Why You’ll Love This this Sweet Chili Pasta with Chicken & Meatballs
This sweet chili pasta brings together tender chicken pieces and ready-made meatballs in a sauce that’s both comforting and exciting, like your favorite takeout dish decided to crash a snug Italian dinner party.
The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity – you’re fundamentally throwing everything into a pan and letting the magic happen, which means less time stressing in the kitchen and more time actually enjoying your meal.
Plus, with that perfect balance of sweet and spicy from the chili sauce mixed with rich tomatoes, even the pickiest eaters at your table will be scraping their bowls clean.
Ingredients List
This sweet chili pasta recipe keeps things wonderfully simple with just a handful of pantry-friendly ingredients that come together like they were meant to be best friends.
- 2 chicken breasts
- 15 small ready-made meatballs (1 package)
- 1 onion
- 1 (300 g) can chopped tomatoes
- Chili flakes
- 4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 300 g penne pasta
- Protein powerhouse: Between the chicken and meatballs, you’re getting a solid dose of protein that’ll keep everyone satisfied for hours
- Veggie boost: That onion might seem lonely, but it’s doing heavy lifting in the flavor department – though you could totally sneak in some bell peppers or zucchini if you’re feeling sneaky
- Sauce situation: The sweet chili sauce does contain sugar, so if you’re watching that, you might want to use it sparingly or look for a reduced-sugar version
- Pasta flexibility: Whole wheat penne works just as well here if you want to bump up the fiber content without anyone being the wiser
- Prep the proteins: Chop the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and fry them in a frying pan with the onions and meatballs until the chicken is cooked through and everything gets nicely browned.
- Build the sauce base: In a large pan, add the chopped tomatoes and your desired amount of chili flakes, then bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the sweet heat: Stir in the sweet chili sauce until it’s well combined with the tomato base.
- Combine proteins and sauce: Add the cooked chicken, meatballs, and onions to the sauce, stirring everything together.
- Cook the pasta: While the sauce simmers, cook the penne pasta according to package directions until al dente.
- Bring it all together: Put the sauce on low simmer while the pasta finishes cooking, then combine the drained pasta with the sauce.
- Final touch: Give everything a good stir to make sure the pasta is well coated with that delicious sweet chili goodness.
- Garlic bread is basically mandatory – whether you go fancy with a crusty baguette or just butter some sandwich bread and toss it under the broiler, you need something to soak up that sauce.
- A simple green salad cuts through all that richness – just mixed greens with a light vinaigrette, maybe some cherry tomatoes if you’re feeling fancy.
- Roasted vegetables bring some color to the plate – broccoli, asparagus, or green beans work great, and honestly, you can just toss them with olive oil and salt while everything else is cooking.
- Steamed rice might sound weird with pasta, but trust the process – some people love mixing their starches, and that sweet chili sauce works beautifully over jasmine rice too.
- A cold beer or glass of wine doesn’t hurt – something light that won’t compete with all those bold flavors you’ve got going on.
- Don’t crowd the pan when browning the chicken – work in batches if you need to, because steamed chicken is sad chicken, and we’re not about that life.
- Let those meatballs get some color too – even though they’re pre-cooked, a little browning adds so much flavor that you’ll wonder why you ever skipped this step.
- Save some pasta water before draining – that starchy liquid is pure gold for bringing your sauce together, and I’m talking about at least half a cup.
- Taste your sweet chili sauce first – some brands are way sweeter than others, so you might need to adjust with a splash of vinegar or extra chili flakes.
- Cook your pasta just shy of al dente – it’ll finish cooking in that beautiful sauce, absorbing all those flavors instead of just sitting on top like a sad, saucy hat.
- Fresh herbs at the end make everything better – basil, cilantro, or even parsley will brighten up those rich, warm flavors.
- Double the recipe and freeze half – this stuff reheats like a dream, and future you’ll thank present you when dinner is already handled.
- Calories: Approximately 520-580 per serving (serves 4)
- Protein: 35-40 grams from chicken breasts and meatballs, supporting muscle maintenance and growth
- Carbohydrates: 65-70 grams primarily from pasta, providing sustained energy
- Fat: 12-15 grams, mostly from the meatballs and any cooking oil used
- Fiber: 4-5 grams from the pasta and tomatoes, promoting digestive health
- Sodium: 800-1000mg, with most coming from the sweet chili sauce and pre-made meatballs
- Vitamin C: Good source from tomatoes and chili peppers, boosting immune function
- Iron: Moderate amount from chicken and enriched pasta, supporting healthy blood cells
- Lycopene: Present in tomatoes, granting antioxidant benefits
- B Vitamins: From chicken and enriched pasta, essential for energy metabolism
- Potassium: Found in tomatoes and chicken, important for heart health and muscle function
Step by Step Directions
This sweet chili pasta comes together in just a few simple steps that’ll have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.
For restaurants looking to serve this dish regularly, investing in a professional pasta machine can ensure consistent quality and save significant preparation time.
Substitutions and Variations
• Switch up the protein game: Don’t have chicken on hand? Turkey works beautifully here, or you could go all-meatball if that’s what your freezer is providing.
Ground beef or Italian sausage would be pretty fantastic too, though you’ll want to drain any excess grease.
• Pasta flexibility is your friend: Penne’s great because it holds onto that sauce like nobody’s business, but rigatoni, fusilli, or even bow ties will work just fine.
Really, any pasta with some texture or curves will grab onto that sweet chili goodness.
• Heat level tweaks: Too spicy for the kids? Cut back on those chili flakes or skip them entirely – the sweet chili sauce still brings plenty of flavor.
Want more fire? Add some diced jalapeños when you’re cooking the onions, or throw in a pinch of cayenne.
• Veggie additions: Bell peppers, zucchini, or mushrooms would fit right in with this crowd.
Just toss them in with the onions and let them get all caramelized and happy.
• Sauce substitutions: No sweet chili sauce in the pantry? Honey mixed with sriracha can work in a pinch, though the flavor won’t be quite the same.
You could also try Thai sweet and sour sauce if you’ve got it lurking in your fridge.
• Make it lighter: Swap regular pasta for whole wheat or even zucchini noodles if you’re feeling ambitious.
The sauce is hearty enough to carry whatever base you choose.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This pasta’s pretty hearty on its own, but a few simple sides can turn it into a proper feast.
The truth is, this dish is filling enough that you mightn’t need much else, especially if you’ve loaded it up with extra veggies or gone heavy on the meatballs.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
A few little tweaks can take this dish from good to absolutely spectacular, and honestly, most of them are things I wish someone had told me years ago.
The biggest game-changer though is letting everything simmer together for a few extra minutes, because that’s when the magic really happens and all those flavors decide to become best friends.
Nutritional Facts
This hearty pasta dish packs a solid nutritional punch with its combination of lean protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates.
The dish provides a well-balanced macro profile with high protein content making it particularly satisfying and suitable for active lifestyles.
Fun “Did You Know?”
Did you know that sweet chili sauce wasn’t invented in Thailand despite its association with Thai cuisine? It was actually created by a Vietnamese woman named Thanh Binh in the 1930s.
I find it fascinating that pasta originated in China, not Italy, and was brought to Europe by Marco Polo.
Here’s another fun fact: meatballs aren’t traditionally Italian either – they’re found in cuisines worldwide, from Swedish köttbullar to Middle Eastern kofta.
When you combine these globally-inspired ingredients in one dish, you’re literally creating a fusion that spans continents and centuries of culinary evolution.
