Slow Cooker Firecracker Chicken
Slow Cooker Firecracker Chicken is an easy recipe combining tender, juicy chicken breast chunks with a sweet and spicy sauce made with brown sugar, hot wing sauce, and just a few other simple ingredients.
If you love recipes that combine sweet and heat, you’re going to love our firecracker chicken. This easy slow cooker recipe only takes a few minutes of prep, and the rest is up to the slow cooker. We love this recipe because it’s delicious over white rice or pasta or as a hot, sweet, and spicy appetizer for parties.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It takes just a few simple ingredients to make.
- It’s an easy recipe that takes very little effort.
- The hot, sweet, and sticky sauce is perfectly balanced.
🛒Ingredients
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe, and they’re all in just a couple of spots at your local grocery store if they’re not in your kitchen already. We’ve listed them all here, but you can find their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Chicken breast – diced into bite-size pieces
- Cornstarch
- Oil
- Hot wing sauce
- Brown sugar
- Water
- Apple cider vinegar
- Scallions – for garnish
🔪 How to Make Slow Cooker Firecracker Chicken
This recipe only takes a few minutes of prep and searing. After that, the slow cooker does all the work, which makes it a very easy recipe. It only takes a few quick and easy steps.
Step 1: Sear the Chicken
Coat the chicken pieces in cornstarch. Then, quickly sear them in oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. This is just for color. You’re not cooking the chicken through.
Step 2: Mix the Sauce
Combine the hot wing sauce, brown sugar, water, and vinegar in a small bowl.
Step 3: Slow Cook
Add the seared chicken to the slow cooker, then pour the sauce over it and stir. Cook until the chicken is tender, stirring once or twice to ensure the sauce doesn’t burn. Serve over rice, and enjoy!
📝Variations
- Use a mild hot wing sauce for less heat.
- Make it extra spicy with super-spicy hot sauce.
- You can use pork chunks, as well.
- Serve over pasta, rice, or even quinoa or as an appetizer with larger chunks on toothpicks.
If you love spicy chicken recipes like this one, then try our slow cooker Buffalo ranch wings.
🥄 Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large skillet
- Slow cooker
🥫 Storage
Refrigerate this chicken for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
To reheat, place the chicken and sauce in a saucepan with a bit of water if necessary. Then, cook over medium-low heat until heated through.
What so Serve with Firecracker Chicken
Serve this chicken over rice, pasta, or your favorite grains like quinoa. It’s also an excellent appetizer if made with larger chunks and toothpicks. Pair it with your other favorite finger foods at any party or gathering.
💭 Tips
- Sear the chicken chunks over moderately high heat to get a nice color on them without cooking them through.
- Mix the sauce ingredients before adding them to the slow cooker to ensure the flavors meld well.
- Oil is the best fat for searing the chicken. Butter can burn.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Firecracker chicken is a dish made with pan-seared chicken breast chunks that are cooked in a hot and sweet sauce made with brown sugar, Buffalo sauce, and apple cider vinegar.
Any kind of raw meat can be safely added to a slow cooker. They were designed to cook raw produce and meats slowly over low heat.
Yes, they do. These sauces deliver all the sweet tang of traditional Buffalo sauce, but with less heat.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy chicken? Then try these delicious recipes:
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Slow Cooker Firecracker Chicken
Equipment
- large bowl
- large skillet
- small bowl
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken diced into bite size pieces
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ⅓ cup oil
- ½ cup hot wing sauce
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- Scallions for garnish
Instructions
- Coat your chicken pieces in cornstarch.
- Heat up the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Brown the chicken quickly in the pan. We are not looking to cook
- the chicken through, just get a little color on each side.
- Place the browned chicken in the slow cooker.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the hot wing sauce, brown sugar,
- water and vinegar.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker and stir.
- Cook on low for 4 hours, stirring once or twice to make sure the
- sugars are not burning.
- Garnish with scallions and serve over white rice.
