Sweet and Spicy Firecracker Chicken is a Chinese takeout staple! Make it at home in less time than ordering and delivery.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
I’m not sure you’ll find anything exactly like this cracker chicken if you actually travel to China. No, this is definitely an Americanized version of Chinese stir-fries!
What is firecracker chicken?
Firecracker chicken is lightly roasted on the stovetop and then baked with a simple flavorful sauce typically made with a mixture of buffalo sauce, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. (My favorite buffalo sauce? Frank’s or Sweet Baby Ray’s.)
The sauce bakes down to a glaze, and the resulting dish is a little crunchy and a little gooey, a little spicy and a little sweet. It’s in the same family as a sweet and sour chicken, but thanks to the buffalo sauce, it has more pizzazz.
Making the perfect gooey glaze
If you cook a lot, it might seem odd to bread the chicken in cornstarch and egg and then add it straight to the pan without the outer layer of breading on top of the chicken. But this mixture of egg and cornstarch forms a crust on the chicken that both thickens the sauce and helps it stick to the chicken.
An easy take-away meal at home
You can use either chicken breast or chicken thighs for this dish. Serve over cooked rice or lettuce.
It’s a winner for sure, and about as easy as making a Chinese takeout at home can be. Enjoy!
More easy Chinese recipes to try
- Ginger beef stir fry
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Quick and easy egg drop soup
- Ginger Sesame Garlic Prawns
- Pancakes with shallots
fireworks chicken
ingredients
- For the sauce:
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1/2 cup buffalo sauce, like Frank’s
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3/4 cup brown sugar
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2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- For the chicken:
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2/3 cup cornstarch
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1 teaspoon of salt
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1 teaspoon of black pepper
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1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
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3 large eggs
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1/2 cup vegetable oil
- Serve:
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Cooked rice
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Fresh green onions, green ends only, chopped
method
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Preheat the oven to 400°F and prepare the sauce:
Combine the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
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Prepare the chicken:
In a bowl or large plastic bag, mix together the cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat well.
Whisk the eggs in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Line a plate with kitchen paper. Arrange everything near your stove.
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Roast the chicken on the stove:
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat until a stream of water sizzles on contact.
Once the oil is hot, place the breaded chicken in the bowl with the eggs, tossing to coat well. Scoop out the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon, drain excess egg and place the chicken in the pan in an even layer.
Fry until a crust forms and the chicken is light brown in color, about 3 minutes per side. The chicken is not cooked through at this point.
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Sauce the chicken:
When the chicken is done, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on the paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
Pour into a 9×13 baking pan. Add sauce and mix.
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Bake chicken:
Bake the chicken for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure even cooking. When the chicken is done, it should be cooked through and the sauce will thicken and turn into a glaze that coats the chicken.
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Surcharge:
Serve chicken with cooked rice and spring onions.
