Description
A spicy and sweet Firecracker Chicken dish featuring crispy chicken pieces tossed in a tangy buffalo sauce with a hint of brown sugar and red pepper flakes, baked to perfection and garnished with fresh green onions.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2 eggs beaten
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Sauce
- 1/3 cup buffalo hot sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
Garnish
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray to prepare for baking the chicken.
- Prepare Chicken: Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cornstarch evenly over the chicken and toss to coat thoroughly.
- Dip Chicken: Dip each cornstarch-coated chicken piece into the beaten eggs ensuring they are fully coated.
- Pan Fry Chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over high heat. Cook the chicken pieces in a single layer for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding.
- Arrange for Baking: Transfer the browned chicken pieces into a single layer in the prepared baking pan.
- Make Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together buffalo hot sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes until well combined.
- Bake Chicken: Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the chicken in the baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes, stirring once halfway through to ensure all pieces are well coated with the sauce.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the dish from the oven, sprinkle sliced green onions on top, and serve immediately.
Notes
- For extra heat, increase the amount of red pepper flakes.
- Use gluten-free cornstarch to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Chicken thighs can be substituted for breasts for a juicier texture.
- To reduce oil usage, consider baking chicken pieces after coating instead of pan frying.
- This dish pairs well with steamed rice or a light salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
