Firecracker Chicken Thighs

5 from 1 vote

Published 7/2/2023

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These crispy firecracker chicken thighs are a little spicy and a little sweet and seared to crispy perfection in a skillet. Don’t skip our homemade firecracker sauce, serve with rice and enjoy!

chicken thigh on a plate with rice and a knife.

Crispy Firecracker Chicken Thighs

These crispy firecracker chicken thighs are our latest chicken recipe obsession! They’re perfectly hot and sweet thanks to our homemade firecracker sauce (simple ingredients!), and you’ll love how crispy they are after breading and searing them in a cast iron skillet before baking to perfection.

Serve these chicken thighs with rice or another easy side dish. Enjoy!!

Why you’ll love ’em!

Crispy outside, tender inside: because we’re searing the chicken thighs in a skillet before baking in the oven, you get a super crispy chicken skin on the outside with super tender chicken meat on the inside. Yum!

Amazing homemade firecracker sauce: you’ll absolutely love our homemade firecracker sauce — make a double batch and slather that goodness on any cut of chicken!

So versatile: we’re serving this firecracker chicken with white rice and green onion, but these chicken thighs pair nicely with pretty much any vegetable or even atop a simple salad.

raw chicken thigh being dredged in flour.

Firecracker Chicken Ingredients

Firecracker Sauce

Ketchup
Honey
Soy sauce
Chili sauce
Sriracha
Sesame oil

Chicken

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

Chicken Breading

All-purpose flour
Cornstarch
Salt & pepper

Sides & Garnish

Sesame seeds
Chopped green onions
White rice

How to Make Firecracker Chicken Thighs

Prepare chicken breading

Add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, and black pepper to a bowl, and mix to combine.

Prepare Firecracker Sauce

Add all of the ingredients for the firecracker sauce into a separate bowl and mix until combined.

Bread Chicken

Dredge each chicken thigh through the flour mixture until completely covered in the flour mixture.

Brown Chicken

Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over high heat. When the olive oil is fragrant and hot, add the chicken skin-side down into the olive oil, and brown the chicken for 6-8 minutes on each side.

Add Sauce to Chicken

Remove the skillet from the heat and slowly pour the firecracker sauce over each chicken thigh. The sauce will sizzle, so be careful.

Bake Chicken

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake at 400ºF for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.

chicken thigh size matters!

Chicken thighs can vary greatly in size and thickness. The goal is to get the internal temperature of the chicken to be 165ºF. So, if you have larger thighs, you may need to cook a bit longer to reach a safe temperature.

Serve & Enjoy!

Serve over rice, topped with sesame seeds and green onions.

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Serving Suggestions

Make your firecracker chicken thighs a complete meal by serving it with a grain and your favorite veggie. Here are some ideas:

Fried Rice: Whip up our Instant Pot Fried Rice for a veggie-packed side.

Coconut Rice: Coconut rice is sweet and sticky and would be a perfect grain for this firecracker chicken.

Quinoa: Keep things basic with Instant Pot Quinoa so you can whip up the quinoa at the same time the firecracker chicken is cooking.

Veggies: Serve these firecracker chicken thighs next to your favorite steamed or sautéed veggies such as broccoli, green beans, peppers, onions, etc.

chicken thighs nutrition

Chicken thighs sometimes have a bad rap because instead of being ultra-lean like chicken breast, they are dark meat with a bit more fat (and flavor) on them. Per 4-oz. bone-in chicken thigh:

270 calories
18g fat
0g carbs
0g fiber
0g sugar
18g protein

Top Tips

Feel free to double the firecracker sauce if you would like extra saucy chicken. Or if you’d like to save some sauce for later 😀

Chicken thighs can vary by size and shape. How long the chicken thighs bake will depend on how large the chicken thighs are. The goal is always to get the internal temperature of the chicken to 165ºF.

Depending on the style skillet you’re using, you may need to move the chicken around with a spatula mid-way through the baking time to be sure it’s not sticking to the skillet.

Saucy chicken thighs in a cast iron skillet.

More Ways to Cook Chicken Thighs

There are many ways to cook chicken thighs! And virtually infinite ways to season them. Good news! We have recipes for each method of cooking here on Fit Foodie Finds:

Sous Vide: You’ll LOVE our Crispy Sous Vide Chicken Thighs
Instant Pot: Try these Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Sticky Honey Garlic Sauce
Baked: Have you tried our Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies?
Grilled: These Grilled Chicken Thighs have amazing flavor!
Stove Top: This Skillet Chicken and Potatoes truly is a one-pot meal
Air Fryer: Our basic Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are truly so crispy and tender.

Try it!

Thermoworks Thermapen

We swear by using a meat thermometer when cooking any cut of meat. The Thermapen is our go-to meat thermometer that works every time.

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Storage

Let the chicken thighs cool completely. Then, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

Freezer Instructions

Let the firecracker chicken thighs cool completely. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe gallon-size bag and remove as much air as possible. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months.

When you are ready for cooking, allow the frozen chicken thighs to thaw fully before baking to reheat.