This sweet and spicy Firecracker Chicken is the best weeknight dinner! Serve it with rice and sauteed zucchini for a complete meal.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken breasts – you could also make this recipe using chicken thighs.
- Eggs – use mayonnaise or buttermilk to coat the chicken if you don't have any eggs.
- Cornstarch – flour or potato starch would also be good.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Zucchini – serve with another veggie like bell peppers or carrots.
- Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best substitutes here.
- White rice – serve with any kind of rice of your choice like brown rice or jasmine rice.
- Green onions – scallions or diced white onions would be good too.
- Sesame seeds – garnish with white and/or black sesame seeds.
Firecracker sauce
- Sweet chili sauce – make your own sweet chili sauce using a combination of honey and hot sauce.
- Buffalo sauce – I like using Frank's Red Hot, but any buffalo sauce will work.
- Rice vinegar – apple cider vinegar is the best substitute here.
- Sriracha – adjust the amount of sriracha based on your spice tolerance. Sambal Oelek would also work.
How to make firecracker chicken
Step 1: Make the rice.
Cook the rice in a rice cooker or in a pot on the stovetop.
Step 2: Coat the chicken.
Dip the chicken in egg, then coat it in cornstarch.
Step 3: Cook the chicken.
Add the coated chicken to a skillet and cook for 5 minutes per side. Once cooked, drain on a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt and pepper. Cook the zucchini in the same skillet with a bit of soy sauce while the chicken drains.
Step 4: Make the sauce.
Mix together the sweet chili sauce, buffalo sauce, rice vinegar and sriracha to make the firecracker sauce. Microwave until heated through and slightly thickened.
Step 5: Toss the cooked chicken in the sauce.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Garnish the chicken with sesame seeds and green onions, then serve with the rice and cooked zucchini.
What to serve with firecracker chicken
I like to serve my firecracker chicken with a side of white rice and zucchini sautéed in soy sauce. If you're looking for more side dish options, here are some ideas:
- Cauliflower rice for a low-carb option
- Steamed broccoli (make it in the Instant Pot or the microwave)
- Kale salad or arugula salad
- Citrus slaw
- Mashed potatoes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can make the sauce up to one week ahead of time and store it in a mason jar or glass bowl in the fridge. When you're ready to use it, heat it up in the microwave then toss it with the cooked chicken.
I like using Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce, but you can use any buffalo sauce of your choice. You can even try making your own homemade buffalo sauce using a combination of hot sauce, butter, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne and garlic.
You can definitely use this sauce for other protein options! You can try tossing this crispy air fryer tofu in the sauce and try out my firecracker shrimp recipe for a shrimp version of this dish.
Firecracker chicken definitely has a bit of a kick to it! If you're not a fan of spice, cut down on the amount of sriracha you add to the sauce and use a mild buffalo sauce.
Storing and reheating
This firecracker chicken recipe is great for meal prep! You can store the chicken, zucchini and rice in glass meal prep bowls in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you're ready to enjoy, sprinkle some water over top of the chicken and rice so it doesn't dry out, then microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through. You could also reheat the chicken separately in a skillet on the stovetop to get the chicken nice and crispy again.
Freezing this recipe
You can freeze firecracker chicken for up to 3 months in glass bowls or Ziploc bags. Once the chicken has cooled, transfer it to the containers and freeze. To reheat, defrost the chicken in the fridge overnight then reheat it in a pan on the stovetop or in the microwave. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, and serve with fresh rice and veggies!
Meal Prep Tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls to pack up your weekly lunches.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
- **Get my full list of tools here**
Firecracker Chicken {Best Ever!}
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts diced into 1-inch pieces
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cornstarch
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 zucchini chopped
- 1-2 tsp soy sauce
Firecracker sauce
- 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/4 cup buffalo sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sriracha
Rice
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup white rice
For garnish
- 4 green onions
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Add rice and water to a rice cooker or pot on the stove and cook until liquid has absorbed.
- Add cornstarch to a bowl, then whisk eggs in another bowl. Dip chicken in egg, then coat in cornstarch.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add coated chicken to skillet, cooking for 5 minutes per side. Add to a paper towel lined plate to get rid of excess oil, seasoning with salt & pepper.
- Meanwhile, heat a bit of olive oil in a medium skillet over med-high heat and saute zucchini with a bit of soy sauce and salt & pepper for 6-7 minutes until tender.
- While chicken and zucchini cooks, mix together sauce ingredients in a large bowl. Microwave for 2-3 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened. Toss cooked chicken in sauce.
- Divide rice, sauced up chicken and sauteed zucchini among 4 plates or meal prep bowls, then serve and enjoy!
Share With Me!
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