This Firecracker Chicken brings bold, spicy flavor! Crispy oven-baked bites are tossed in a glossy, sweet-and-spicy buffalo sauce that hits all the right notes. It’s a mash-up of sweet and sour chicken and classic buffalo wings, all lightened up for a healthier twist.
You’ll love how easy it is to make this 4 Point takeout-style dish right at home with smart swaps that don’t sacrifice taste. Want more flavor-packed WW-friendly meals? Be sure to check out our other Weight Watchers dinner recipes!
Recipe Overview
- Serving Size: 250 g.
- Number of Servings: 4
- Time to Cook: 40 minutes
- 4 WW Points Per Serving. You can view the recipe on the WW App here. (WW login required.)
Ingredients in Firecracker Chicken
For the Marinade:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder or fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- For the Chicken:
- 1½ lbs chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes (680 g)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (65 g)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (60 g)
For the Firecracker Sauce:
- ⅓ cup buffalo sauce (80 ml)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon stevia (or sweetener of choice)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup water
For Serving:
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- Cooked white rice or cauliflower rice
Instructions for making Firecracker Chicken
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the chicken cubes with salt, minced garlic, ginger powder, and soy sauce, mixing well to ensure every piece is evenly coated with the marinade. Let this sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the breading station.
- Crack the egg into the bowl with the marinated chicken and mix thoroughly until all pieces are well coated with the egg mixture. In a large plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the flour and panko breadcrumbs, shaking the container to mix them evenly.
- Add the egg-coated chicken pieces to the plastic container with the flour and breadcrumb mixture. Secure the lid tightly and shake vigorously in all directions for about 30 seconds, making sure every piece of chicken gets completely coated with the breading mixture. You should see each cube perfectly covered with the golden coating.
- Remove the breaded chicken pieces from the container and arrange them in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch each other to ensure even browning. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is golden brown, crispy, and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F/74°C).
- While the chicken is baking, prepare the firecracker sauce by whisking together buffalo sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, stevia, water and rice vinegar in a small saucepan. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry, then whisk this into the sauce mixture.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook the sauce, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until it thickens and becomes glossy. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon when ready. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Once the chicken is done baking, immediately transfer the hot, crispy pieces to a saucepan and mix with the warm firecracker sauce over them. Toss gently but thoroughly to ensure every piece is well coated with the shiny, flavorful sauce.
- Serve immediately over steamed white rice or cauliflower rice, garnished with chopped scallions and sesame seeds.
Tips and Tricks Section for Making Firecracker Chicken
If there’s one tip that will save you tons of time in the kitchen, it’s this: skip the traditional breading station. No more moving chicken pieces from flour to egg to breadcrumbs—one by one.
Instead, season your chicken cubes with salt, garlic, ginger, a splash of soy sauce, and crack in an egg. Then, combine your flour and breadcrumbs in a large plastic container with a lid. Add the chicken, cover, and shake vigorously until each piece is fully coated. Easy, fast, and mess-free!
When it comes to cooking, the air fryer gives the crispiest results if you have the patience to do small batches. Otherwise, the oven works just fine—just make sure it’s hot and prepped with parchment paper or cooking spray.
Finally, serve the chicken right away while it’s still crispy and saucy. It’s great over rice, cauliflower rice, or even roasted veggies. Just stick with mild-flavored sides so the bold, spicy Firecracker Chicken can really shine.
Related Recipes
Firecracker Chicken
Ingredients
For the Marinade:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder or fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
For the Chicken:
- 1½ lbs chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes (680 g)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, 65 g
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 60 g
For the Firecracker Sauce:
- ⅓ cup buffalo sauce, 80 ml
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon stevia, or sweetener of choice
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup water
For Serving:
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- Cooked white rice or cauliflower rice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the chicken cubes with salt, minced garlic, ginger powder, and soy sauce, mixing well to ensure every piece is evenly coated with the marinade. Let this sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the breading station.
- Crack the egg into the bowl with the marinated chicken and mix thoroughly until all pieces are well coated with the egg mixture. In a large plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the flour and panko breadcrumbs, shaking the container to mix them evenly.
- Add the egg-coated chicken pieces to the plastic container with the flour and breadcrumb mixture. Secure the lid tightly and shake vigorously in all directions for about 30 seconds, making sure every piece of chicken gets completely coated with the breading mixture. You should see each cube perfectly covered with the golden coating.
- Remove the breaded chicken pieces from the container and arrange them in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch each other to ensure even browning. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is golden brown, crispy, and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F/74°C).
- While the chicken is baking, prepare the firecracker sauce by whisking together buffalo sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, stevia, water and rice vinegar in a small saucepan. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry, then whisk this into the sauce mixture.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook the sauce, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until it thickens and becomes glossy. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon when ready. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Once the chicken is done baking, immediately transfer the hot, crispy pieces to a saucepan and mix with the warm firecracker sauce over them. Toss gently but thoroughly to ensure every piece is well coated with the shiny, flavorful sauce.
- Serve immediately over steamed white rice
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
