Dragon Chicken, the dish as BOLD, fiery and colorful as the mighty dragon. This Indo-Chinese dish beautifully blends the fiery essence of the East with subtle hints of the exotic.
This dish is a mix of yummy flavors and textures, with chicken strips coated in a spicy batter and fried until golden. Then, the chicken is cooked with crunchy bell peppers, red onions, and cashews for extra crunch.
It’s completed with a sauce that’s as fiery and bold as a dragon’s breath, yet balanced with a touch of sweetness.
End result? A fiery yet finger licking chicken stir fry dish.
Perfect as appetizer or a sumptuous main course over fluffy white rice, Dragon Chicken is your next new dish to try.
What is Dragon Chicken?
Dragon Chicken is a delicious Indo-Chinese dish with spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors. This cuisine is characterized by a fusion of Indian and Chinese cooking styles.
I grew up on many Indo-Chinese dishes such as chili chicken, chicken Manchurian and manchow soup. Many of these will find their way onto GypsyPlate one of these days.
Indo-Chinese cuisine began to take shape in the early 20th century when a small Chinese community settled in Kolkata. They started adapting traditional Chinese recipes to suit Indian tastes, which often meant making dishes spicier and more flavorful to appeal to the local palate.
The name “Dragon Chicken” likely comes from how spicy and colorful the dish is, reminding people of dragons. It sounds exciting and different, which makes it stand out on menus.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs – I like boneless skinless chicken thighs as they remain juicy and tender, and absorb the marinade well.
- Flour & Corn Starch – This combination creates the crispy coating on the chicken.
- Soy Sauce – An Asian staple.
- Ginger & Garlic Paste – These are also key ingredients in many Asian cuisines, especially Indian.
- Spices – Salt, black pepper, and Kashmiri red chili powder. The latter can be foind in Indian grocery stores or online. In its absence you can use paprika.
- Egg – The beaten egg in the marinade helps bind the flour to the chicken.
- Stir-fry Sauce Ingredients – Tomato ketchup, chili paste, sugar, water.
- Bell Peppers & Onion – These veggies add crunch, color, and sweetness.
- Dry Red Chilies – They increase the heat and add an authentic touch to the dish.
- Cashews – For some crunch.
Dragon Chicken Recipe
1. Marinate the Chicken: Combine the chicken strips with flour, corn starch, soy sauce, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, black pepper, Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika, and beaten egg in a mixing bowl. Mix well until all the chicken pieces are evenly coated. Set aside to marinate while prepping other ingredients.
2. Prepare Stir-fry Sauce: Mix tomato ketchup, soy sauce, red chili paste (like sriracha or sambal oelek), sugar, and water in a small bowl. Set aside the sauce for later use.
3. Fry the Chicken: Heat oil in a frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Shallow fry the marinated chicken in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes per batch. Drain the fried chicken on a paper towel-lined dish.
4. Stir-fry Vegetables: Discard excess oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Stir fry the diced red onion, bell peppers, and dry red chili pieces for a couple of minutes on high heat. Add finely chopped garlic, ginger, and cashew nuts, continuing to stir-fry for another couple of minutes.
5. Combine with Sauce and Chicken: Pour in the prepared stir-fry sauce. Add the fried chicken back into the pan. Toss well to ensure every piece of chicken is coated with the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Dragon Chicken is often served on its own as a standalone appetizer. You can arrange the chicken pieces on a serving platter, garnished with sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions for an impressive starter to wow guests.
My favorite way to eat it is as a main over a bed of steamed white rice. It’s yum.
Another great option is to serve it alongside or on top of a bed of noodles, such as lo mein or rice noodles. If you want an extra fiery meal, pair the Dragon Chicken with my Spicy Noodles.
For a lighter, low-carb option, Dragon Chicken can be served in lettuce wraps.
Alpana’s Tips and Tricks
- Marinating Time: Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or even better, up to a few hours in the refrigerator.
- Frying the Chicken: Make sure oil is ready for shallow frying. Use a thermometer to check the oil temperature or drop a small piece of batter in the oil. If it sizzles and comes to the surface, the oil is ready.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Fry the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding, which can lower the oil temperature and lead to soggy chicken.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the sauce before adding it to the chicken and adjust the sweetness, saltiness, or spiciness as needed.
Leftovers and Storing
Allow the leftovers to cool to room temperature before storing them. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, Dragon Chicken can last for 2-3 days in the fridge.
When ready to eat, you can reheat the leftovers in the microwave, oven, or on the stovetop. If using a microwave, cover the dish to retain moisture. For the oven or stovetop, you might want to add a little water or chicken broth to keep the chicken moist. Reheat only until the chicken is hot throughout.
I am sure, Dragon Chicken is a new flavor for most of you. Try this fiery Indo-Chinese appetizer if you’re looking for bold flavors in your Asian cravings.
You will see how any food can have a spicier, zingier and bolder twist when it goes to India.
For more easy weeknight dinners, check out our hand picked collection of Dinner Ideas for Tonight. Until next time…
Dragon Chicken, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
More Asian Chicken Recipes:
Karaage Chicken
Chicken Korma
Methi Chicken
Thai Chicken Larb
Vietnamese Chicken Curry
Moo Shu Chicken
Chicken Masala
Dragon Chicken
Dragon Chicken is a spicy Indo-Chinese dish where shallow fried chicken is tossed in a fiery sauce. Serve as an appetizer, or as a main over rice.
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 3 Tbsp corn starch
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp ginger paste
- 1 Tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika
- 1 egg, beaten
Stir-fry sauce
- ¼ cup tomato ketchup
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp red chili paste (like sriracha or sambal oelek)
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ cup water
Dragon Chicken
- ¼ cup oil (for shallow frying and for stir fry)
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- ½ green bell pepper, diced
- ½ orange bell pepper, diced
- ½ red onion, diced
- 3-4 dry red chilies, cut into large pieces (see note)
- 1 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped
- ¼ cup cashew nuts
Instructions
- Add chicken along with all the marinade ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix well till all the chicken pieces are coated well. (You can marinade while you prep the rest of the ingredients)
- In a small bowl, mix all stir fry sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Heat oil in frying pan or wok on medium high heat. Shallow fry the chicken in batches till golden brown and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Plate it out on a paper towel lined dish.
- Remove all but about 2 Tbsp oil from the pan. Once the oil is hot, stir fry diced red onion along with bell peppers and red chili pieces for a couple of minutes on high heat.
- Add in chopped ginger and garlic along with cashew nuts and stir fry for another couple of minutes.
- Add in sauce and fried chicken and toss till every chicken piece is well coated with the sauce.
- Serve immediately as appetizer, or over a bed of white rice.
Notes
- Use more or less according to how much spice you want.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 428Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 19gCholesterol 169mgSodium 1569mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 2gSugar 10gProtein 32g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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