Description
Firecracker Chicken is a spicy and sweet baked chicken dish featuring tender chicken pieces coated in a crispy cornstarch crust, tossed in a zesty buffalo sauce with brown sugar and red pepper flakes, then baked to perfection and garnished with fresh green onions. Perfect for a flavorful main course with a kick.
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 and prepare pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Season and coat chicken. Place the chicken pieces on a plate, season them evenly with salt and pepper, then sprinkle cornstarch over the chicken and toss to coat all pieces thoroughly.
- Dip chicken in egg. Dip each cornstarch-coated chicken piece into the beaten eggs ensuring full coverage.
- Fry the chicken. Heat the vegetable oil over high heat in a large pan. Add the chicken in a single layer and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Work in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding.
- Arrange chicken in pan. Transfer the browned chicken pieces into the prepared 9"x13" baking pan in a single layer.
- Mix and pour sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together buffalo hot sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes until well combined. Pour this sauce evenly over the chicken in the baking pan.
- Bake to finish. Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, stirring the chicken once halfway through to coat pieces evenly with the sauce.
- Garnish and serve. Remove from the oven, top with sliced green onions, and serve hot for a flavorful and spicy main dish.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, ensure the chicken is coated evenly with cornstarch before frying.
- If you prefer less heat, reduce or omit the red pepper flakes.
- Rice vinegar adds a nice tang but can be substituted with apple cider vinegar if unavailable.
- Use a non-stick or well-seasoned pan for frying to prevent sticking.
- Make sure to toss the chicken halfway through baking to evenly distribute the sauce and prevent burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg
