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–+ servings
A bed of rice topped with Firecracker Chicken with sliced green onions on top.
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Firecracker Chicken

This Firecracker Chicken is made with extra crispy fried chicken breast or thighs that are tossed in a flavorful Firecracker sauce and baked to perfection. This restaurant-worthy meal tastes even better than takeout!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 703kcal
Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
  • Salt/Pepper
  • 3 eggs whisked
  • 1 cup vegetable oil plus more as needed
  • ¾ cup cornstarch

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
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside.
  • Cut the chicken into 2-inch pieces and pat completely dry. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Whisk the eggs vigorously in a medium bowl, until small air pockets have developed and it’s very uniform in color. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
  • Heat 1 cup vegetable oil over medium-high heat to 365 degrees. Just before frying, coat the first batch of chicken with cornstarch, then briefly dip each back into the whisked eggs.
  • Fry the chicken in batches, leaving room around each to ensure the edges get crispy. Flip once the bottom of the chicken is light brown and crisp, about 3-4 minutes per side. Make small adjustments to the heat (up or down) throughout cooking as needed. Add a little more oil as needed throughout cooking.
  • Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the chicken and place on wire cooling racks so that the bottom stays crispy. Place wax or parchment paper underneath the racks to catch excess grease.
  • Once all of the chicken has been fried, add the chicken to the large bowl with the sauce and gently toss to coat. Transfer to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
  • Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and gently toss to coat the chicken with the sauce. Bake for 10 more minutes.
  • Remove and garnish with green onions. Serve with white rice or vegetable fried rice.

Notes

Pro Tips
  • Make sure the oil is sufficiently heated before adding the chicken, the chicken should start frying immediately once it hits the oil. This ensures that the outer coating will stay on the chicken, making it nice and crispy.
  • Peanut Oil can be used for frying as well, it adds a nice flavor that pairs well with this recipe.
  • I use Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce for this recipe.
  • A pinch of Red Pepper Flakes can be added to the sauce as well for an additional kick.
  • This recipe is great with a side of rice. The notes section of the recipe card includes instructions for how I make perfectly cooked rice every time.
  • Leftovers make a great pizza topping with some blue cheese or ranch dressing drizzled on top. It’s similar to buffalo chicken pizza, but with more tang. Try it on some Naan Pizza! And Try my Orange Chicken recipe next!
  • 📘 Find this recipe on page 105 of my 2nd cookbook, Let’s Eat!
Making Perfectly Cooked Rice:
I love serving this with 3 cups of white long grain rice. Here is how I make it:
  • Bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil.
  • Add 1 cup of white long grain rice and let the liquid come back up to a boil.
  • Cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. 
  • Remove from heat and let it stand in the pot for 10 minutes with the lid on, any rice stuck to the bottom will release.
  • This yields 3 cups of flavorful, perfectly cooked rice. I use a Dutch oven for this which conducts heat well.
  • Note that other varieties of rice may require different liquid measurements and/or cooking times.
Storage
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • To Freeze:
  • To Reheat:
    • The chicken can be reheated from a thawed state in the microwave or in a lightly greased, covered casserole dish at 350° for 20 minutes or so, or until heated through.
    • The rice can also be microwaved or reheated in a lightly greased foil packet in the oven for 10 minutes or so.
  • The nutritional facts include 3 whole whisked eggs, 3/4 cup cornstarch, and assume a whole cup of vegetable oil is used. It is likely that there is much less of each that is actually consumed. 

Nutrition

Calories: 703kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 22g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 1267mg | Potassium: 514mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 261IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg