Make the classic sweet and spicy dish, Gluten-free Chang's Spicy Chicken, from P.F. Changs right at home with this copycat recipe! This recipe is quite easy to make with fluffy battered gluten-free chicken nuggets and a special sauce!
½cupwater,plus more if needed to thin batter to pancake batter consistency.
Spicy Chicken Sauce
2Tablespoonsoil
5clovesgarlic,minced
¼cupdiced green onion,plus extra for garnish
1cupchicken broth,water or orange juice
¼cupbrown sugar
2Tablespoonsrice vinegar,or white vinegar
1teaspoonsriracha or chili garlic sauce
1teaspoon sesame oil
¼teaspoon kosher salt
⅛teaspoonred pepper flakes
1Tablespoon cornstarch
1Tablespoon water
Oil for frying
Instructions
Cook rice using your preferred method. Prepare the chicken and sauce while the rice cooks.
Prep the Chicken
Dice the chicken breast into 1-inch pieces and lightly dust it with cornstarch.
Prepare the batter by whisking together ¼ cup cornstarch, gluten-free flour, and baking powder.
Whisk in the water. The batter should be thin like pancake batter. Add more water if needed to reach this consistency.* Set aside.
Make the Sauce
In a small saucepan, heat the oil. Sauté the green onions and garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Take care not to burn the garlic.
Pour in the chicken broth (water or orange juice), brown sugar, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce (or sriracha), sesame oil, salt, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for a few minutes.
Whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Add to the saucepan and whisk.
Allow the sauce to simmer until thick and then turn the heat to low to keep warm, whisk occasionally.
Cook the Chicken
Heat oil in a deep non-stick pot or deep fryer. Use at least enough oil to cover the chicken.
Dip a few chicken bites at a time in the batter. Fry in batches until golden brown and chicken reaches an internal temp of 165°F.
Remove the chicken bites to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with salt if desired.
Continue to fry chicken in batches until all of the chicken is cooked.
Toss individual portions of the chicken with some of the sauce in a small bowl.** Serve the sauced chicken over a bed of steamed white rice. Garnish with green onion, if desired.
Notes
*Cup4Cup was the only flour that required more than ½ cup of water. It got very gloopy, but adding extra water allowed it to be thinned properly. The batter should resemble pancake batter.**Rather than soaking all of the chicken in the sauce at once, tossing the chicken a little at a time keeps the uneaten chicken crisper while it sits.