Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

Home » Dinner » 30 Minute Meals » Baked Firecracker Chicken

Jump to Recipe

This is the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner! My recipe for firecracker chicken is easy to make and tastes salty, sweet, and spicy! Serve it over a bed of rice and with lots of firecracker sauce!

Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (1)??Firecracker Sauce!??

You guys! More firecracker sauce! I am completely and utterly obsessed with this dinner recipe. Notjustbecause it’s quick and easy to make. Or because it satisfies the ‘comfort food’ monster that lives inside of me (well it does that too). Or because it’s delicious. It’s because it’s a PARTY for my mouth.

Because i’m ladling my third spoon of firecracker sauce onto my bowl of steaming rice when it hits me, ‘I’m in deep with this one’.

Baked firecracker chicken FTW. After all of the love you guys showedthisrecipe, I wanted to create something that was a little more weeknight friendly. Sure, those meatballs are great and taste wonderful over a bed of rice or with veggies on the side but sometimes I just wanna get this dinner on the table pronto and intomybelly. And for those times baked firecracker chicken filets are probably more up ouralley because there’s no meatball making required. It’s as simple as seasoning, searing, and baking.

Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2)Low maintenance recipes are kind of my thing right now. Mostly because i’m trying to finally get in there and organize our place. When we first moved back inNovember the goal was to get things into the right rooms and I figured i’d get around to organizing sooner rather than later. Which didn’t really exactly happen that way. Because what I didn’t expect is the total dilemma and brain freezes that come withbuying furniture. I mean, talk about commitment issues. Because if I buy the rug now (which is gorgeous AND on sale), will it match with the console table that I haven’t even thought about? Will the rug get dirty too quickly? Real life truth. Will itgive the room the ‘feel’ I’m going for? Hellllllllllllloooooooo! Anyone else out there???????Am I the only one that gets decor anxiety?????

I’ve got an incomplete living room, semi complete dining room, and a bathroom I haven’t even started on yet.?In the meantime, I plan on comforting myself with a big bowl of chicken over rice drizzled in firecracker sauce.

Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (3)The trifecta ofhot sauce, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar is what gives the firecracker sauce the zing it’s known for. Also familiar to us,minced garlic, salt, and some red pepper flakes for heat. It’s a quick and easy sauce.

All we’re doing in tossing it in a saucepan and letting it simmer for a good 12-15minutes. I sometimes make the sauce the night before (in which case, I only simmer for 8-10 minutes) so it has a chance of thickening a little more as it cools.

The best part? You don’t have to marinade the chicken at all. It’s just 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) with a little salt and pepper and a quick sear on the skillet for just 1-2 minutes per side. The firecracker sauce serves two purposes. First, we’re going to brush the chicken breasts with the sauce before it bakes in the oven. And second, we’re drizzling it on the chicken when it comes out of the oven and onto heaping bowls of white rice or, if you cool the sauce, it can even be used as dressing. It’s a cross between French and Italian dressing, I think, with a spicy kick to it!

Quick, semi-healthy, easy dinners. Firecracker chicken is the best!

Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (4)

Yield: 4 servings

Baked Firecracker Chicken

Cook Time35 minutes

Additional Time5 minutes

Total Time40 minutes

This is the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner! My recipe for firecracker chicken is easy to make and tastes salty, sweet, and spicy! Serve it over a bed of rice and with lots of firecracker sauce!

Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (5)

Ingredients

firecracker sauce:

  • ½ cup hot sauce (I used Franks Original Hot Sauce)
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

chicken:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon oil

Instructions

  1. FIRECRACKER SAUCE: In a saucepan, combine the hot sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic, and red pepper flakes over medium-high heat. Allow to come to a boil, reduce the heat so it simmers. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes (if you plan on making this sauce ahead of time) or for 12-15 minutes if you're serving immediately. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools so don't worry if it looks thin.
  2. CHICKEN: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat, set aside. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Heat a skillet with the oil over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts and allow to cook for just 1-2 minute per side. We're just searing the very outside of the chicken, so don't worry about it cooking all the way through. Place the chicken breast on the prepared baking sheet and bake the chicken for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, baste each chicken breast with 1-2 tablespoons of firecracker sauce. You will have additional sauce leftover to serve with the chicken. Place the chicken back into the oven and continue to bake for another 11-15 minutes or until the chicken feels firm to the touch, is cooked through, or registers 165ºF on a thermometer. Serve the firecracker chicken with leftover sauce and steamed rice.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

IS THIS A GOODCHOICE FOR YOU?Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (6)

*Please note: the nutritional factscalculated are an estimate based on the ingredientsi’ve used.If you’d like a more accurate count, please calculate them using the ingredients/brands you’ve used to prepare the recipe. The nutritional factsprovided is for1/4th of the recipe and assumes you use an additional 3 tablespoons ofsauce forserving.

Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (7)

This site contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission.

30 Minute Meals Best of By Diet Chicken Comfort Foods Dinner Fall Favorites Lunch Popular Snacks Under 500 calories30 minute meals apple cider vinegar baked boneless chicken boneless skinless chicken thighs brown sugar chicken chicken breast chicken breasts chicken thighs comfort food easy dinner firecracker chicken firecracker sauce garlic hot sauce quick dinner red pepper flakes sauce skillet chicken spicy

originally published on May 20, 2016 (last updated May 17, 2020)

38 comments Leave a comment »

« Previous PostOne Pot Greek Chicken and Rice Pilaf

Next Post »Salmon Burgers with Cajun Remoulade Sauce

Leave a Reply

38 comments on “Baked Firecracker Chicken”

Leave a comment »

  1. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (8)

    Anne Reply

    This chicken is so creative!! The red color makes it look super delicious and spicy foods is definitely a must 😉

  2. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (9)

    Sharon Reply

    Hmmm…I think I’m going to try this sauce with tofu. I love sweet and anything — sweet and sour, sweet and spicy, sweet and salty.

  3. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (10)

    Marilyn Reply

    Saw the recipe on Pinterest and tried it tonight and received rave reviews. It is a keeper!!!

  4. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (11)

    Maria Reply

    Tried it tonight. Not bad. A little too sweet for me…add more pepper flakes…still too sweet.

  5. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (12)

    Nika Reply

    I tried this recipe and not only was it delicious. It was super easy to make.

  6. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (13)

    lesa hamm Reply

    I made this chicken last night and it is awesome!! I’m obsessed. I didn’t do rice, but had it with a salad with ranch – I dipped the chicken in some ranch and it was fab!

  7. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (14)

    Angel Reply

    Made this last night and it was so spicy it was inedible. I had to wash off the chicken and put honey and lime on it to cut the spice. I followed everything to a T on directions. I don’t know how you people eat it.

    • Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (15)

      John Reply

      It’s not terribly spicy to us but again we eat very spicy food. Maybe try making it with less red pepper and some Crystal hot sauce for less spicy.

  8. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (16)

    Nicole Blevins Reply

    I made this tonight and my husband and I both loved it. Subbed garlic mashed potatoes instead of rice and used a little sauce on top of them?

  9. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (17)

    Summer Reply

    My 15 year old daughter tried this recipe….I must say it was very delicious and spicy…we enjoyed it ??

  10. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (18)

    Kate Reply

    Would Sriracha work instead of Frank’s?

    • Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (19)

      Marzia Reply

      Sriracha would work but may be a little too spicy. Please use your best judgement.

  11. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (20)

    Patty Reply

    Can you do this with wings?

    • Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (21)

      Marzia Reply

      Sure, I think the sauce would taste great on wings!

  12. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (22)

    Dave Reply

    We love this sauce! I’ve made 8 mason jars in about 3 months. We use I for all kinds of things, great all around dipping sauce. My wife loves it as a veggie stir fry sauce and I used it like a general tso’s chicken, awesome recipe!

  13. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (23)

    Ronda Reply

    This was really good… I greatly reduced the sugar though, yikes! And used a lot of red pepper flakes (we like spicy!). We’ll definitely make again & again!

    4.5

  14. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (24)

    teresaa Reply

    could this firecracker chicken be made in c.pot?

    • Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (25)

      Marzia Reply

      Unfortunately, I haven’t tested the recipe in a crockpot so it’s difficult to say.

  15. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (26)

    Trish Reply

    Trying on boneless pork chops tonight since I didn’t have chicken.

  16. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (27)

    Dave Reply

    I just want to say how much my wife and I love this sauce, I double the recipe and we use it for all kinds of food even as a general tso sauce and wings! Unlike a lot of recipes you have to doctor up, this one is perfect as-is.

  17. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (28)

    Ruby Reply

    The sauce is really good. I made a change and did 1/4 c. hot sauce and 1/4 c. sweet baby ray’s bbq sauce and the kids were able to eat it. I can’t wait to cook this again and put the chicken on the grill for the extra flavor of char.

  18. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (29)

    Veronica Reply

    Made this recipe several times and it’s SO GOOD! Thank you for posting!

    5

  19. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (30)

    Dawn Reply

    I love this recipe! I have made it 3 times already

    4.5

  20. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (31)

    dhooke Reply

    We love the firecracker sauce. I make it whenever I make chicken fried rice and eggrolls. My son has to have it with eggrolls.

    4.5

  21. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (32)

    Stefanie Reply

    Love this chicken recipe. This is my 2nd time making it. This time we have leftovers and rather than letting it go to waste, I decided to play around. The make awesome chicken croquettes. And instead of the usual gravy, we used taco bell baja sauce (would also be great with each.
    Thanks for the recipe!

    5

  22. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (33)

    Sofie Lopez Reply

    My family LOVES this recipe! It has become part of our rotation. Tonight I’m making extra since my teenage kids often have friends stop by at any given time. Now I have to decide if I’m making steamed or fried rice.

    5

  23. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (34)

    SG Reply

    Can you use this recipe with chicken drumsticks? What would be the cooking time?

  24. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (35)

    Sky Reply

    This came out soooo good! I used chicken thighs cuz that’s what I had. Have enough sauce for leftovers.

    5

  25. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (36)

    Melody Meinhardt Reply

    Absolutely delicious! Used a tsp of pepper flakes ’cause we like it HOT! Also used thighs because that’s what we like 🙂
    Definitely on our list of meals to repeat!

  26. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (37)

    Molly Reply

    We love this chicken! Just the right amount of heat and sweet!

  27. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (38)

    ATay Reply

    We love this sauce!! It’s our favorite for salmon served over quinoa with baked carrots and broccoli. Have you ever tried freezing it in small batches?

    5

  28. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (39)

    Veronica P. Reply

    This chicken and sauce is so good! My fiance requests this at least once a week! We’ve also shared the recipe with friends, and they’re now making it once a week! We haven’t steered away from the recipe, but are going to attempt grilling the chicken, then adding the sauce! Thank you so so much for the recipe! Will continue to be a family favorite!

    5

  29. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (40)

    Danielle Rivers Reply

    This is so DELICIOUS!!!.. I finally caved in, and made it for my family. I would give it 10 stars if it let me. This is DEFINITELY a keeper!!

    5

  30. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (41)

    Graceinmotion Reply

    This recipe was a big hit made exactly as written. The sauce was also fantastic on roasted cauliflower.

  31. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (42)

    Kelle Wingate Reply

    Wonderful! Except I cut chicken in pieces so
    they would soak up more sauce. Very good!
    Rate a 5!!!

    5

  32. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (43)

    Dawn Daniel Reply

    I love this recipe! I make it all the time. It’s a huge hit with all my family members. I make the firecracker sauce just by itself and use it as a dipping sauce for chicken nuggets or party wings.

    5

  33. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (44)

    Jessica E. Reply

    I have had this recipe saved forever, and finally got around to trying. My only regret is that I didn’t make it sooner! The sauce is ah-mazing. My fiance loved it, too. Our kids are really young so we haven’t introduced spicy foods yet, but this may be the first one we try with them down the road. Oh well, more for me!! Thanks for the great recipe!!!

    5

  34. Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (45)

    Emily Cooks Reply

    I do sautéed chicken tenders (just flour) and then soak in this sauce and oh man it’s good. Thanks so much for sharing!

    5

Baked Firecracker Chicken Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

FAQs

What is firecracker sauce made of? ›

Firecracker sauce is a simple mix of hot sauce, brown sugar or honey, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes. How hot is firecracker sauce? The first ingredient in this recipe is hot sauce. Because of this, the recipe is going to have some heat.

What is firecracker chicken made of? ›

What Is Firecracker Chicken? Firecracker chicken is lightly fried on the stovetop and then baked with a simple spicy sauce, typically made with a mix of buffalo sauce, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. (My favorite buffalo sauce? Frank's or Sweet Baby Ray's.)

What is firecracker seasoning? ›

I know it includes cornstarch, panko, garlic salt, toasted sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, onion powder and chili flakes.

What is firecracker flavor? ›

These classic red, white and blue frozen pops have cherry, white lemon and blue raspberry flavours.

What are the ingredients in Heinz Firecracker sauce? ›

Spirit Vinegar, Water, Concentrated Tomato Puree (17%), Sugar, Date Puree, Chipotle Paste (5% Tomato Puree, Smoked Jalapeno Peppers, Water, Onion, Spirit Vinegar, Sugar, Peppers, Salt, Garlic, Spices, Parsley, Spice Extract), Modified Starch, Salt, Concentrated Apple Juice, Chilli Powder, Smoke Flavouring, Spice, ...

Is Heinz Firecracker sauce discontinued? ›

The much-loved brand confirmed a popular flavour had been discontinued after confused Brits failed to find it in the shops. It was revealed their Firecracker Sauce, loved for its BBQ and chilli flavours, was no longer available for elevating burgers and marinating meat.

What is firecracker shrimp made of? ›

Peeled shrimp are tossed in potato starch, fried to crispy perfection, and thoroughly coated in a sticky, sweet, and spicy sauce, then garnished with sesame, green onion, cilantro, and chile. Each bite-size shrimp explodes with flavor, like a little firecracker. If you love shrimp, these may prove addictive.

What are the ingredients in Firecracker pickled sausage? ›

MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN, PORK, SALT, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF CORN SYRUP, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, DEXTROSE HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN, NATURAL FLAVORS, BEEF, PAPRIKA, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE, RED 40, SODIUM NITRITE, PICKLED IN DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR, WATER, SALT, RED 40.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Prof. An Powlowski

Last Updated:

Views: 5538

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. An Powlowski

Birthday: 1992-09-29

Address: Apt. 994 8891 Orval Hill, Brittnyburgh, AZ 41023-0398

Phone: +26417467956738

Job: District Marketing Strategist

Hobby: Embroidery, Bodybuilding, Motor sports, Amateur radio, Wood carving, Whittling, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Prof. An Powlowski, I am a charming, helpful, attractive, good, graceful, thoughtful, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.