Dragon Chicken Recipe

Dragon chicken is a delicious Indo-Chinese appetizer. Crispy chicken strips and bell peppers are tossed in a spicy sauce with crunchy cashews.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Indian, Indo-Chinese

Keyword Easy Chicken Appetizer Recipes, Indo-Chinese Chicken Recipes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings people

Calories 447kcal

Author Freda Dias

Ingredients

For the batter

300 grams chicken thighs/breast
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
Salt to taste, I added 1/4 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cornflour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg white

For the sauce

2 tablespoons oil plus more oil as needed for deep frying
1/4 cup cashew nuts
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp ginger
2 to 3 dry red chillies
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/4 cup red bell pepper strips
1/4 cup red bell pepper strips
2 tablespoons sambal oelek or any other chili sauce, refer notes
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon light soy sauce or 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste, I added 1/4 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped scallion greens

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

In a large bowl, add chicken pieces. Season with salt, black pepper, Kashmiri chili powder, vinegar, light soy sauce, and ginger garlic paste. Mix well.
Next, add an egg white and mix until all the chicken pieces are well coated.
Add all-purpose flour and cornflour. Mix well, cover the bowl and set aside for 15-20 minutes or overnight in the fridge.

Fry the chicken pieces

Note: If you have marinated the chicken overnight, take it out from the fridge and bring it to room temperature before frying.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed wok over medium heat.
Slide in the chicken pieces in batches, and leave undisturbed for a few seconds. Deep fry on medium heat, turning a couple of times with the help of slotted spoon, until they turn golden brown and crispy on both sides. Cook time will depend on the thickness of the chicken pieces.
Set aside on an absorbent napkin.

Dragon chicken sauce

In a small bowl, combine sambal oelek, tomato ketchup, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or heavy-bottomed pot on medium-high heat, add cashew nuts, saute until golden brown and set aside.
Next, add minced ginger-garlic and broken dried red chiles, sauté until ginger-garlic are fragrant.
Add sliced onion, red and green bell peppers, sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to season the veggies.
Add in the sauce mixture. Mix well, cook for 1-2 minutes or until it begins to bubble.
Now add the cornflour slurry. Give the slurry a good stir before pouring and continue mixing until it thickens up.

Toss fried chicken with the sauce

Add in the fried chicken pieces along with the roasted cashew nuts, toss to coat with the sauce.
Add in the scallion greens, mix and switch off the heat. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Sambal oelek is an Indonesian chili paste made of hot dried chili peppers, salt, and vinegar. You can substitute it with any other chili sauce such as Chings, or sriracha. You can also make chili paste at home by soaking dried red chilies in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. Grind the softened chilies with little water to a smooth paste.

Kindly refer to the serving suggestions, storage instructions, recipe tips, and variations for more info related to this post!

Nutrition Disclaimer: The nutrition info listed are approximate values that are calculated using an online nutrition calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, please use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition