If you love Panda Express SweetFire Chicken Breast as much as we do, you'll be ecstatic to find out just how easy this copycat recipe is to make at home! If you have yet to try this tangy-sweet chicken dish, then you are truly missing out!
Panda Express SweetFire Chicken Copycat
While Orange Chicken may have been the long-time favorite for our homemade Panda Express copycat recipes, it has been replaced recently with this newer Panda chicken entree!
There is just the right amount of heat from the Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (you can add more to your liking, a pinch of chili paste, or throw in some additional crushed red pepper flakes...we do!) that balances with the sweetness of the dish perfectly.
Crispy chunks of lightly coated fried chicken breast are wok-fried with slices of onion, red bell pepper, and pineapple, then coated with a garlic sweet chili sauce to make this super delicious, quick dinner!
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Add in the sensational flavors of the fresh onion, red pepper, and pineapple and you have a nicely balanced homemade meal!
Did I mention how quick this chicken dish is to make? If you need it on the table even faster, you can substitute some fried chicken nuggets. With that change, the whole meal can be ready in under 15 minutes!
🥘 Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless cut into bite size thin cut 1 inch pieces)
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil (about ½ cup for wok frying the chicken + 1 tablespoon for the stir fry)
- 2 large Eggs (beaten)
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Garlic (minced)
- ½ large White Onion (or 1 small white onion, sliced into wedges)
- 1 large Red Bell Pepper (chopped into 1-inch pieces)
- 2 cups Pineapple Chunks (about 20 ounces canned)
- ⅔ cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Green Onion (optional for garnish)
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 Instructions
Grab your wok and cube some chicken, then get ready to enjoy this wonderfully easy yet incredibly tasty copycat dish at home!
- Start out by coating the chunks of chicken breast with the cornstarch while the vegetable oil heats in the wok (or frying pan). Set up the rest of your dredging station nest (beat the eggs in a small bowl, add the all-purpose flour to another).
- To fry the chicken breast chunks, dip the cornstarch-coated chicken breast pieces in the bowl of beaten eggs, and shake off the excess egg.
- Transfer the egg coated chicken into the flour, turning to coat all sides.
- Shake off the excess flour before adding directly into the heated oil in the wok. Be careful when placing chicken in the wok, so as to not burn yourself!
- Leave some of the oil from frying the chicken pieces in your wok, about a ½ tablespoon for frying the vegetables. *Note that you can add all of these ingredients (garlic, onion, red bell pepper and pineapple) at once. However, I like my onion a bit more cooked than the peppers, and the pineapple barely cooked.
- Cook your chopped onion with the minced garlic for about a minute, then add the red bell pepper and toss with the onion. Cook for an additional minute before adding the pineapple.
- Add the fried chicken breast pieces back into the wok and toss to coat with sauce. *Note for the best, and closest to Panda's flavor, add some chili paste (I use Sambal Oelek brand). About a teaspoon will do, add more to taste.
Have fun with this easy, homemade version of Panda Express Sweet Fire Chicken Breast. Serve with some of my Panda Express Fried Rice, garnish with sliced green onions and enjoy!
🐼 Panda Express Chicken Entrees
Check out all of my fabulous Panda Express copycat recipes on the Panda Express recipes index page! All of your favorite Panda entrees, fried rice, chow mein, and mixed vegetables are here on the blog!!
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📖 Recipe Card
Panda Express SweetFire Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs chicken breast (boneless, skinless cut into bite size thin cut 1 inch pieces)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup vegetable oil (about ½ cup for wok frying the chicken + 1 tablespoon for the stir fry)
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- ½ large white onion (or 1 small white onion, sliced into wedges)
- 1 red bell pepper (chopped into 1 inch pieces)
- 2 cups pineapple chunks (or a 20 ounce can of pineapple chunks)
- ⅔ cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
- 1 tablespoon green onion (sliced - optional garnish)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Coat the cut chicken with the cornstarch and bring the vegetable oil to 375°F (190°C) in your wok or frying pan.
- Ready two other bowls (small to medium) with the beaten eggs in one and the all-purpose flour in another to complete your dredging station.
- Place your coated chicken pieces into the eggs, then coat with flour before placing (carefully!) into the heated oil in your wok or skillet. Cook until lightly golden, in batches if needed, until all of your chicken is cooked.
- Remove all of the chicken as it cooks completely, set it on a wire cooling rack over a paper towel to drain the excess oil off. Clean your wok or skillet as needed, leaving about ½ tablespoon of the cooking oil in the wok.
- Place the minced garlic and onion slices in the wok, cook for about a minute, then add the red bell pepper pieces. Cook for an additional minute, then add the pineapple chunks. Stir to toss together.
- Add the cooked chicken pieces back into the wok, then pour the sauce over all of the cooked ingredients. Stir to coat. Serve immediately.
DavidF says
Saw video on Youtube, and I plan to start learning how to copycat all of their recipes -- that I like. Especially the Orange Chicken -- along with this one. But, honestly, thank you for sharing this. It has just got too expensive to eat out now, especially for how much they give you. And, we went there to PE recently, and it was half-good & half-not. Got there late, and it wasn't same quality as it normally is. So, we plan to just make it ourselves. I can't spend $35 bucks for our family, Mom, and kids to get half-slung together stuff.
Please, keep posting more Panda Express copycats. And, I'll share anything that I find too -- with you, if you want.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I know exactly what you mean David (price and quality) and absolutely LOVE making my Panda entrees at home with fresh ingredients! I'm so happy that you have found these and really hope that you enjoy them as much as my family does!
You are always welcome to share great ideas, recipe requests, and more!