If you’re a fan of Wagamama Firecracker Chicken like me, this copycat recipe is sure to steal a top spot in your notebook! Juicy, tender chicken is coated in an absolutely GOLD fiery glaze that is paired with crunchy veggies and served with fluffy rice piled in the center.
It is bold, vibrant, and packed with restaurant-worthy flavor. Finish with toasted sesame seeds and lime wedges for that authentic Wagamama vibe - and you have got yourself a quick, flavorful stir-fry perfect for weeknight dinners or impressing guests!
Table of Content
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- With just a few basic pantry staples and a quick cooking time, Firecracker Chicken is perfect whether you're juggling a diverse menu for hosting a dinner or need a speedy weekend lunch fix. No stress, no hassle—just an addictive dish that looks as impressive as it tastes!
- This dish is a flavor explosion, layered with bold, fiery flavors that strike the perfect balance between spicy, sweet, and savory.
- This Wagamama Firecracker Chicken is perfect for spice lovers! You can easily adjust the spice level to suit your taste, whether you like it mild or intense. If you are craving more spicy food, give my Spicy Asian Noodle Soup or Mongolian Beef a try!
What Is Firecracker Chicken
Wagamama's Firecracker Chicken is a fan-favorite stir-fry from the Japanese-Asian restaurant chain in UK, which now has locations in many other countries as well.
Let’s be honest—you’ve either already tried it and can’t wait for your next serving, or you've heard all the buzz and are curious to find out what makes it so special.
Wagamama isn’t exactly on every street corner, so getting my fix meant rolling up my sleeves and figuring out how to come up with a copycat recipe to bring that iconic dish straight to my and your kitchen!
It’s the perfect way to enjoy those fiery, hot flavors. Often dubbed as “volcano on a plate” thanks to its intense heat, this dish features tender pieces of chicken stir-fried with a mix of colorful vegetables like red peppers, spring onions, and snow peas, all coated in a spicy sauce.
The chicken is lightly stir-fried to maintain its crispy texture before being tossed in the sauce. This method ensures the chicken holds the sauce well without becoming soggy.
If you're anything like me, the heat might have you wiping your brow, yet you’re still gonna reach for that next irresistible bite!
The dish is often garnished with fresh chili slices and a sprinkling of shichimi togarashi (Japanese spice mix) for an extra kick, then served with a mound of steamed rice to balance out the spice.
Love Japanese food? Try my Dynamite Shrimp and Yaki Udon!
Ingredients & Substitutions
See recipe card for quantities.
- Chicken - I use boneless, skinless chicken breast. You can use chicken thighs for a juicier result, or swap it out for prawns for a seafood variation.
- Toasted Sesame Oil - It's optional but it brings a rich, nutty flavour enhancement. If unavailable, just skip it.
- Salt
- Cracked Black Pepper
- Dried Chilies - I have used dried red Kashmiri chilies. You can substitute them with New Mexico dried chilies or Ancho chilies. They provide a mild, smoky flavor without the intense heat of other dried chilies. Dried Japanese chili peppers, such as Togarashi or chili threads, are great for adding an authentic Japanese touch. However, they are often not available at local grocery stores and can be quite difficult to find.
- Red Pepper Flakes - aka crushes chilies.
- Oil - Use any neutral cooking oil or olive oil.
- Garnish - Wagamama traditionally uses shichimi togarashi, which is a Japanese spice blend. If you can’t find it, replace it with a mix of red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and toasted sesame seeds for a similar kick and texture. Top up with a lime wedge and green onions! And serve around a mound of jasmine rice.
Stir Fry
- Ginger & Garlic
- Red Chilies - Thai bird's eye chilies provide the perfect amount of heat. You can sub with serrano red peppers or any mild chilies.
- Veggies - I use red and green bell peppers, snow peas, bok choy, white onions and scallions (green onion). You can substitute these with similar stir-fry-friendly veggies like carrots, snap peas (mangetout), zucchini, baby corn, or broccoli based on availability or preference.
Firecracker Sauce
To create that signature firecracker sauce, I use a combination of oyster sauce, all-purpose soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sriracha, honey, rice vinegar, crushed red pepper, ketchup, and lime juice.
You can replace honey with brown sugar and use white or malt vinegar instead of rice wine vinegar. Fish sauce could also be a nice addition to this sauce.
In the original recipe, normally Yakitori sauce is used but since it is not a very accessible option for everyone my combination gives the exact same taste.
How To Make Copycat Firecracker Chicken
Here's how you can make my version of Wagamama’s Firecracker Chicken recipe in 6 easy steps.
- Marinate chicken with some firecracker sauce, salt, and pepper, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat oil in a wok and sauté ginger, garlic, and scallion whites. Add the chilies, cooking until fragrant.
- Add marinated chicken and stir-fry until it starts to brown.
- Toss in bell peppers, onions, and snow peas, cooking until tender-crisp.
- Pour the firecracker sauce, reduce heat, and let it simmer. Finish with sesame oil and bok choy. Turn off heat.
- Serve with plain rice, garnished with sesame seeds, crushed red pepper, lime wedges, and green onions. Enjoy!
Helpful Tips
- Prep everything first! Stir-frying moves fast, so chop all your ingredients and measure your sauce beforehand for smooth cooking.
- To maintain the perfect crunch, cook vegetables like bell peppers, and snow peas on high heat for just a few minutes during stir-frying. Overcooking will make them soggy. Add Bok choy right at the end as it wilts quickly.
- Want a saucier Firecracker Chicken? Just mix a tablespoon or two of cornstarch with ¼-½ cup of chicken stock and stir it into the wok after simmering the sauce.
Variations
- Switch the Protein: Wagamama also offers a Firecracker Prawn version. Simply swap the chicken for prawns, adjusting the cook time since prawns cook faster. For a vegetarian option, tofu works perfectly. You can also make Firecracker Cauliflower.
- Add More Vegetables: Customize the stir-fry with vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, baby corn, mushrooms, or snap peas. These blend well with the sauce and add a variety of textures and flavors.
- Make It Creamy: For a richer, creamier twist, throw in a splash of coconut milk while the sauce is simmering. It helps tone down the spice while giving the dish a silky-smooth texture!
How To Serve
This is one of those dishes that will definitely have you thinking it’s a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds!
At Wagamama, Firecracker Chicken comes with a mound of steamed rice at the center, fiery chicken with sauce around it, and a garnish of chili slices, shichimi togarashi, and lime wedges for a bold, eye-catching finish.
For a complete dining experience, you can pair it with my Yaki Udon, Chinese Chicken Corn Soup, or Dynamite Shrimp!
Storage
To store Firecracker Chicken, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. For the best results, reheat it in a skillet to retain its crispiness.
Avoid freezing the dish with the veggies, as they can become watery once thawed.
FAQs
Wagamama’s original Firecracker sauce uses their signature Yakitori sauce as a base, blended with vegetarian oyster sauce, sriracha, vegetable oil, dried chili flakes, honey, and sweet chili sauce to give it that sweet-heat kick. If you're in the UK, you can easily grab their sauce packet in stores. But if you’re up for a little DIY, my homemade version hits all the same notes with ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard!
Wagamama's Firecracker Chicken is seriously spicy—definitely a dish for those who love it HOT! The dish packs a fiery punch from sriracha and lots of chilies. The good news is, when you make it at home, you can adjust the spice level to suit your taste—so feel free to tone it down if you prefer it milder!
Shichimi Togarashi, also known as Japanese Seven Spice, is a flavorful spice blend made with a mix of ingredients like chili peppers, sesame seeds, nori (seaweed), orange peel, and more. It’s known for its perfect balance of heat, zest, and nuttiness, commonly sprinkled on noodles, rice dishes, or soups to add a vibrant kick of flavor.
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📖 Recipe
Copycat Firecracker Chicken
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.5oz) boneless chicken cut in small cubes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cracked black pepper
Stir Fry:
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 Thai chilies diced
- 8 dried red chilies see note 1
- ½ (75g) red bell pepper cut into cubes
- ½ (75g) green bell pepper cut into cubes
- 1 (70g) small white onion cut into cubes
- 1 baby bok choy sliced lengthwise
- 60 g (2oz) snow peas
- 1 green onion white and green separately sliced
- 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil optional
Firecracker Sauce:
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
To Garnish:
- Toasted black and white sesame seeds
- Cayenne pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Lime Wedges
- Green Onion
- Steamed rice to serve
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine together the ingredients for the firecracker sauce and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the firecracker sauce, salt, and pepper. Let it marinate for at least 10-15 minutes.
- Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, and the white parts of the green onions, and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the Thai chilies and dried red chilies, cooking for another 2 minutes to release their heat.
- Add the marinated chicken to the wok and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown.
- Toss in the bell peppers, onion, and snow peas, stir-frying for 3–4 minutes until tender-crisp.
- Pour the remaining firecracker sauce into the wok. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently.
- Add toasted sesame oil and bok choy. Stir and cook for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.
- On a serving plate, place a mound of steamed rice in the center. Ladle the firecracker chicken curry around the rice. Sprinkle cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and toasted sesame seeds over the rice, garnish with lime wedges and green onion tops, and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- I used dried red Kashmiri chilies, but New Mexico, Birds Eye or Ancho chilies work well too.
- If you prefer a saucier Firecracker Chicken, mix a tablespoon or two of cornstarch with ¼-½ cup of chicken stock and add it to the wok after simmering the firecracker sauce.
Nutrition
PIN IT FOR LATER
Nabila Umer says
I tried the famous firecracker chicken and it turned out absolutely amazing, exactly how i have had at wagamama. The recipe is spot on. I dont think i am going to wagamama again now😀😬
Qashang says
Yay so happy to hear that! Thank you.
Hina Akber says
The moment I saw this recipe on instagram, I knew it that I will try it. This recipe hit all the spots and is on point . I am a huge fan of
Waghamama and it being not halal I have only tried shrimp there. The recipe is amazing and not too spicy. If you follow the recipe exactly, all the flavors are very balanced. My family loved it.
Qashang says
Thank you for trying the recipe! I’m so glad you and your family loved it—it means a lot!