Panda Express Firecracker Chicken Recipe

Panda express dishes are always my favorite, especially their chicken dishes. Remember the panda express honey sesame chicken I shared a few days ago? Whoever tried that chicken thanked me as this dish was unavailable at panda express and getting authentic panda express recipes is quite difficult.

Today I am here with the panda express firecracker chicken recipe that is also not on the list of panda express anymore.  

This firecracker chicken was a very popular staple takeout of panda express.  They are made with crispy fried chicken and sauteed veggies tossed in a sweet and hot secret sauce that gives it a delicious fiery flavor. It’s definitely something sure to leave your taste buds tingling with anticipation. 

So, if you don’t want to miss out on these chicken chunks, scroll down and learn the recipe

How To Make Panda Express Firecracker Chicken Copycat

Recipe by Lindsay G. Cabral

0.0 from 0 votes

Cuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

0

minutes

Panda express crispy chicken firecrackers are a great way to get your family together and enjoy some delicious chicken without having to spend hours in the kitchen! And if you want to fry the chicken in lots of oil, you can do so.

Use an oven or air fryer and fry the chicken. This will make the chicken much healthier than before. Then fry the veggies in sesame oil, and finally, toss everything in the panda express sauce. Let’s explore the full recipe below.

Firecracker Chicken Panda Express Ingredients

• 2 pounds of chicken breasts  

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• Ingredients For Vegetable

• 2  teaspoons black beans

• 1 red bell pepper

• 1 yellow bell pepper

• 6 pieces whole dry chili pepper

• 1/2 white onion

• 3 green onions

• 1 teaspoon ginger

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 teaspoon red chili pepper

• 1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

• Ingredients For Sauce

• 1 tablespoon rice wine

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/2 cup water

• Tools You Will Need

• Skillet

• Mixing bowls

• Spatula 

• Hand whisk

• Serving plate

Seven Simple Steps To Make Panda Express Firecracker Chicken

•  Coat The Chicken: In a mixing bowl, beat the egg well and keep it aside. In another bowl take flour, spread it well, and keep it aside too.
  Now take the chicken breast, ensure the chicken is skin and boneless, and cut them into 1” chunks. Take the pieces of chicken, coat it in flour, then dip it in beaten egg, and coat again in flour. Like this coat, all the chicken pieces and remove excess flour and keep them in a separate bowl.
  
•  Fry The Chicken: Fill a large skillet with ½ cup of vegetable oil or any cooking oil. Turn on the stove and wait until the oil is smokey hot.  Then place the chicken pieces in the skillet keeping enough space, and fry on low- medium heat. Flip the chicken after every 2 minutes and fry until golden brown or crisp enough. Fry all the chicken pieces in a few batches. Place a kitchen tissue on a plate, take out the chicken pieces and keep them here, so excess oil is absorbed. Or keep the chicken pieces in a cooling rack to eliminate excess oil.
• Fry The Vegetables: Next, dice the bell papers into 1-inch chunks just like the chicken, and mince the garlic and ginger. Thinly slice the green onions and ½ inch wedge the white onion and keep aside. 
  Take a wok, pour two tablespoons of sesame oil, and set the heat at medium-high. Wait until the oil is smokey hot. Add the whole pieces of dry chili peppers, minced garlic and ginger and fry for 10 seconds. then the.
  Next, add sliced onions, bell pepper chunks, and two teaspoons of beans. Give it a good mix and stirr cook until the vegetables soften.
  
• Add The Chicken :  Its time to add the fried chicken to the fried vegetables. Lower the heat low to medium, add the chicken pieces and give it a good mix. Pour half cup of Thai chili sauce and give it a good mix. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
  
• Make The Sauce: In another mixing bowl, take one tablespoon of rice wine, two tablespoons of soy sauce, one tablespoon of oyster sauce, one teaspoon of sugar, one tablespoon of cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and ½ cup of water. Now mix it with a hand whisk at high speed until everything is mixed well.
  
• Cook: Finally, Pour the sauce into the fried vegetable and chicken, and give it a good mix. Stir and cook for  2 minutes on low flame until chicken and veggies are stick with the sauce. Use some toasted or regular sesame for garnishing. Spread all over the chicken and veggies and give it a toss. That’s all; the panda express firecracker chicken is ready to serve. 
  
• Serve And Store: Pour the dish in a serving bowl, take your plate and serve as much as you need with steamed rice, tortillas, or whatever you want. You can also pair it up with macaroni, or salad.  Garnish with some freshly sliced onion, or let it be as it is. If some chicken is left, you can store them in an airtight bag or container in the fridge for up to four days.

Recipe Video

Tips and Tricks:

• Juicy meat is essential to get perfect tender yet crispy fries. So whether you use chicken, beef, or pork, take the juicy part of the meat. 
• Cutting the meat also decides how crispy it will be. Always cut the meat against the grain in thin pieces.
• You must use sesame oil to make the sauce if you want the authentic panda express flavor. You may think it’s just oil, but it is the dish’s star. Sesame oil enhances the flavor a lot. 
• You can add a few more veggies, like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, etc, to make this dish more flavorful and healthy. 

If you want a mild flavor, reduce the number of dry chili peppers used to make this dish. But if you love panda express spicy chicken, you can add two more chili peppers. 

Why Should You Try Panda Express Firecracker Chicken

The Panda Express restaurant is known for its innovative and daring menu items, and its Firecracker Chicken is one of its most popular dishes. It’s super spicy. If you love hot and spicy dishes, it is sure to excite your taste buds. When you put this on your mouth you can feel an explosion of deliciousness in your mouth. Especially during the festival season.  

And if chicken is the king of this dish, veggies are the queen. Colorful veggies make this dish look awesome, and increase its health benefits. While chicken is rich in protein and omega-3, bell peppers contain vitamin A and C and boast lycopene which is a potent antioxidant. And Chili peppers provide antioxidants such as capsaicin which helps in reducing inflammation. 

So, if you’re looking for something special and easy for your next dining experience, then Panda Express definitely has you covered with their firecracker Chicken dish!

Panda Express Firecracker Chicken Nutrition Facts

Conclusion

If spice is your thing, then you’ll love Panda Express’ Firecracker. These chickens are tossed in a sauce made with a blend of spices that will leave your mouth burning and your taste buds tingling. And the great thing is you can whip up these in a short period of time with minimal effort. 

We hope you enjoyed reading the Panda Express firecracker chicken recipe. Now that you have got a detailed guide on how to make this amazing chicken dish at home, make sure to try it out soon!