Description
Firecracker Chicken is a crispy, flavorful dish featuring tender chicken pieces fried to perfection, then coated in a sweet and spicy buffalo sauce. Baked briefly to meld the flavors, this dish offers a perfect balance of heat and sweetness, ideal for serving with rice or vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 eggs, whisked
- ¾ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup vegetable oil (plus more as needed for frying)
Sauce
- ¾ cup buffalo sauce
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder (optional)
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare sauce: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a bowl, whisk together the buffalo sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, melted butter, soy sauce, garlic powder, chili powder, mustard powder, and salt until smooth and set aside.
- Prepare chicken: Cut the chicken into 2-inch pieces and pat them completely dry with paper towels. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper evenly.
- Egg wash: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously until small air bubbles form and the mixture is a uniform color. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat completely.
- Heat oil and coat chicken: Heat 1 cup of vegetable oil in a deep pan or skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 365°F (185°C). Just before frying, coat a batch of chicken pieces with cornstarch, then briefly dip each piece back into the egg wash to create a double coating.
- Fry chicken: Fry the chicken pieces in batches, ensuring space around each piece to crisp edges properly. Cook each side for about 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Adjust heat as necessary and add more oil if needed during frying.
- Drain and cool: Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried chicken pieces to wire cooling racks placed over wax or parchment paper to allow excess oil to drip off, keeping the chicken crispy underneath.
- Toss with sauce: After all the chicken is fried, place the pieces into the bowl with the prepared sauce and gently toss until evenly coated. Transfer the sauced chicken to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Bake the chicken: Bake the sauced chicken at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, gently toss the chicken again to coat with the sauce, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve: Remove from the oven, garnish with sliced green onions, and serve alongside white rice or vegetable fried rice for a complete meal.
Notes
- Patting the chicken dry is crucial to achieving a crispy crust during frying.
- Double coating with cornstarch and egg wash enhances the crispiness.
- If you prefer less spicy heat, reduce the amount of buffalo sauce or omit the chili powder.
- Use a wire rack to drain chicken to keep it crispy instead of using paper towels that can trap steam.
- Make sure oil temperature stays steady at 365°F for ideal frying results.
