Description
Firecracker Chicken is a spicy and sweet main course dish featuring crispy chicken pieces coated in a tangy buffalo sauce with a hint of brown sugar and red pepper flakes, finished with fresh green onions. It's perfect for those who enjoy bold and fiery flavors in a comforting baked chicken recipe.
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
Garnish
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- Cooking spray for pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and coat a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Prepare chicken: Place the chicken pieces on a plate and season them with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over the chicken and toss to coat each piece thoroughly.
- Dip in eggs: Dip each cornstarch-coated chicken piece into the beaten eggs, ensuring they are fully covered.
- Cook chicken: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer without overcrowding and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Cook in batches if necessary to maintain crispiness.
- Arrange in pan: Place the cooked chicken pieces in a single layer in the prepared 9"x13" baking pan.
- Make sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the buffalo hot sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes until well combined.
- Bake chicken: Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken in the baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes, stirring once halfway through baking to coat the chicken evenly with the sauce.
- Garnish and serve: Once baked, sprinkle sliced green onions over the top. Serve hot as a flavorful and spicy main dish.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, you can double-dip the chicken first in cornstarch, then egg, then cornstarch again before frying.
- Adjust red pepper flakes according to your preferred spice level.
- If buffalo sauce is unavailable, substitute with hot sauce mixed with melted butter for a similar flavor.
- Use an oil with high smoke point like vegetable or canola for frying to prevent burning.
- Leftover Firecracker Chicken reheats well in the oven to maintain the sauce's texture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
