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This dragon chicken is a popular Indo-Chinese recipe where the chicken is lightly fried and then tossed in a spicy sauce with pepper and onions.
I am a fan of both Chinese and Indian cuisine - from General Tso's chicken to chicken bhuna to honey walnut shrimp to beef biryani.
But have you ever combined the two? Well that's what you get dragon chicken. It uses Chinese cooking methods but has both Chinese and Indian tastes.
Why This Recipe Works
- One skillet meal - I'm a fan of meals that can be prepared in one skillet/pan. Not only does it imply how easy it is to make, but less dishes to clean as well.
- Quick to prepare - when looking for dishes to make during the week, that magic 30 minute number is important and you can have this ready with time to spare.
- Flavorful - you get sweetness from the ketchup and ginger and spiciness from the chili garlic sauce and Sriracha to form a sticky sauce coating the chicken.
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Recipe Notes
- Chicken - chicken thighs are a little fattier which adds more flavor to the dish.
- Cornstarch - helps crisp up the chicken and is also gluten free.
- Ketchup - the base for the sauce. Adds a sweet and tangy flavor.
- Chili garlic sauce/Sriracha - adds just the right amount of heat to the dish.
- Cashews - adds crunch and flavor.
- Veggies - the ginger, garlic, green onion and pepper adds flavor and texture to the dragon chicken.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe you can mix up the ingredients. Some variations include:
- I like boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you can also use chicken breasts.
- Chinese recipes usually calls for cornstarch to fry protein, but tapioca flour is a good substitute. If you don't need a gluten free recipe, all-purpose flour works fine.
- If you are gluten free, you can use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.
- Ketchup is the base for the sauce, but tomato sauce can be used too.
- If you don't have chili garlic sauce, harissa sauce is a good substitute.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Toss the chicken in the marinade ingredients so it is well coated. In another bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Cook the chicken in a skillet with oil over medium high-heat until done. Remove and keep a tablespoon of oil
Reduce the skillet to medium and then add the cashews, cooking until they're beginning to brown.
Add the onion and pepper and cook for 2 minutes before adding the green onion, garlic and ginger, cooking for another 30 seconds.
Add the sauce and cook until it thickens before adding the chicken, tossing to coat.
FAQs
Contrary to the name, it doesn't use dragon-legged chicken also known as dong tao, a type of chicken in Vietnam. It is simply fried chicken tossed in a spicy, but slightly sweet sauce.
I'm not one that can handle too much spice. To me, this dish has a nice warmth to it but will not make you sweat. You can make it spicier if you prefer.
You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink.
Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
While you can microwave I like to reheat in a skillet over low heat with the sauce until warmed through.
Side Dish Options
This dragon chicken recipe is great on its own but works with some side dishes.
- White rice - a good white rice like jasmine or basmati complements the chicken.
- Fried rice - if you want to step up the game of regular white rice, fried rice works great.
- Veggies - I love sautéed sugar snap peas, green beans or broccoli.
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the recipe turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Skillet/Wok - you want something large enough to cook the chicken.
- Spoon - you want a good wooden spoon to stir everything together.
- Chef's knife - you want a good knife to slice/cut the veggies and chicken.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Be consistent with the size you cut the chicken so it cooks evenly.
- You can let the chicken marinate in the egg/cornstarch mixture for an hour as it helps tenderize the chicken even more. I skip this step since I use chicken thighs.
- Cook the chicken in batches so you don't overload the wok and cool it down. You want to cook the chicken quickly and adding too much at a time will slow the cooking process.
- If you want more heat, add Sriracha in ½ teaspoon increments.
- Make sure you toss the chicken in the sauce right before serving so it remains crisp. The longer it sits in the sauce, the softer it becomes.
Similar Recipes
If you’ve tried this dragon chicken recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Dragon Chicken
Ingredients
Marinade
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
Stir Fry
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup cashews
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, egg, ginger salt and pepper. Mix the chicken so it is well coated.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for about 6 minutes or until golden brown. Remove chicken and set aside. Keep 1 tablespoon of oil.
- In small bowl, add the water, ketchup, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, Sriracha, cornstarch and sugar and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside.
- With the oil at medium heat, add the cashews, cooking for about 2 minutes or until they're starting to brown. Add in the onion and pepper, cooking for 2 minutes. Add the green onion, garlic, ginger, cooking for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the sauce, cooking until it thickens, about 1 minute.
- Toss in the chicken until it is coated and warmed through. Serve over rice and top with additional green onions.
Notes
- Be consistent with the size you cut the chicken so it cooks evenly.
- You can let the chicken marinate in the egg/cornstarch mixture for an hour as it helps tenderize the chicken even more. I skip this step since I use chicken thighs.
- Cook the chicken in batches so you don't overload the wok and cool it down. You want to cook the chicken quickly and adding too much at a time will slow the cooking process.
- If you want more heat, add Sriracha in ½ teaspoon increments.
- Make sure you toss the chicken in the sauce right before serving so it remains crisp. The longer it sits in the sauce, the softer it becomes.
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