Sticky Firecracker Chicken is what happens when crispy chicken bites meet a sauce that absolutely refuses to behave. It’s sweet, tangy, garlicky, and aggressively spicy in the best possible way. In fact, it’s the kind of dinner that clears your sinuses while you’re still chewing. So, if your taste buds enjoy a little danger, congratulations, this recipe was made for you.

The sauce clings to every piece of chicken like it has something to prove. Between the sriracha, ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper, this skillet dinner comes in hot. Literally. You may start sweating halfway through dinner.

Sticky Firecracker Chicken is loaded with spicy heat and delicious flavors of ginger, sriracha, and garlic.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Fast enough for busy weeknights
Sweet heat with serious flavor
Sticky sauce that coats every bite
Better than takeout and way cheaper
Easy to adjust if your family thinks black pepper is “too spicy”
Great over rice, noodles, or steamed veggies

Cubed chicken in a delicious sauce of sweet heat and serious flavor.

Making Sticky Firecracker Chicken

First, in a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, orange juice, sriracha, rice wine vinegar, and crushed red pepper, then set aside.

Next, cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt, then toss with cornstarch until evenly coated.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Then, let cook for 2 minutes without moving them so they can develop a golden crust. Flip and cook another 2 minutes.

Next, add the minced garlic and grated ginger to the skillet. Stir for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Your kitchen should now smell incredible and mildly dangerous.

Then, pour in the sauce and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken.

Stir in the chopped green onions and remove from heat.

Lastly, garnish with additional green onions or extra red pepper flakes if you enjoy living recklessly.

Ways To Make It Less Spicy

Not everybody wants dinner to feel like a competitive sport, and that’s okay.

To tone down the heat:

Reduce the sriracha to 1 tablespoon (or 1 teaspoon!)
Skip the crushed red pepper entirely
Add a little extra brown sugar for a sweeter sauce
Serve with rice to mellow the spice
Stir in a spoonful of honey for a softer heat

Or ignore all of that and embrace the fire. Your call.

Serving Suggestions

This spicy chicken is fantastic served with:

White or jasmine rice
Fried rice
Lo mein noodles
Roasted broccoli
Steamed green beans
A giant glass of milk and emotional support

Recipe Tips

Don’t overcrowd the skillet or the chicken will steam instead of brown.
Fresh ginger really makes the sauce pop.
The sauce thickens quickly, so keep an eye on it near the end.
Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow get even spicier overnight.

Sticky Firecracker Chicken has bite-sized chicken chunks in an amazing sweet-and-spicy sauce perfect for spice lovers.

Looking for more recipes like Sticky Firecracker Chicken? Search the site by ingredient or recipe name to find more spicy dinners, easy chicken recipes, and takeout-inspired favorites.

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Sticky Firecracker Chicken

Sticky Firecracker Chicken delivers crispy chicken bites tossed in a sweet-and-spicy sauce loaded with garlic, ginger, and enough heat to wake up your entire personality. It’s quick, flavorful, and perfect for spice lovers.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Chinese

Keyword: easy dinner, one pan, spicy, take-out inspired

Servings:

Calories: 293kcal

Author: Sweet Ordeal

Ingredients

Sauce:

1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. sriracha sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers

Chicken:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Instructions

Sauce:

Mix together the brown sugar, orange juice, sriracha, vinegar, and crushed red pepper. Set aside.

Chicken:

Season chicken cubes with salt, then toss in cornstarch to coat evenly. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Let cook for 2 minutes without moving them so they can develop a little golden crust. Flip and cook another 2 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and grated ginger to the skillet. Stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the sauce and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken.
Stir in the chopped green onions and remove from heat. Garnish with additional sriracha or extra red pepper flakes if you enjoy living recklessly. Enjoy!