Firecracker Chicken
We recently paid a visit to Wagamama for a bit of a treat, and we absolutely LOVED the Firecracker Chicken they had on the menu. So we've recreated it to make a slimming friendly version!
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories276
- Carbs24g
- Protein50g
- Fat12g
- Saturates3g
- Sugars14g
Your dishes
You’re amazing, look at the Firecracker Chicken dishes you’ve made…
For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
Our Firecracker Chicken is the perfect dish to help you feel like you’re dining out in the comfort of your very own home.
We have been asked by Tefal to create some recipes using their Actifry, and this is one of them. It’s super quick and easy to make and we think that it might even taste better than one you’d get in a restaurant!
We like our food with a nice kick of heat, but you can make this recipe more or less spicy by simply adjusting the amount of chilli that you add.
What diets is this Firecracker Chicken suitable for?
This Firecracker Chicken recipe is suitable for dairy free diets.
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do I need any special ingredients or equipment to make this Firecracker Chicken?
There are a few ingredients you will need for this recipe, but don’t worry, they’re not too unusual so you will be able to use them for other recipes.
- Tamarind paste – This is from the the pulp that surrounds the seeds within the pod of the tamarind tree. It’s mainly used in Asian cooking and you can buy it from most supermarkets.
- Arbol chillies – These are small potent Mexican chillies and you can buy them dried from most supermarkets.
The Actifry – We’ve reviewed the Tefal Actifry Express XL – check out our review here.
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How many calories are there in this Firecracker Chicken?
There are around 276 calories in each portion of this Firecracker Chicken, which means it falls into our Everyday Light category – don’t forget to add on any extra calories for any accompaniments.
This Firecracker Chicken is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet, and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Actifry method
Step 1
Add the chilli flakes, garlic, sweetener, tomato ketchup, tamarind paste, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and rice vinegar into a bowl. Add the black pepper to season and stir the contents of the bowl well.
Step 2
Add the chicken breast to the bowl and mix it all together.
Step 3
Once the chicken breasts are coated in the marinade, cover the bowl with cling film and chill in the fridge for one hour.
Step 4
Take the bowl of marinated chicken out of fridge and place into your Actifry, and set aside the remaining marinade. Set the Actifry to cook for 10 minutes.
Step 5
After 10 minutes is up, add the chopped onions, spray with low calorie cooking spray and set to cook for a further 5 minutes.
Step 6
Once this is complete, add the stock, the remaining marinade, peppers, spring onions, fresh chilli and mange tout and cook for a further 10 minutes. Then, it’s ready to serve!
On the stove
Step 1
Add the chilli flakes, garlic, sweetener, tomato ketchup, tamarind paste, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and rice vinegar into a bowl. Add the black pepper to season and stir the contents of the bowl well.
Step 2
Add the chicken breast to the bowl and mix it all together.
Step 3
Once the chicken breasts are coated in the marinade, cover the bowl with cling film and chill in the fridge for one hour.
Step 4
Take the bowl of marinated chicken out of fridge and place in a frying pan on a medium heat, setting aside the remaining marinade. Cook for 10 minutes.
Step 5
After 10 minutes is up, add the chopped onions, spray with low calorie cooking spray and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Step 6
Once this is complete, add the stock, the remaining marinade, peppers, spring onions, fresh chilli and mange tout and cook for a further 10 minutes. Then, it’s ready to serve!
What can I serve with this Firecracker Chicken?
Firecracker Chicken is usually served with some plain rice, which you can add for an extra 146 calories per 125g of cooked rice. You could also have:
Whatever accompaniment you choose, don’t forget to account for the extra calories and/or other nutritional values!
How do you know when this Firecracker Chicken is cooked?
You should cook this Firecracker Chicken for around 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
Are there other ways to cook this Firecracker Chicken?
If you haven’t got an Actifry then don’t worry as this can also be made using a pan. We’ve included the stove-top recipe in the recipe card below!
How long can you keep Firecracker Chicken in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.
If you allow any left overs to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Firecracker Chicken in the fridge for approximately 2 or 3 days.
Can you freeze this Firecracker Chicken?
This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
- Defrost thoroughly before reheating (you can use the defrost setting on your microwave.)
- Make sure it is piping hot all the way through before serving.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat this Firecracker Chicken?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
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Firecracker Chicken
We recently paid a visit to Wagamama for a bit of a treat, and we absolutely LOVED the Firecracker Chicken they had on the menu. So we’ve recreated it to make a slimming friendly version!
-
Prep Time
10 MINS
-
Cook Time
30 MINS
- KCals 276
- Carbs 24G
Instructions
Actifry Method
- Add the chilli flakes, garlic, sweetener, tomato ketchup, tamarind paste, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and rice vinegar into a bowl. Add the black pepper to season and stir the contents of the bowl well.
- Add the chicken breast to the bowl and mix it all together.
- Once the chicken breasts are coated in the marinade, cover the bowl with cling film and chill in the fridge for one hour.
- Take the bowl of marinated chicken out of fridge and place into your Actifry, and set aside the remaining marinade. Set the Actifry to cook for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes is up, add the chopped onions and spray with low calorie cooking spray and set to cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Once this is complete, add the stock, the remaining marinade, peppers, spring onions, fresh chilli and mange tout and cook for a further 10 minutes. Once this is complete, it's ready to serve!
On the stove
- Add the chilli flakes, garlic, sweetener, tomato ketchup, tamarind paste, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and rice vinegar into a bowl. Add the black pepper to season and stir the contents of the bowl well.
- Add the chicken breast to the bowl and mix it all together.
- Once the chicken breasts are coated in the marinade, cover the bowl with cling film and chill in the fridge for one hour.
- Take the bowl of marinated chicken out of fridge and place in a frying pan on a medium heat, setting aside the remaining marinade. Cook for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes is up, add the chopped onions, spray with low calorie cooking spray and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Once this is complete, add the stock, the remaining marinade, peppers, spring onions, fresh chilli and mange tout and cook for a further 10 minutes. Once this is complete, it's ready to serve!
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With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
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96 comments
See what others have to say
ManniSunday 23rd April 2023
Hello, can you make this without oyster sauce.
SharonTuesday 25th April 2023
Hi Manni, if you leave the oyster sauce out it will alter the flavour and consistency of the dish a little. You could try using hoisin sauce instead.Hope this helps!
N smithSaturday 23rd July 2022
Do you need to preheat the air fryer ?
HollyFriday 29th July 2022
Hey Natalie, it’s best to preheat your air-fryer before cooking if your air-fryer doesn’t have a preheat function, we suggest heating at cooking temperature for a few minutes before cooking your food. Hope that helps!
SharonMonday 7th December 2020
Hi what temperature do you set the actifry? Is it 180?
HollyThursday 10th December 2020
Hi Sharon, 180ºC sounds good to cook the Firecracker Chicken in the Actifry. Cook for around 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe. Hope that helps!
Gillian CallaghanTuesday 15th September 2020
Fantastic recipe! Will certainly be doing this again. Husband loved it too. Would love to see more actifry recipes as have got stuck in a rut just doing chips in ours. Had it two years and this is the first actual ‘meal’ I’ve made in it and it was a definite winner!
LisaTuesday 15th September 2020
Thank you so much for your comment, Gillian! Glad you enjoyed it.
If you have an Actifry XL we also have this recipe. It’s a great way to cook risotto!
https://pinchofnom.com/recipes/garlic-mushroom-risotto/
GinaSunday 21st June 2020
Is there anything I can use instead of tamarind paste? I’m having trouble getting hold of it x
Steve CowderoyMonday 22nd June 2020
Hi Gina, thanks for getting in touch with us. A popular alternative is to use for Tamarind paste is lime juice (or sometimes white wine or rice vinegar) mixed with an equal quantity of granulated brown sweetener as a substitute. Hope this helps.
GinaWednesday 24th June 2020
Thank you, I’ll give it a try
AudreyThursday 18th June 2020
Hi, can you swap chicken for prawns? Would you have to change chicken stock to something else?
Holly LevellSaturday 20th June 2020
Hi Audrey, you could swap the chicken for prawns it’s not something we have tried it but let us know how you get on! I would leave the stock as chicken as it may change the flavour of the recipe too much. Hope that helps!
DebbieWednesday 13th May 2020
Hi, which type of chilli goes in the marinade – the fresh or dried? Also, when does the lime get used?
Holly LevellThursday 14th May 2020
Hi Debbie, it’s the dried chilli in the marinade and the chopped red chilli is added in step 6. We’ve updated this recipe to make it clearer. The lime wedge is served with the Firecracker Chicken to squeeze over. Hope that helps!
ManniTuesday 28th April 2020
Hi can you make this without the tamarind paste its really hard to get hold of at the moment.
LisaWednesday 6th May 2020
Hi Manni. Yes, you can. Add a squeeze of lime juice instead. Hope this helps.
EllieFriday 3rd April 2020
I’ve tried lots of Pinch of Nom recipes now (all have been great), but this has to be my favourite so far! I’ve already made it twice and definitely see it becoming a regular dish… so tasty and amazingly low calorie for so much flavour!
Steve CowderoyWednesday 6th May 2020
Hi Ellie, thanks for getting in touch with us , so glad you liked this recipe.
Sarah SmithWednesday 26th February 2020
I made this tonight for my family, added a bit more chicken for my hungry boys and served with noodles… a definite thumbs up from everyone ?
HollyWednesday 6th May 2020
Hi Sarah, so glad to hear you and your family are enjoying our recipes!
Niamh FarrelllWednesday 12th February 2020
What is tamarind paste? Please
Sharon FitzpatrickWednesday 6th May 2020
Hi Niamh, thanks for your question. Tamarind paste is made from the pulp of the tamarind fruit which comes from Africa. It adds a tangy acidity to dishes. Hope that helps and thanks for getting in touch.
LeanneSunday 5th January 2020
hi
having real trouble finding tamarind paste! ive tried 4 supermarkets,can you please suggest something else i can use.
thank you
Holly LevellWednesday 13th May 2020
Hi Leanne, if you can’t find the tamarind paste you could use lemon or lime juice which will provide the same kind of tartness and flavour that you would get from the paste. Hope that helps!
Louise NewmanThursday 2nd January 2020
Do you think I could recreate this using Quorn fillets as I don’t eat chicken ?
Holly LevellWednesday 13th May 2020
Hi Louise, yes I’m sure this would work with Quorn fillets just tweak the cooking times so the fillets aren’t overcooked. Hope that helps!
LisaSaturday 6th July 2019
Hi how spicy is this if i leave the chillis out. Don’t like anything more than mild so not sure if I will enjoy??
Holly LevellWednesday 13th May 2020
Hi Lisa, you can tweak the recipe to your own liking by leaving out the red chilli or the chilli flakes. You could add some mild chilli powder or some hot sauce a little at a time and taste it as you go so it doesn’t end up hotter than you like. Hope that helps!
DebbieWednesday 8th May 2019
How do you make the rice stick together in a nice tidy bowl shape please? I want to feel like I’m actually in Wagammama’s lol.
CateSaturday 25th May 2019
Press the rice into a small bowl, turn it upside down on the plate and tap the bottom (like making a sandcastle!) 🙂
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