauce made from light mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha. Perfect for a quick and delicious weeknight dinner that brings a spicy, tangy kick with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Pasta
- 12 ounces spaghetti noodles
- ¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce
- ⅔ cup light mayonnaise
- ½ cup sweet chili sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and keep warm.
- Heat the skillet: Over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet.
- Season and cook chicken: Season the chicken cubes with paprika, salt, and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the chicken to the skillet in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the pan. Brown the chicken on all sides, cooking in batches if necessary.
- Add garlic to chicken: When the chicken is nearly cooked through, add the 2 minced garlic cloves to the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant, then reduce heat to low.
- Toss pasta with chicken: Add the cooked spaghetti noodles to the skillet with the chicken and garlic, tossing gently to combine.
- Prepare the sauce: While the chicken cooks, whisk together the light mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, 3 cloves minced garlic, honey, sriracha sauce, lime juice, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Adjust the sriracha to taste for desired spiciness.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Pour about two-thirds of the prepared sauce over the chicken and pasta in the skillet, tossing to lightly coat the noodles and chicken pieces.
- Serve with remaining sauce: Warm the remaining sauce briefly in the microwave and use it to top individual servings of the bang bang chicken pasta for extra flavor.
Notes
- The bang bang sauce is designed to lightly coat the pasta and chicken rather than fully cover it like a marinara sauce.
- Cook chicken in batches if your skillet isn’t large enough to avoid overcrowding and ensure even browning.
- Adjust sriracha quantity in the sauce to control the level of spice.
- Using light mayonnaise keeps the sauce creamy but lighter in calories.
