Panda Express Sweet Fire Chicken
It’s been far too long since I posted a Chinese fakeout takeout recipe. I think the last one I posted was my reshoot of my General Tso’s Chicken (and if you haven’t made it yet, it is a MUST), and so I’m brining you this Sweet Fire Chicken recipe to make up for it spadezzzzz. Sweet Fire Chicken originated by Panda Express. While I hardly ever eat at Panda, this flavor profile is a winner in my book because sweet and spicy have my heart. While I don’t claim my recipe to be an exact Panda Express Sweet Fire Chicken copycat, I will claim it is better. I know that’s a bold statement. But this Sweet Fire Chicken is boldly delicious. To explain just how delicious this Sweet Fire Chicken is, my foodie critic husband devoured a huge serving after photos and devoured the leftovers the next day – and he doesn’t do leftovers.
About Sweet Fire Chicken Recipe
Panda Express says their Sweet Fire Chicken is “an exotic fusion of flavors.” And while I do enjoy their Sweet Fire Chicken, I thought it was a little too one note – as in ONLY sweet chili sauce. I wanted my recipe to be more dynamic and punchy so we’ve infused our sweet chili sauce with a splash of soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic and Asian Chili Sauce. Now we’re talking. You can also choose your method of preparing the chicken. You can either:
Cook chicken in a little oil (healthier but not as crispy) Pan fry chicken in oil that covers the bottom of the pan (crispiest chicken) Bake your chicken (not as crispy but still delish)
In the recipe, I’ve gone with the pan fry method for the crispiest chicken and included notes for how to bake your chicken.
What is Asian Sweet Chili Sauce?
The main ingredient in Sweet Fire Chicken is Asian Sweet Chili Sauce – it is the sweet and the fire and the reason I had to make this homemade Sweet Fire Chicken recipe! If you have been following me for long at all, you know Asian Sweet Chili Sauce is one of my favorite Asian ingredients and I add it to almost every Chinese recipe I make from my Chinese Chicken Salad to my Cashew Chicken, Mongolian Chicken, and Sesame Chicken, just to name a few. Asian Sweet Chili Sauce is the perfect balance of tangy sweet heat and so worth keeping stocked in your refrigerator. You can use it alone or add a tablespoon or two to any dish and it will add a layer of flavor that equals dynamic perfection. Asian Sweet Chili Sauce is a very common ingredient and can easily be found in the Asian section of your grocery store. Mae Ploys brand is simply called, “Asian Sweet Chili Sauce” and Lee Kum Kee’s brand is called, “Thai Sweet Chili Sauce.”
How Spicy is Sweet Fire Chicken?
As far as heat of this Sweet Fire Chicken, that is completely up to you! I’ve left a range of 1-3 teaspoons Asian chili sauce. 1 being mild, 2 moderate (what most of you will like), 3 hot. If you find you still want your Sweet Fire Chicken to be spicier after all is said and done, you can still add additional chili sauce. If you want it sweeter, you can still add sugar. So customize away so your Sweet Fire Chicken is the very best for YOU!
Can I Bake Sweet Fire Chicken?
Yes! In full disclosure, your Sweet Fire Chicken won’t get as crispy as when fried, but it’s being smothered in a tantalizing sauce anyway, so I can assure you, you won’t even notice. The only difference in ingredients when baking instead of frying is we replace the cornstarch with flour. The rest of the breading method remains the same. TO BAKE CHICKEN:
Tips and Tricks for Sweet Fire Chicken
Pound chicken. You want to pound your chicken thin so it becomes more tender. Cube chicken. Because you’ve pounded your chicken thin, when you cut it into 1” pieces, they will be more like flat squares verses cubes. Cook Chicken. You can pan fry or bake your chicken (see separate section). If you want the convenience of pan frying your chicken but don’t want all the calories, then use less oil. Your chicken won’t be as crispy but still delicious. Use freezer bags. I like to use freezer bags to add my flour and eggs to instead of bowls. This way, all you have to do is shake your chicken instead of dredging your chicken. Your hands – and counter – stay much cleaner and it takes much less time. Press Flour Into Chicken. After the second shake of chicken in flour, you may need to open the bag and toss the chicken a few times with your hands to make sure they are evenly coated. Pineapple. You can use canned or fresh pineapple for this recipe. If you use fresh, take care it is ripe and sweet or you may need to add more sugar to the recipe. Veggies. Panda Express Sweet Fire Chicken uses onions and red bell peppers. I’ve added the snow peas which are optional. Feel free to customize the veggies with what you have on hand. Serve immediately. The chicken will lose its crispiness the longer it sits in the sauce. It will be still be delicious and I love leftovers. Customize. Depending on your preference and the sweetness of your pineapple, you may want to adjust the Sweet Fire Chicken. You can do this even after the chicken is all combined in the sauce. Add additional chili sauce for spicier, sugar for sweeter or red wine vinegar for tangier.
LOOKING FOR MORE FAKEOUT TAKEOUT CHINESE RECIPES?
Beef and Broccoli Sweet and Sour Chicken Honey Lemon Ginger Chicken Kung Pao Shrimp Pineapple Ginger Chicken Mongolian Beef
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