Description
Firecracker Chicken is a flavorful and spicy baked chicken recipe featuring a sticky, tangy sauce made from garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. This easy-to-make dish delivers a perfect balance of sweet heat and savory depth, ideal for a quick weeknight dinner or meal prep.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 4 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless, about 1 1/2 lbs)
Firecracker Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (fresh, chopped)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (such as Sriracha)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (ground)
Optional Garnish
- 1 green onion (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon parsley (fresh, chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it is hot enough for baking the chicken quickly and evenly.
- Make the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, chopped ginger, olive oil, low sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, and ground black pepper until fully combined to create the firecracker sauce.
- Prepare Chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour half the firecracker sauce over the chicken, brushing the sauce evenly over the entire surface of each breast. Flip the chicken over and pour the remaining sauce on top. Brush or spoon the sauce from the pan all over the chicken to ensure thorough coating.
- Bake Chicken: Transfer the baking dish, uncovered, to the preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until the chicken breasts are cooked through, completely opaque, and reach an internal temperature between 165 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer. Adjust baking time as needed depending on thickness.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped green onion and fresh parsley if desired. Serve alongside your favorite side dishes such as rice, slaw, or roasted vegetables to complement the sticky, sweet, and spicy sauce.
Notes
- Adjusting Spice: Reduce the red pepper flakes and hot sauce for a milder dish, or double them for more heat.
- Chicken Options: While breasts cook fastest, thighs or drumsticks can be used—just add extra baking time and ensure the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Make Ahead: Mix the sauce and marinate the chicken up to one day in advance. You can bake the chicken straight from the refrigerator; add 5 more minutes of baking time.
- Freezing: Freeze either baked or unbaked chicken for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven for best results.
- Serving Ideas: Pair with rice, coleslaw, or roasted vegetables to soak up the delicious sticky sweet-spicy sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce (about 6 oz)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
