Diet Coke Chicken Recipe

Diet coke chicken is a delicious and flavorful dish that the whole family loves! This sweet and sticky chicken dish can be on the table in 30 minutes for a quick weeknight dinner.

If you’ve seen coke chicken doing the rounds on social media and thought it looked delicious but you don’t want all the sugar of regular coke this recipe is perfect. This chicken has a sweet and smoky taste almost like a sweet bbq sauce and the balsamic vinegar gives it a deep rich flavor. If you are counting calories, or are on a carb controlled diet, or if you simply prefer diet coke over regular cola this recipe is for you! If your family is tired of boring chicken recipes this diet coke chicken is a game-changer!

Traditional Coca Cola chicken and a lot of store bought bbq sauces have a good amount of sugar in them when you use diet coke you cut out that sugar and calories so this is a great recipe if you are following a calorie-controlled diet or watching your sugar intake.

Why We Love This Diet Coke Chicken Recipe

• It is easy to put together – I love this recipe because it uses ingredients that I have on hand all the time. It is a great dinner to throw together on a busy weeknight.
• My whole family loves it– My youngest son was skeptical about this recipe but when he tried it he said “This tastes better than it has any right too!” which I take as the highest compliment!
• It is well balanced – my family doesn’t enjoy food that is too sweet and this recipe results in a sauce that is the perfect amount of smoky sweet and sour.

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Frequently Asked Questions & Tips for Diet Coke Chicken

What to serve with Diet Coke Chicken?

This delicious diet cone chicken is perfect served with your favorite side dishes. We love it with rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice. It is also great with simple grilled or roasted vegetables like green beans or broccoli. You can also shred the chicken and serve it on buns for a tender pulled chicken sandwich! You can also add sauteed veggies like peppers, onions, and snow peas to make a stir fry like dish!

Can I use different diet cola?

Absolutely! If you prefer coke zero, Pepsi max, diet Pepsi or any other diet cola you can! There are several versions of diet coke and cola some are sweetened with aspartame some are sweetened with sucralose so that does alter the flavor a little but nothing super noticeable. I have not tried this recipe with stevia or allulose sweetened colas so I’m not sure how they would work instead of diet coke.

Can I use chicken breasts?

Yes! If you prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs you can. Boneless chicken thighs have more fat than lean chicken breasts so the final product may be drier but it will still be delicious!

What can I use in replacement of balsamic vinegar?

If you’re not a fan of balsamic vinegar or don’t have any on hand don’t worry. You can swap it out for pantry staples like soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. Soy sauce will result in a flavor that has more of an Asian flair, and Worcestershire sauce will result in a more savory, peppery bbq chicken flavor. Either one make an absolutely delicious replacement. (You can even use a tablespoon of both!)

How to store and reheat this chicken-

This delicious diet coke chicken stores well refrigerated in an airtight container. To reheat the chicken you can microwave it or place it in a pot on the stove and heat over low, stirring frequently until it is heated through.

Ingredients for Diet Cola Chicken

1.5-2 Lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (about 8)

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Salt (divided)

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

2 tsp Olive oil

1 Cup Chicken Broh

6 oz Tomato Paste

12 oz Diet Coca Cola

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Here’s How to Make Diet Coke Chicken

First trim and dice the chicken thighs into bite size pieces.

Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl

Add in the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir to evenly coat the chicken with spices.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and brown for about 10 minutes or until the chicken pieces are browned on all sides and mostly cooked.

In a medium size bowl combine the chicken broth, tomato paste, Diet coke, and Balsamic vinegar stir until well mixed.

Pour the mixture over the chicken and bring to a low boil over medium high reduce to medium and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened and the chicken is cooked through.

The sauce reduces the longer it simmers so if you prefer a thicker sauce cook longer, for a thinner sauce just cook until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

If you want the sauce to thicken more reduce the heat and simmer over low until the desired thickness is reached.

Diet Coke Chicken

Diet coke chicken is a delicious and flavorful dish that the whole family loves! This sweet and sticky chicken dish can be on the table in 30 minutes for a quick weeknight dinner.

5 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1.5-2 Lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs about 8
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Salt divided
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 2 tsp Olive oil
• 1 Cup Chicken Broh
• 6 oz Tomato Paste
• 12 oz Diet Coca Cola
• 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Instructions

• First trim and dice the chicken thighs into bite size pieces.
• Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl
• Add in the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir to evenly coat the chicken with spices.
• In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and brown for about 10 minutes or until the chicken pieces are browned on all sides and mostly cooked.
• In a medium size bowl combine the chicken broth, tomato paste, Diet coke, and Balsamic vinegar stir until well mixed.
• Pour the mixture over the chicken and bring to a low boil over medium high reduce to medium and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened and the chicken is cooked through.
• The sauce reduces the longer it simmers so if you prefer a thicker sauce cook longer, for a thinner sauce just cook until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
• If you want the sauce to thicken more reduce the heat and simmer over low until the desired thickness is reached.

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