Firecracker Chicken

5 from 2 votes

Firecracker is a copycat Chinese takeout staple that's insanely delicious, full of flavor, and will taste like you just picked it up from Panda Express.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Chinese

Keyword: Firecracker chicken recipe

Servings:

Calories: 330kcal

Ingredients

3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (approximately 2 to 2.5 pounds)
¾ cup cornstarch
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buffalo wing sauce (I used Frank’s brand)
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Garnish

¼ cup green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking tray with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
Prepare your chicken breast by cutting it into 1-inch pieces. Place your cut chicken pieces into a large shallow dish.
Sprinkle your cut chicken with the cornstarch and toss them to evenly coat all sides of the chicken. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk your eggs. Taking 3 to 4 pieces at a time and shaking off any excess cornstarch, gently toss your cornstarch-coated chicken pieces into the beaten eggs. Place the coated chicken pieces onto a large plate. Repeat until all of your chicken pieces are coated in the cornstarch and egg.
In a very large skillet, on medium-high heat, add your vegetable oil. Once your oil is hot (about 350°F), gently place ½ of your coated chicken pieces into the oil in a single layer. You want to make sure that the pieces are not touching and the skillet is not overcrowded.
You will cook your chicken on the first side for 1 to 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 1 minute. You are not trying to cook your chicken all the way through at this point. You are only very lightly frying the chicken so that your coated chicken will hold the sauce once cooked in the oven.
Once your chicken has lightly fried, remove it to a paper towel-lined tray and repeat until all the chicken is fried.
In a small bowl, you will make your sauce by whisking together the buffalo wing sauce, sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes.
Transfer your fried chicken pieces to the prepared rimmed baking tray. Make sure your chicken pieces are in a single layer.
Slowly and evenly, pour your sauce over the chicken pieces and gently toss to coat all the chicken.
Bake your sauce-coated chicken for 20 to 25 minutes. Once your chicken has cooked, give it another toss on the tray to make sure all your sauce is coating the chicken. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
Transfer your cooked chicken to a large serving dish, making sure to pour any extra sauce from the tray onto the top, and garnish with the chopped green onions and sesame seeds.

Notes

You may have to cook your chicken in 2 to 4 batches, depending on how big your skillet is.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your chicken at the lower end of the recommended cooking time.

Nutrition