Diet Coke Chicken Recipe

Chicken pieces in a diet coke sauce being stirred in a skillet.

No ratings yet

Diet Coke chicken features juicy bites of chicken coated in a sweet and sticky sauce made with diet soda and ketchup. Trust me, this cola chicken is a simple, low-cal, and tasty takeout-style dish!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 273kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

12-inch Nonstick Skillet or Wok

Ingredients

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces*
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon ground paprika
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
12 ounces Diet Coke 1 can**
¼ cup ketchup
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1½ tablespoons olive oil
½ tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water; optional
chopped cilantro optional garnish
chopped green onion optional garnish

Instructions

Toss the chicken in the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and pepper.
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon ground paprika, ¼ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
In a bowl, whisk together the Diet Coke, ketchup, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.
12 ounces Diet Coke, ¼ cup ketchup, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add in the chicken and brown on all sides for 3-4 minutes, but don’t cook through yet. Cook in batches if needed.
1½ tablespoons olive oil
Add the Diet Coke mixture to the chicken, and turn the heat up until it bubbles. Reduce to a simmer, and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has reduced.
To thicken the sauce: combine the cornstarch and water to create a slurry, and stir into the chicken. Continue simmering until thickened.
½ tablespoon cornstarch
Serve with rice, garnished with chopped cilantro and chopped green onion if desired.
chopped cilantro, chopped green onion

Notes

*Boneless chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breast.

**Diet Dr. Pepper or Diet Pepsi can be substituted for the Diet Coke.

Becky's Top Tips:

Make it spicier by adding in some sliced red chilies, or chili flakes, into the Diet Coke mixture.
I prefer the sauce to be thicker, so I stir in a cornstarch slurry at the end of cooking. You can skip this if you prefer a thinner sauce.
Double the recipe and make this diet cola chicken for meal prep, and enjoy it later in the week!
Nutritional information does not include optional garnishes

Storage: Store Diet Coke chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days, or the freezer for 3 months.

Nutrition