Description
Firecracker Chicken is a spicy and sweet dish featuring tender chicken pieces coated in a crispy cornstarch crust, tossed in a zesty buffalo-style sauce with a kick of red pepper flakes. Baked to perfection and garnished with fresh green onions, this dish offers a perfect balance of heat and sweetness, ideal for a flavorful main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2 eggs beaten
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Sauce
- 1/3 cup buffalo hot sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Prep the Oven and Pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 9″x13″ pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Season and Coat the Chicken. Place the chicken pieces on a plate and season with salt and pepper evenly. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken pieces and toss to coat thoroughly.
- Dip in Egg. Dip each cornstarch-coated piece into the beaten eggs, ensuring all sides are covered.
- Pan-Fry the Chicken. Heat the vegetable oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until they turn golden brown. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
- Arrange Chicken in Baking Pan. Transfer the browned chicken pieces to the prepared 9″x13″ pan, arranging in a single layer.
- Make the Sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the buffalo hot sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes until well combined.
- Bake with Sauce. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken pieces in the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, stirring once halfway through to ensure the chicken is fully coated with the sauce.
- Garnish and Serve. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with sliced green onions, and serve hot for a deliciously spicy main course.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, pat chicken dry before coating with cornstarch to remove excess moisture.
- Adjust red pepper flakes to control the heat level according to your taste preference.
- Use gluten-free cornstarch and hot sauce to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Substitute vegetable oil with avocado oil or canola oil for a healthier fat option.
- Leftovers can be reheated in a skillet or oven to maintain crispiness rather than in a microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
