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Volcano Chicken

Let's learn how to make volcano chicken - the most delicious sweet and savory chicken dish that's perfect over a bed of rice! And don't worry, just because volcano is in the name, it's not fiery spicy. Just a tiny little kick.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
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Ingredients

VOLCANO SAUCE

  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup buffalo sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste

BREADED CHICKEN

  • 1 1/2 pound chicken breast cut into small pieces
  • 3/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • vegetable oil for frying

Instructions 

TO MAKE THE SAUCE

  1. Over medium heat, add buffalo sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sriracha, minced garlic, honey, butter, and red pepper flakes to a pot or saucepan. Bring to a simmer to thicken into a glaze. Once it is thick, take off the heat and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
  2. Cut chicken breast into small pieces.
  3. In a shallow bowl, whisk together cornstarch, a sprinkle of salt, and a sprinkle of black pepper.
  4. In small deep bowl, whisk together eggs, a sprinkle of salt, and a sprinkle of black pepper.
  5. Heat vegetable oil to 350°F in a frying pan.
  6. Dip a few chicken pieces at a time first in the dry batter, shaking any excess drip off, and then into the wet, letting any excess drip off.
  7. Drop the breaded chicken in, making sure not to overcrowd. Fry in two batches. Once golden, about 6 to 7 minutes, take out of the oil and drain any excess oil on a wire rack.
  8. Toss the chicken in the glaze. If the glaze has thickened too much as it cools, warm it up for 10 seconds in the microwave first and then toss.
  9. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds and enjoy with rice, noodles, or veggies!

Notes

  • This recipe uses chicken breast but feel free to use chicken thigh if that’s all you have or what you prefer.
  • To make it more spicy, add more sriracha or add more red pepper chili flakes to taste.
  • If you want to skip the deep frying and make this lighter, don’t bread and fry the chicken. Just coat chicken in some cornstarch and saute it in a pan to brown it. Then just toss it in the sauce!
  • And BTW this recipe is gluten-free! Just make sure to read the rice vinegar label carefully.
  • Rice vinegar can be found in the Asian section of the international aisle of your grocery store. If you cannot get your hands on it, replace it with apple cider vinegar.

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out. I love hearing from you!