A meal positively erupting with great flavor! Volcano Chicken overflows with so much spicy, sweet, and savory tastes, you are sure to be awed! Behold the beauty of chicken pieces breaded, fried, and then glazed with a sweet sauce that packs a very faint hint of a lava-like punch. Let aww-inspiring Volcano Chicken take your next dinner to new heights. It’s a flavor explosion of mountainous proportion!
Ingredients
For the volcano sauce:
- 1/3 cup Buffalo sauce, store-bought or homemade
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 teaspoons garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the breaded chicken:
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more, to taste
- 2 large eggs beaten
- vegetable oil, to taste
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into small pieces
Optional, for serving:
- rice, to taste, cooked and warm
- vegetables, optional, to taste, of your choice, steamed and warm
- green onions, to taste
- sesame seeds, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Place a wire rack over paper towels.
Step 2 –In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the Buffalo sauce, the brown sugar, the rice vinegar, the sriracha, the garlic, the honey, the butter, and the red pepper flakes.
Step 3 –Cook the sauce mixture, while stirring constantly, until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens into a glaze.
Step 4 –Transfer the thickened glaze from the stovetop and pour it into a large bowl.
Step 5 –In a medium shallow bowl, add the cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper and whisk to combine.
Step 6 –In a small deep bowl, add the eggs, the extra salt, and the extra black pepper and whisk to combine.
Step 7 –In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil to 350 degrees F.
Step 8 –A few pieces at a time, dip the chicken into the cornstarch mixture and shake off any excess, then immediately dip the chicken into the egg mixture, again allowing any excess to drip off.
Step 9 –Continue the dredging process until all the chicken pieces are coated.
Step 10 –Working in two or more batches, add the breaded chicken to the heated vegetable oil and fry until the chicken is golden and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 6-7 minutes. Be careful not to overcrowd the chicken while frying.
Step 11 –Transfer the fried chicken pieces from the skillet to the prepared wire rack and let them drain.
Step 12 –Add the chicken to the glaze mixture and toss to coat. Note: if the glaze has thickened too much during cooling, transfer it to the microwave and heat for about 10 seconds, prior to adding the chicken.
Step 13 –Serve the chicken over the rice, paired with the steam vegetables, and topped with the green onions and the sesame seeds.
