Description
Firecracker Chicken is a quick and flavorful dish featuring crispy, golden chicken pieces coated in a spicy-sweet buffalo sauce. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, this recipe uses basic pantry staples to create a deliciously tangy and mildly spicy meal that serves four.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces, about 1.5 lb / 680 g)
- ½ cup corn starch
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (divided)
Sauce
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Gather and prepare all ingredients. Have all your ingredients measured and ready, and cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces for even cooking.
- Coat the chicken. Place the chicken pieces, corn starch, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper into a ziplock bag. Seal the bag and gently shake to evenly coat every piece of chicken with the seasoning and corn starch mixture.
- Cook the chicken in batches. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken pieces in a single layer without overcrowding. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side until golden brown.
- Finish cooking the chicken. Flip the chicken pieces and cook another 3-4 minutes until fully cooked and golden on all sides. Remove cooked chicken from the skillet and set aside. Add the remaining oil and repeat this process with the rest of the chicken.
- Make the sauce. In the same skillet, pour in the buffalo sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir continuously for about 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Combine chicken and sauce. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and stir well to coat each piece evenly with the spicy-sweet sauce. Warm through for another minute before serving.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, dredge chicken pieces twice in the cornstarch mixture before frying.
- Adjust crushed red pepper flakes according to your spice tolerance.
- Serve over rice or alongside steamed veggies for a complete meal.
- Use a non-stick or cast iron skillet for best results when frying chicken.
- Leftover chicken can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
