This Copycat PF Chang's Spicy Chicken recipe is the perfect sweet and spicy stir fry served over rice with sesame seeds and scallions!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Canola oil – use any neutral cooking oil like olive oil or grapeseed oil.
- Chicken breast – you can also try making this recipe with shrimp, beef or boneless chicken thighs.
- Cornstarch – potato starch or arrowroot are good alternatives here.
- Green onions – chives provide a similar flavour or you can leave these off altogether.
- Sesame seeds – white or black sesame seeds would both work.
- Sweet chili sauce – use a blend of hot sauce and honey instead for a similar taste.
- Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best substitutes for soy sauce.
- Hoisin sauce – oyster sauce or garlic teriyaki will provide a similar flavour.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Chili flakes – feel free to leave these out altogether if you don’t like spice.
- Rice – use your favourite variety of white or brown rice.
- Butter – you can also use a bit of olive oil or margarine to make the rice nice and moist.
- Salt – to taste.
How to make PF Chang's Spicy Chicken
- Assemble your ingredients.
- Make the sauce.
- Toss the chicken in cornstarch.
- Stir fry the chicken.
- Add in the sauce.
- Serve over rice with green onions and sesame seeds.
Making the rice
If you plan to serve the chicken with rice, it will need to be cooked separately. I like to use my rice cooker for this, but there are other options as well.
- Stovetop – To cook the rice in a pan on the stovetop, simply follow the package directions. It will take about 20 minutes for white rice, or 40 minutes for brown or wild rice.
- Slow cooker – Because it can be gummy and sticky if you don’t cook it properly, this is my least favourite way to cook rice.
- Instant Pot – Use my recipe to make Instant Pot rice. You’ll have fluffy rice in less than 10 minutes!
Or, for a healthier option, you could make cauliflower rice instead!
Frequently Asked Questions
The spice level is noticeable but it isn’t overly spicy. The chili sauce has a bit of sweetness to it, which helps prevent it from being too spicy.
The chicken in this recipe isn’t fully breaded, but it is tossed in cornstarch to give it that nice crispy texture.
My copycat version is a much healthier choice – the calories are just over half of what they are for the restaurant version. If you order it at PF Chang’s, the dish will have 840 calories per serving. In comparison, there are just 449 calories per serving if you make it according to my recipe.
Storing and reheating
After this dish cools to room temperature, transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. Store them in the refrigerator and use them up within 5 days.
To maintain the chicken’s crispy texture, the best way to reheat leftovers is either in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop or on a sheet pan in the oven at 350° Fahrenheit. For food safety purposes, be sure to reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit.
Freezing this recipe
This dish is freezer-friendly and can be kept in the freezer for 3 to 4 months. However, because reheating may change the texture and flavour, it’s best when it’s eaten fresh. If you do freeze it, be sure to thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating it.
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More takeout-inspired recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing the leftovers.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
PF Chang's Spicy Chicken {Copycat Recipe}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 lb chicken breast, diced
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 bunch green onions, for garnish
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
Sauce
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes or more to taste
Rice
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Mix together sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Add rice ingredients to a rice cooker and cook.
- Toss chicken with cornstarch in a large bowl. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Once oil is smoking, add chicken and stir fry for 6-7 minutes until browned and cooked through.
- Toss chicken with sauce, then serve over rice. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds, then serve and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Len Yates says
The dish came out great. Just one thing. Chang’s Spicy Chicken as served in the restaurant has a definite tangy flavor. How can I add some of this tang?
Taylor Stinson says
You could try adding some rice vinegar!