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?!
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!
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!
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:
How to Prep:
- Cut chicken into 1″ chunks
- Dredge in egg wash and cornstarch/flour mixture
- Sauté in wok for 5 minutes.
- Chop veggies and sauté in Instant Pot for 5 minutes.
- Mix together sauce ingredients in small bowl.
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.
Firecracker Chicken Recipe (Printable Copy)
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Instant Pot Firecracker Chicken
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
Nutrition
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