The Soccer Mom Blog logo

The Soccer Mom Blog

  • Family
    • Easy DIY & Craft Ideas
    • For The Home
    • Holiday Fun for Families
    • Houston Events for Kids & Family
    • Parenting Tips
    • Saving Money
    • Travel
  • Food
  • For Moms
    • Beauty Tips for Moms
    • Fitness & Healthy Lifestyle
    • Motherhood
    • Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
  • Kids Activities
    • Kids Activities and Crafts
    • How to Make Slime
    • Edible Slime
    • All Slime Recipes
  • Start a Blog
  • Work With Me
  • About
    • About Me
    • What’s New
  • SHOP
  • Privacy
Home » Recipes » Meal Types » Main Dishes » Instant Pot Firecracker Chicken

April 28, 2020 · Updated September 4, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Instant Pot Firecracker Chicken

Chicken· Instant Pot· Main Dishes· Recipes

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

A tantalizing dish of crispy chicken coated in a sweet and spicy Asian-inspired sauce. Who needs takeout when you can make delicious copycat Firecracker Chicken at home in your Instant Pot?!

Crispy Firecracker Chicken with peppers and snow peas

Copycat Firecracker Chicken Recipe

One thing I’ve been missing lately is takeout!

My husband loves to cook (which is one of the reasons I married him LOL) and can make a lot of different types of food. He’s actually pretty good at making copycat versions of our restaurant favorites, like Chicken Pad Thai and Mexican Pizza.

What’s next on the list??

Firecracker Chicken!!

Not gonna lie…I love me some crispy fried chicken in sweet sauce. Add a little spice and some rice and I’m in heaven!!

This Instant Pot Firecracker Chicken is the perfect thing if you’ve been hankering for your favorite takeout dish. It’s made with simple ingredients and couldn’t be easier!

close-up of firecracker chicken

What is Firecracker Chicken?

There are a couple different versions of firecracker chicken, with the main difference being whether the meat is baked or fried.

Actually, you can use any type of meat you like! Shrimp, beef, even salmon!

It’s the addictive sauce that makes Firecracker chicken so special — the perfect blend of sweet and spicy and a little bit sticky.

What’s in Firecracker Chicken Sauce?

There may be variations, but usually Firecracker Chicken sauce Crispy chicken consists of buffalo sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar and red pepper.

Sweet, spicy, tangy, and a little sour — one taste and you’ll be craving it again and again!

bowl of crispy Asian-style chicken with veggies

For your convenience I’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products used to make this recipe; disclosure policy available here.

What You Need to Make Firecracker Chicken

  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Corn flour
  • All-purpose flour
  • Eggs
  • Olive oil
  • Buffalo sauce
  • Brown sugar
  • Rice vinegar
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Green onions
  • Snow peas
  • Red pepper
  • Onion

Kitchen Tools Used:

  • Instant Pot
  • Non-slip mixing bowls

Firecracker chicken and vegetables

How to Prep:

  1. Cut chicken into 1″ chunks
  2. Dredge in egg wash and cornstarch/flour mixture
  3. Sauté in wok for 5 minutes.
  4. Chop veggies and sauté in Instant Pot for 5 minutes.
  5. Mix together sauce ingredients in small bowl.

sliced veggies next to Instant pot

Once everything is prepped, simply toss together in the Instant Pot, seal, and cook on Manual High for 4 minutes.

A free printable copy of this recipe and full ingredients list is available at the bottom of the blog post.

Can I Make This Recipe without an Instant Pot?

Absolutely!

An Instant Pot is a great tool because it helps cook chicken perfectly, retaining its natural juices so it is tender and delicious. Our version of Firecracker chicken has all the flavor of fried, without as much oil or calories.

However, if you prefer (or don’t have an Instant Pot) you can deep-fry in a Dutch oven or large frying pot. Drop chicken in oil for about 5 minutes. You may need to do it in batches as to not lower the temperature of the oil too much.

Instant Pot Firecracker Chicken Recipe

Firecracker Chicken Recipe (Printable Copy)

If you liked this recipe, please rate it! We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Instant Pot Firecracker Chicken

A tantalizing dish of crispy chicken coated in a sweet and spicy Asian-inspired sauce. Who needs takeout when you can make delicious copycat Firecracker Chicken at home in your Instant Pot?!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: chicken, copycat, Instant Pot
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 291kcal
Author: Stacey aka the Soccer Mom

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 1 ¼ pounds chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • ⅓ cup corn flour
  • ⅓ cup flour
  • 3 eggs beaten
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup green onions sliced
  • ¼ cup snow peas
  • ¼ cup red pepper sliced
  • ½ onion sliced

Sauce Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup buffalo sauce
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Trim and cut chicken breasts into 1″ to 1.5″ chunks and set aside.
  • Create a dredging station with one bowl of beaten eggs and one bowl of flour and cornflour.
  • Dip each piece of chicken in egg wash, then roll in flour coating.
  • Cook chicken using an Air Fryer (5 minutes at 400°F) or by pan-frying in a wok or skillet with 4TB oil. You don't want to cook the chicken all the way through, as it will finish cooking in the Instant Pot.
  • Add olive oil and the veggies to the Instant Pot on the Sauté setting (high). Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, then add the chicken to the Instant Pot.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together buffalo sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar and red pepper flakes. Pour sauce over chicken and toss to combine.
  • Turn off the Instant Pot or press "cancel."
  • Place the lid on the Instant Pot and seal. Turn on Manual for 4 minutes.
  • When done cooking, release the pressure from the Instant Pot, remove the lid and enjoy!

Notes

Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate only; actual values will vary based on the exact ingredients used and amount of recipe prepared.

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 558mg | Potassium: 458mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 452IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

You might also like:

How to make Chinese sweet & sour pork in the Instant Pot

Instant Pot Sweet & Sour Pork

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Stacey is the creator of The Soccer Mom Blog, a Houston Texas mom blog that focuses on positive living for women and families. She loves to share real food recipes, money-saving tips, parenting encouragement, kids activities, DIY tutorials, home hacks, fitness, and so much more! To get to know Stacey even better, click here.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Latest posts by Stacey aka the Soccer Mom (see all)
  • Cowboy Caviar - March 24, 2023
  • Bunny Bait - March 22, 2023
  • 20 Thrifty Kitchen Hacks - March 21, 2023

Share this post:

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
Previous Post: « Magic Math Activity
Next Post: DIY Garden Markers with Cricut Joy »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar


Hi there, my name is Stacey and I'm so glad you're here! I created this site to be a positive resource for moms and families. If it's your first time, I recommend that you click HERE to see what The Soccer Mom Blog is all about!
email facebook Pinterest Instagram twitter

Search the Blog:

Footer

Posts You Might Like

  • homemade ant killer
  • edible slime
  • how to make slime with contact solution
  • hair tourniquet

Popular Posts

  • Bob Marley Cocktail
  • Edible Pudding Slime – Only 3 Ingredients!
  • Homemade Dog Treats
  • Copy Cat Nutter Butter Recipe

The Soccer Mom Blog

  • About Me
  • Work With Me
  • Shop
  • Disclosure

The Soccer Mom Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Love the fonts you see? I found some of them here and you can too!

Copyright © 2023 · The Soccer Mom Blog · Design by Monique B Designs

49 shares