This Panda Express Sweet Fire Chicken cooks beautifully browned hand-breaded chicken in a zesty sweet chili sauce along with juicy pineapple chunks, onions, and fresh red bell peppers. Quite a simple Asian-inspired dish that you will fall in love with, as it’s sweet, savory, decadent, and delicious with a fruity kick.
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❤️ Why You'll Love It
- There's no need to leave your house, you can make this copycat recipe right in your kitchen for a lower price.
- It perfectly balances sweet, heat, and savory flavors, ensuring a delectable, restaurant-quality meal.
- This recipe is incredibly versatile. You can easily adjust the level of spice to accommodate everyone's taste or add your favorite veggies.
My kids love Panda Express, and recently, we've noticed a decline in the quantity of many of their dishes, so we started to recreate them ourselves. We started off with this Panda Express Kung Pao, followed by Panda Express Mushroom Chicken and now this recipe, I gotta tell you they all came out even better than the original.
📝 Ingredients
Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📋 Ingredient Notes
- Vegetable oil - You will need a mild flavored oil with a high smoke point, such as canola or vegetable oil.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts - Make sure to slice the chicken into thin, bite-sized pieces for even cooking and maximum flavor absorption.
- All-purpose flour - This is used to coat the chicken before cooking and helps create a crispy exterior.
- Cornstarch - Adding cornstarch to the flour mixture helps make the chicken extra crispy.
- Large egg - The egg is used to create a batter for the chicken, which also helps achieve a crispy texture.
- Salt and black pepper - This is used to season the chicken for added flavor.
- White onion - You can use any type of onion, but white onions provide a good balance of sweetness and tanginess.
- Garlic cloves - Fresh garlic adds a depth of flavor to the dish but jarred can be used also.
- Red bell pepper - This adds a vibrant color and slight sweetness to the dish.
- Pineapple chunks - Fresh pineapple or canned pineapple can be used, but if using canned, make sure to drain well before adding it to the dish.
- Thai chili sauce - This sweet sauce adds the signature sweet and tangy flavor to the dish. You can find this in most grocery stores or online.
- Sesame seeds - This is an optional garnish that adds a subtle nutty flavor and a touch of elegance to the presentation.
- Green onions - They add a beautiful pop of color and a sharp bite that contrasts well with the sweet and savory elements of the dish.
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Mix flour, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a ziploc bag.
- In a medium bowl place chicken pieces season lightly with salt and pepper. Crack the egg over and mix with the chicken.
- Add chicken pieces to the bag in small batches and shake to coat, shake off the excess flour. Repeat until all the chicken is breaded.
- Add oil to a wok or large skillet and heat on medium-high. Add chicken, working in batches, and fry for about 3-4 minutes both sides or until crispy golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.
- Lower to medium heat, add a little bit more oil if needed to the same wok and saute onions for 1 minute then add garlic, pineapple, and bell pepper. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until pineapple and pepper are warm but still crisp.
- Add the fried chicken back then pour in the chili sauce. Stir to combine well then turn the heat off.
- Serve sprinkled with some sesame seeds and chopped green onions.
💡Amira's Tips
- To ensure the chicken is perfectly crispy, don't overcrowd the pan when frying – this lowers the oil's temperature and may cause the chicken to absorb more oil and become soggy.
- For the best texture, fry in small batches and let the oil come back to temperature between each batch.
- Try to cut the chicken breasts into even-sized pieces of chicken so that it cooks evenly.
🧺 Storage
Refrigerate - Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Freezing - I don't recommend freezing the leftovers as the crispy coating will become soggy.
Reheating - To reheat, place the chicken in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, you can reheat in the microwave for a minute or two, but this may make the chicken less crispy.
💬 FAQs
The heat level of SweetFire Chicken can be adjusted based on your preference. The sweet chili sauce used in the recipe typically has a mild to moderate spice level. If you're sensitive to spice, you can start with a smaller amount of sauce and add more to taste.
As of my last update, Panda Express had removed SweetFire Chicken Breast from their menu in some locations to make things easier on their employees.
🍽️ Serve With
- You can't have Chinese food without fried rice! And, this Instant Pot Chicken Fried RIce is my go-to recipe to make at home. Leave off the chicken if you want to.
- Or Serve over plain rice like this Instant Pot Basmati Rice.
- End this recipe with another Asian dessert like this Tangulu skewers, they are so much fun to make.
👩🍳 Variations
- If you want to make the dish spicier, feel free to add in some red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
- For a vegetarian version, you can substitute the chicken with tofu or seitan.
- To make it gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour blend and cornstarch.
- You can also add extra vegetables to this simple dish by adding in some carrots, broccoli, or snow peas.
⌛ Make Ahead
You can prepare the chicken by breading and storing it in the fridge the night before. Doing so will not only save you time during a busy day but can also enhance the texture of the batter due to resting.
Simply take it out when you're ready to cook, let it sit until it comes to room temperature, and fry as directed.
📣 Related Recipes
- If you are looking for another delicious copycat recipe to make at home when you are craving takeout give this Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken recipe a try next time.
- Fried Buckwheat is a homemade yakisoba recipe that is the perfect way to satisfy your takeout craving at home.
- These Low Carb Chicken Lettuce Wraps are the perfect light and flavorful meal that is a staple on most Chinese takeout menus.
- Honey Garlic Steak Bites is a simple and quick recipe to satisfy your Asian food cravings. Tender steak bites in a sweet and savory thick sauce that works great for a perfect weeknight meal.
- Enjoy all the Indian spices you love with this Authentic Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe. Marinated Chicken in creamy, rich sauce loaded with flavors.
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! Thank you.
🥣 Equipment
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- Ziploc bag
- Large wok or skillet
Panda Express SweetFire Chicken Breast (Copycat Recipe)
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil more if needed
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch thin pieces
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- Salt and black pepper.
- ½ small white onion cubed
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 red bell pepper cubes
- 1 ½ cups diced pineapples fresh or canned
- ½ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
For garnish:
- Sesame seeds
- Chopped green onions
Instructions
- In a ziplock bag, mix together flour and cornstarch with a pinch of salt, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl place chicken pieces season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Crack the egg over and mix with the chicken.
- Add chicken pieces to the bag in small batches and shake to coat, take chicken out shake off excess flour and set aside.
- Add chicken to the bag a little at a time and shake again until evenly coated. Add more of the 74/25 flour to cornstarch mixture if needed.
- Add oil to a wok or large skillet and heat on medium high.
- Add chicken, working in batches, and fry for about 2 minutes each side or until crispy golden brown.
- Remove and place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Continue until you are done with the whole batch, do not cram the wok or it will steam rather than fry.
- Add a little bit more of oil if needed to the same wok
- Add onions and sautéed for 1 minutes then add garlic, pineapple and bell pepper.
- Continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes until pineapples and pepper is warm but still crisp.
- Add the fried chicken back then pour in the chili sauce.
- Stir to combine well then turn heat off.
- Serve sprinkled with some sesame seeds and chopped green onions.
Nutrition
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Carine
Thank you so much for making this recipe, my family loves this dish and we would like to try it, looks so similar.