Description
Firecracker Chicken is a spicy and sweet dish featuring crispy, battered chicken pieces tossed in a flavorful buffalo hot sauce glaze. Perfectly baked to combine tangy, spicy, and sweet notes, this dish is great for an exciting main course that’s sure to impress.
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
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Prepare Chicken: Place the chicken pieces on a plate and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle cornstarch evenly over the chicken pieces and toss well to ensure each piece is coated.
- Dip in Egg: Dip each cornstarch-coated chicken piece into the beaten eggs, fully covering them.
- Fry Chicken: Heat vegetable oil over high heat in a large pan. In batches, place the chicken in a single layer and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Arrange Chicken: Transfer the fried chicken pieces into the prepared baking pan in a single layer.
- Mix Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together buffalo hot sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes until smooth and combined.
- Bake with Sauce: Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken in the pan. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, stirring once halfway through to ensure every piece is coated well with the sauce.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the chicken from the oven, sprinkle with sliced green onions, and serve hot.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to control the spice level to your preference.
- If you prefer a gluten-free option, substitute cornstarch with tapioca starch or rice flour.
- Use vegetable oil with a high smoke point for frying to get a crispy texture.
- Stirring halfway through baking helps the sauce to evenly coat the chicken pieces and enhances flavor absorption.
- This dish pairs well with steamed rice or a fresh green salad for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
