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Sweetfire Chicken Breast is a popular Panda Express dish that was recently discontinued in certain areas (including mine) – so I had to replicate this recipe to make at home! The crispy chicken is so deliciously sweet and spicy – if you haven’t tried this before, you’re going to love it!
Ingredient Tips for Sweetfire Chicken Breast
- CHICKEN – Make sure to cut your chicken breast into thin 1″ pieces – do not cube them!
- SHAOXING WINE – If you cannot or do not want to use wine, you can sub with sherry, mirin, or chicken stock!
- PINEAPPLE – I used fresh pineapple because I had some in my refrigerator, but you can also used canned pineapple!
- SWEET THAI CHILI SAUCE – I used store bought to keep things simple! 🙂
- NEUTRAL OIL – My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. I find that the flavor profile does not usually go with the dish.
- MSG – As always, this is optional 🙂
Recipe Tips for Sweetfire Chicken Breast
COOKING IN THE OIL
- Do not let your frying oil drop below 325-350F when frying! I highly recommend you use a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. If you see it dropping below 325F, fry your chicken in batches. Frying at a low temperature will result in too much moisture (AKA SOGGY!)
- After frying the first time, remove the chicken pieces. If excess batter pieces are floating in the oil, strain them out with a strainer to prevent them from burning during the 2nd fry.
- Let the oil come back to 350F before placing the chicken back in the oil.
Cooking With a Wok (Alternatives)
By now, you know that I LOVE cooking with my carbon steel wok! It is my #1 most recommended kitchen tool, as I believe it is perfect for high-heat cooking and results in restaurant quality Chinese food!
If it is your first time cooking with a wok, make sure to read my “How To Season a Wok” post. There is a video included that shows exactly how to season your brand new wok and how to maintain it so it lasts for years.
If you cannot or do not want to use a wok, you can use a large pan, cast iron, or even a dutch oven.
My KEY TIP would be to avoid crowding your pan – crowding can lead to your Sweetfire Chicken Breast not cooking thoroughly and becoming mushy. If you think your dish will be crowded, use a larger pan, cast iron, or dutch oven, OR cook in batches.
If you tried this Sweetfire Chicken Breast or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Sweetfire Chicken Breast
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut thinly into 1" pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2" pieces
- 1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1/2" pieces
- 6 oz pineapple chunks, cut into 1/2" pieces
Sauce
- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp msg
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Slice chicken breast thinly into 1" pieces. Marinate in a bowl with salt, white pepper, shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, grated garlic and grated ginger.
- Mince 4 cloves of garlic and 1 tbsp of ginger, and cut red bell pepper and yellow onion into 1/2" pieces. Cut pineapple into similar size chunks and set aside.
- Premix sauce in a small bowl by combining sweet thai chili sauce, chicken stock, white pepper, salt, msg, and cornstarch.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, salt, white pepper, and baking powder. Stir until combined, then dredge chicken in the flour/cornstarch mixture until well coated, shaking off any excess.
- Fry chicken at 350F in neutral oil for 3-4 minutes. Remove to let oil come back to 350F, then double fry for another 1-2 minutes. Remove and immediately season with salt.
- In a pan or wok, heat 2 tbsp of neutral oil over high heat then fry garlic and ginger for 15 seconds. Add bell pepper and onions and stir fry for another 1-2 minutes to get color on the vegetables. Add pineapple and stir fry for another 30 seconds.
- Add premixed sauce and stir for a few seconds until thickened. Add back your chicken and stir until combined. Serve immediately with rice and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
