Firecracker Chicken

Crunchy, spicy, sweet, sticky and did we mention DELICIOUS? Firecracker chicken. This might just be the perfect thing for you to serve at your 4th of July celebration !This is such a quick and easy dish to make, we are pretty sure you will be looking for all kinds of occasions to make it.  If you are serving it to children or people who aren’t a fan of spicy food, simply omit the finishing sauce and just serve it on the side as a dipping sauce and you will have really yummy, crunchy chicken fingers that everyone can enjoy.

Celebrations with great friends and family and great party food, make life seem so joyful and abundant!

Firecracker Chicken

1 1/2  pounds chicken tenders (or boneless skinless breasts cut into strips)
1/2 cup of flour
2 eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons of water
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons Lawry’s garlic salt
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
2 green onions chopped

Finishing (Dipping) Sauce
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup Sriracha sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray baking sheet liberally with cooking oil. (We use Trader Joe’s coconut oil baking spray).

Place flour in one dish, beaten egg in another dish, and panko crumbs and garlic salt in another dish.  Dip each chicken tender into flour to coat, then into egg, and finally into panko crumbs.  Repeat with each chicken tender.  Place each tender on the prepared baking sheet.  When all the tenders are coated, drizzle with melted butter.  Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes flipping the chicken strips over after 15 minutes to brown on both sides.

While the chicken is cooking, combine and heat brown sugar, hot sauce and butter until thick and bubbling.

Remove the chicken from the oven when done.  These can be served as is for a non-spicy version.  OR immediately dip tenders in the finishing sauce to coat.  Place in serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onion.  Spicy, sweet, salty, crunchy….YUM!

PS  To all our Canadian chums, have a wonderful Canada Day celebration!

And PPS – May darling son-in-law Peter called to tell me that he had taken the leftovers of this to work and even reheated the next day it was “one of the BEST things I’ve ever eaten!”