I’m all about simple, one-skillet chicken dinners that don’t break the bank, deliver big flavor, and can win over any crowd. This Firecracker Chicken is my easy spin on the Chinese takeout favorite, and it’s a real winner in my house! The chicken gets its crispy coating from a seasoned corn starch mix, and then I toss it in a sweet, tangy, and just-spicy-enough sauce that’s totally addictive. It’s bold, balanced, and SO much cheaper than takeout. I usually serve my firecracker chicken with rice or stir-fried veggies, but I’ve definitely been known to eat it straight from the skillet with a fork!
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Easy Firecracker Chicken Recipe
Firecracker chicken is a sweet, spicy, and tangy Chinese-American takeout dish that’s surprisingly simple to make at home. I use bite-sized chicken pieces tossed in seasoned corn starch (no eggs needed) and pan-fried until golden and crisp. The sauce comes together in the same skillet with buffalo sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for extra heat. I think this recipe is every bit as satisfying as takeout, and it’s super beginner-friendly, too.
Firecracker Chicken
Servings 4 servings (about 6oz per serving)Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces (1.5lb, 680g) $4.01)
- ½ cup corn starch ($0.48)
- 1 tsp garlic powder ($0.06)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.04)
- 1 tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.16)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (divided $0.17*)
- ½ cup buffalo sauce ($1.04)
- ½ cup brown sugar ($0.24)
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar ($0.04)
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes ($0.01)
Instructions
- Gather and prepare all ingredients.
- Place the chicken, cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into a ziplock bag. Seal and gently shake to coat every piece of chicken.
- Using a medium-sized skillet, warm 2 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, carefully place each piece of chicken in the skillet. Work in two batches, so you don't overcrowd. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on one side until golden.
- Flip the pieces over and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet. Add the remaining oil and continue cooking all the chicken until it is done, then remove it from the skillet and set aside.
- Pour the buffalo sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and red pepper flakes into the skillet. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is thick, 2 minutes.
- Place the chicken back in the skillet and stir to coat in the sauce and warm through.
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Equipment
- Medium Skillet
- Ziplock Bag
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Firecracker Chicken step-by-step photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Season the chicken: Add 2 diced chicken breasts to a ziplock bag along with ½ cup corn starch, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper. Seal the bag completely and gently shake to coat the chicken in the corn starch and seasonings.
Cook the chicken: Warm 2 Tbsp of oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, carefully place each piece of chicken in the skillet, but do not overcrowd the skillet (work in two batches if needed). Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on one side until golden.
If the pan becomes dry and the chicken begins to burn, you can add more oil and turn down the heat if needed.
Then, flip the chicken over and cook for a further 3-4 minutes on the other side. Remove the first batch of chicken from the skillet and set aside. Add the remaining oil and repeat the cooking process with the remaining pieces of chicken. Set aside once cooked.
Make the sauce: Add ½ cup buffalo sauce, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes to the same skillet you cooked the chicken in. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
Combine the chicken and sauce: Now add the chicken back to the pan and stir to coat it in the sauce.
Once the chicken is warmed through and combined with the sauce, your homemade firecracker chicken is done! Serve and enjoy. I topped mine with sliced green onions and served it with rice, but this is optional.
Recipe Success Tips!
- Don’t overcrowd the pan, and cook in batches! To make sure the chicken can crisp up nicely, I cook my chicken in batches. This allows each piece of chicken to sear, not steam.
- Add more oil if your pan dries out. The corn starch coating on the chicken adds a nice light crispness, but it also soaks up the oil as it cooks. If your skillet starts looking dry or the chicken starts to burn, don’t hesitate to add a little more oil or lower the heat to keep things from sticking. I find the second batch of chicken is more prone to this as the pan is already hot from cooking the first batch.
- Cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces. Doing this helps everything cook at the same rate. I cut mine into 1-inch-sized pieces and recommend you do the same. If you’re unsure, you can always check the doneness of your chicken with a meat thermometer. It’s ready once the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Customize the spice level. You can absolutely dial back the heat to suit your taste. Use less buffalo sauce if you prefer things milder, and feel free to leave out the red pepper flakes altogether. It’ll still be packed with flavor!
Serving Suggestions
This homemade firecracker chicken is basically made for serving with rice. I love it with our sesame rice, but any plain white or jasmine rice will do the trick. Add some quick stir-fried vegetables on the side, and you’ve got a better-than-takeout dinner that’s easy enough for any day of the week! Leftovers are also delish stuffed into a wrap for lunch the next day.
Storage & Reheating
Let any leftovers cool before storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat your leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a little water to the skillet to loosen the firecracker chicken sauce if needed. You can also freeze your firecracker chicken for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Okay, I’ve never really bought into hype for recipes. I always try to make it my own and screw up the recipe (I’m not a good cook). I followed the measurements exactly here and this dish was SO GOOD! Better than takeout. I’m making it for the second week in a row lol
Amazing. Served with random stuff from my pantry and it was wonderful. My husband recommended adding peppers and onions next time.
Can you use an airfryer to do the chicken?
Made this recipe over some basmati rice, it was BOMB. Perfect amount of sweet and spicy. Reminds me of Chinese takeout. I did sprinkle some MSG as I was cooking the chicken so that helps. Absolutely delicious and will be adding to our regular rotation! A real winner from Melissa here :) My favorite dish I make now, and that’s saying a LOT.
The only difference is I changed the ingredients since I only need two servings and had 1 pound of chicken, I’ll put those here for ease of access:
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• ¾ tsp garlic powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• ½ cup buffalo sauce (I used Frank’s)
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• ~⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 shakes of msg while cooking the chicken (probably 1/4 tsp? 1/2 tsp max)
Hi Kyle,
There’s a Servings tool just above the recipe which can be used to increase or decrease quantities. The default for this recipe is 4 servings. Changing it to 2 servings updates the ingredients list to the appropriate quantities for 2 people. Changing the serving number only updates the ingredients list.
So delicious! I often find that when people say something is as good than takeout, it’s really an exaggeration, but this seriously was just as good as takeout. The combination of flavors in the sauce was perfect.
Saw this recipe, realized all the ingredients were thinks we usually have on hand anyway. Amazing flavor and a good amount of heat. Definitely making it into our rotation
This was excellent! My picky husband went back for thirds. Paired with steamed rice gave the perfect balance
This was great and had a nice amount of heat! I also added some edamame, and next time I think I’ll do 1.5x the sauce recipe just because we like to add some sauce to the rice. We’ll for sure be making this again!