Wagamama’s Firecracker Chicken, Have you tried it? Chances are, if you’re outside of the UK or the Boston area then you probably be haven’t. Which is a sad, sad thing, because this meal is soooo good. I’d love to tell you that I managed to steal the secret formula for this recipe SpongeBob style. But I didn’t. This is my closest estimation of the recipe based on:
Tasting the original (many times of course!!) Paying close attention to the menu description of the meal Scouring through my Wagamama cookbook in order to work out what key ingredients they use in their other sweet/spicy dishes (I bought the book especially to get the Firecracker chicken recipe, so was pretty gutted they left it out)
How to make firecracker sauce
The sauce is pretty complex, with spicy, sweet, salty and tangy elements so I’m using:
Spicy: fresh chilli, chilli sauce, white pepper Sweet: brown sugar and ketchup Salty: light and dark soy sauce and fish sauce Tangy: malt vinegar and tamarind paste We also have garlic for a tasty and fragrant kick and chicken (I use chicken breast) - as we’re going to marinade the chicken in some of that delicious sauce.
How to marinade the chicken:
Mix together oil, chopped chilli, chilli sauce, garlic, brown sugar, light & dark soy sauce, ketchup, malt vinegar, tamarind, fish sauce and white pepper. Add ⅓ of the sauce to a bowl with the chicken and leave to marinade, covered in the fridge. Reserve the remaining sauce.
For the stir fry we need:
Vegetable oil, crunchy peppers, mangetout (snow peas), onion, dried chillies and spring onions (scallions) We’re going to serve with rice and garnish with shichimi, sesame seeds and lime.
To make the stir fry
Fry the marinated chicken with onion, peppers, mangetout (snow peas) and dried chillies, then add in the reserved sauce. Stir through the spring onions (scallions) and cook for a further couple of minutes.
How to make a mound of rice
Lightly oil a small bowl (this one is a 12cm/4.75" diameter cereal bowl). Pack with rice and then push down firmly with a spoon or clean fingers. Place a plate on top of the bowl and flip the bowl and plate over. Lightly tap the bowl and lift the bowl to release the rice. It can take a couple of attempts, so it’s worth having a quick practice first.
To Serve:
Spoon the firecracker chicken around the rice and then sprinkle with shichimi powder (<–affilate link) and sesame seeds. Top the rice with a wedge of lime and serve!
Sweet, fiery and delicious! I actually like it better than the original!!
What is shichimi togarashi?
Shichimi togarashi or shichimi is a Japanese spice blend made up of 7 ingredients. These are usually: poppy seeds, hemp seeds, roasted mandarin/orange zest, sesame seeds, sansho pepper, red chilli and aonori (seaweed powder). It’s got a salty and spicy flavour and a pinch of it makes a great topping for rice, noodles, soup and grilled meat or fish.
What type of dried chillies to use
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Equipment:
In order to make this Firecracker Chicken recipe you will need:
A good Kitchen knife. I have recently bought this Dalstrong one and love it. Chopping Board Large bowl for marinating the chicken. Measuring Spoons Garlic Press A wok or if you dont have a wok then a frying pan/skillet will do Wooden or Silicon Coated Spoons. We have just bought these and love them. Rice Steamer.
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