Copycat P.F. Chang's Spicy Chicken Recipe

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Perfectly savory and sticky with just the right spicy kick, P.F. Chang's spicy chicken is one of the best menu items available at the restaurant. But what if the restaurant isn't in a convenient location for you? There's an easy fix, and that would be recipe developer Julianne De Witt's best copycat P.F. Chang's spicy chicken recipe, one that captures both the crispy essence of the chicken itself and the deeply savory, rich, subtly sweet, and spicy nature of the sauce that coats it.

"This easy copycat P.F. Chang's Spicy Chicken comes together fast and tastes just like it came from the restaurant," De Witt says. She highlights the cornstarch as being a star ingredient to help with optimal crisping (we'll touch more on that down the line), and gives credit to the sauce for packing a spicy punch without overdoing it. All told, it takes just under 30 minutes to whip up this copycat recipe, making it an ideal one for P.F. Chang's lovers and quick weeknight meal lovers alike. DeWitt recommends, "Serve this chicken dish on its own, over rice, or in lettuce cups," and tells us, "There is plenty of sauce to drizzle on top of the chicken after plating. My family loved this recipe — this one will definitely be on regular rotation in my house."

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Though this is a fairly simple recipe, there are a few tips to keep in mind to ensure the best results when preparing copycat P.F. Chang's spicy chicken. For starters, a huge mistake many people make when cooking with a wok is not letting the temperature get high enough before adding the food. For this recipe, you want the wok to get nice and hot so that the chicken gets a nice sear and crispy texture on the outside (and so it cooks through quickly). "Heat the oil to very hot, almost but not quite smoking — this will ensure even browning," De Witt advises. Depending on the size of your wok, you may need more or less oil, but be sure to add enough so that the chicken can fully fry without sticking, and keep in mind that cornstarch absorbs oil quickly. 

Next, as tempting as it may be to throw all of the chicken into the wok at once, it's best to work in batches to avoid overcrowding. If you do overcrowd the wok, the chicken may steam instead of browning, meaning that it will cook through, but it won't have that desirably crispy exterior. And, after you remove most of the oil from the wok and return the chicken with the sauce, reduce the heat a bit so as to avoid burning the sauce.

Cornstarch is an incredibly useful ingredient to keep on hand in the kitchen. Many people rely on cornstarch for its thickening abilities, and in fact, this very recipe relies on cornstarch to do just that in the form of a slurry for the sauce. But cornstarch's use goes beyond thickening, and one of the mistakes people make with cornstarch is not using it to its full potential. Cornstarch is also very useful for getting foods crispy, so though it may seem odd to toss the chicken with cornstarch before frying it in the wok, there's a very good reason for this extra step. 

"Adding cornstarch creates a crisp coating to the chicken, because it browns quickly in hot oil." De Witt explains, "The cornstarch also adds a barrier between the chicken and the wok surface so that the chicken doesn't stick." The cornstarch also helps keep the chicken nice and moist while avoiding any rubberiness, so it really is worth tossing on your chicken before frying so as to get that perfect texture on both the outside and inside.