Dragon Chicken
Updated: February 22, 2025, By Swasthi
Dragon Chicken is a fancy restaurant appetizer from the Indian-Chinese cuisine. It’s slightly hot, tangy, umami and everyone loves it. Though the dish looks hot, fiery and red, it won’t make you run around like a fire-breathing dragon since it doesn’t sting you with a lot of heat. The dish gets its name from the thin chicken strips that resemble the shape of a Dragon.
Chicken breasts are cut to thin strips and batter fried before tossing in a spicy and umami sauce. Red chili paste is the star of this dish and it not only gives the unique red fiery color but also adds body to the sauce and imparts a robust flavor. Whole roasted cashews add a bit of nuttiness and crunch to the dish.
This recipe makes a much better dish than what you get in a lot of restaurants. I know we miss out the wok hei in a homemade version because our home kitchens are not equipped with that kind of large burners and woks used in the restaurant kitchens. Still, I found this recipe to be yielding consistent results with much fresher and better flavors than what I ate in many restaurants.
Can I air fry or bake?
This recipe calls for deep frying the chicken strips. If you want to make it healthier you may air fry or bake the chicken. But avoid cutting the chicken to thin strips, instead dice to ¾ to 1 inch portions else it is a very tedious task to air fry or bake. I know it then can’t be called a Dragon Chicken but that’s how I make mine a lot of times.
The baked version won’t produce crispy chicken like the fried version because the chicken is not breaded. But still it tastes good because the sauce is delicious.
Photo Guide
How to make Dragon Chicken (Stepwise Photos)
The list of ingredients look too long but most of them are repeated/ used twice – Once for the marinade and the second time for the dragon sauce. So you may prep-up at the same time. You can find a printable recipe card below, at the end of this post.
Chicken Marinade
1. Here I show how to make the red chili paste. If you don’t want to go through this process you may opt for store bought sambal oelek and start with lower amounts. Deseed 15 dried Kashmiri red chilies (about 20 grams) and soak them in ½ cup boiling hot water, until soft for about 15 to 20 mins. Later, remove to a small grinder and blend with ¼ cup fresh water to a smooth thick paste. This makes 4 tablespoons chili paste.
2. Cut 250 grams chicken (10 ounces) thinly to ½ inch by 2 to 3 inch strips and add to a mixing bowl.
3. Add
- â…› teaspoon sea salt (or any other of choice)
- ½ tablespoon grated ginger (6 grams), from ½ inch ginger root
- ½ tablespoon grated garlic (8 grams), from 3 to 4 cloves or use 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon red chili paste from step 1 (or use ½ tsp white/black pepper)
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon organic soya sauce or tamari (may use dark soya)
4. Mix well and cover. Rest for at least 20 mins while you prepare the other ingredients to temper.
Preparation
5. Meanwhile prepare the following
- 2 dried red chilies (broken & deseeded partially)
- ½ cup thinly sliced onion or diced from 1 small onion, (60 grams)
- 1 tablespoon garlic sliced from 3 cloves (7 grams)
- 1 tablespoon ginger chopped from ½ inch root (5 g)
- 1 teaspoon tender coriander stems fine chopped (omit if you don’t have)
- ½ cup bell pepper (sliced capsicum, (60 grams) any color)
- 1 spring onion (/scallions chopped, (20 grams), white & greens separated)
- ¼ to ½ cup roasted unsalted cashews (40 to 80 g) – omit if you don’t like
6. In a small bowl, stir together
- 2 to 3 tablespoons red chili paste (start with lower amount, I start with 2 tbsp & adjust at the last stage, end up using all the paste from 15 chilies (4 tbsps))
- 1 tablespoon soya sauce or tamari (15 ml)
- 2½ tablespoons Maggi tomato sauce (45ml/50 grams) or 1½ tbsp ketchup (22ml/ 30 grams) adjust to taste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar or maple syrup (adjust to taste)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons vinegar. Taste test and adjust salt and vinegar to taste.
7. Optionally to make a slightly saucy version – In another small bowl, stir together 2 teaspoons cornstarch (white corn flour) and â…“ cup water to make a smooth slurry.
Make dragon sauce
8. On a medium high flame, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok. Add red chills, white scallions/ spring onions, ginger, garlic, coriander stems.
9. When they begin to sizzle, add onions and bell peppers. Stir fry on a high heat for 2 to 3 mins.
10. Stir in the prepared sauce and saute for 2 to 3 mins. Pour ¼ cup hot water or chicken broth and cook until thick and glossy.
11. Taste test and adjust sauce to taste. It should be prominently hot, with a slight hint of soya and faintly sour (from tomato sauce). At this stage if you want add more red chili paste and cook down with a splash of liquid. Optional – Stir the corn flour slurry with a spoon and pour it. Bring to a boil and let simmer for a minute, until thick and bubbling. Turn off and keep it warm.
Make Dragon Chicken
12. When you are ready to fry, on a medium flame heat ¾ cup high smoke point oil in a deep pan. Stir in 2 tablespoons egg white (from 1 small egg) and coat the chicken well. Mix together 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or wheat flour (20 grams) and 4 tablespoons corn starch or rice flour (40 grams). Sprinkle evenly over the chicken and coat it well.
13. If it is too dry, add a splash of water, but do not make a runny batter else your chicken won’t be crispy. Test if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small portion of batter to the hot oil. It should sizzle and rise to the surface without turning too brown.
14. Gently slide the chicken pieces one by one to the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry without disturbing them for 2 mins. Stir and fry further for another minute, until they turn evenly golden and crisp.
15. Remove to a wired rack or a steel colander and fry the remaining marinated chicken in batches. If you want you may flash fry the fried chicken again just for a minute to keep them crispier. Don’t fry too long, chicken will become chewy. Cool down slightly for 2 mins, don’t add the hot chicken to the hot sauce.
16. Stir in the fried chicken and roasted cashews.
17. Toss or mix until well coated with the dragon sauce. Garnish with spring onion greens.
Serve dragon chicken immediately as an appetizer/ snack or side with fried rice, plain rice, Hakka noodles and Veg soup. This is the consistency of dry dragon chicken. If you use the corn starch it turns out slightly more saucy & glossy.
Dragon Chicken (Indo-Chinese Restaurant Style)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
Red Chili Paste (or use store bought like Sambal Oelek)
- 15 (20 grams) Kashmiri dried red chilies ( or byadgi or mathania)
- ¼ cup water to blend (+ ½ cup boiling hot water to soak)
Chicken Marinade
- 250 grams (10 ounces) boneless chicken (preferably breast)
- ½ tablespoon (8 grams) garlic (grated or use 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste)
- ½ tablespoon (6 grams) ginger (grated)
- 1 teaspoon red chili paste (or use ½ tsp white/black pepper, read notes)
- 1 teaspoon vinegar (rice or apple vinegar, read notes)
- 1 teaspoon soya sauce (organic or naturally brewed or use tamari)
- â…› teaspoon sea salt or as needed
- 1 small egg white (use only 2 tbsps.)
- 4 tablespoons (40 grams) organic cornstarch or rice flour
- 2 tablespoon (20 grams) organic all-purpose flour (or unbleached, may use wheat flour)
- ¾ cup high smoke point oil (or more to deep fry)
To make Dragon Sauce
- 2 to 3 tablespoons red chili paste (adjust to taste, I use entire prepared chili paste)
- 1 tablespoon soya sauce (organic or naturally brewed or use tamari)
- 2½ tablespoons (45ml/ 50 grams) Maggi tomato sauce (or 1½ tbsp ketchup, adjust to taste, can vary depending on brand)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons vinegar (rice or apple cider, adjust to taste)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar (or maple syrup, adjust to taste)
- ¼ cup hot water (to cook the sauce)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in â…“ cup water (optional, use for a saucy version)
To Temper
- 2 tablespoons oil (may use fried oil)
- ¼ to ½ cup roasted unsalted cashews (40 to 80 g)
- 2 dried red chilies (broken & deseeded partially)
- ½ cup (60 grams, 1 small) onion thinly sliced or diced
- 1 tablespoon (7 grams, 3 cloves) garlic sliced
- 1 tablespoon (½ inch, 5 g) ginger chopped
- 1 teaspoon tender coriander stems fine chopped
- ½ cup (60 grams) bell pepper (capsicum, sliced, any color)
- 1 (20 grams) spring onion (/scallions chopped, white & greens separated)
Instructions
- Deseed dried chilies and soak in boiling hot water, for about 15 to 20 mins. Drain the water and add them to a grinder. Blend with fresh water to a smooth paste. This makes 4 tablespoons chili paste.
- Cut chicken to thin stirps of ½ inch by 2 to 3 inch and add to a mixing bowl.
- Add salt, ginger garlic paste, soya sauce, black pepper or chili paste, vinegar (omit to use sambal oelek). Mix well and cover. Rest for 20 mins while you prepare the other ingredients.
- In a small bowl, stir soya sauce, maggi tomato sauce, sugar, red chili paste, vinegar (omit to use sambal oelek). Taste test to adjust salt and vinegar to your preference. Optionally for a slightly saucy version – In another small bowl, stir together cornstarch and water.
Make the sauce
- On a medium high flame, heat oil in a wok to temper. Add red chills, white scallions, ginger, garlic, onions, coriander stems and bell peppers. Stir fry on a high heat for 2 to 3 mins.
- Stir in the prepared dragon sauce and hot water. Let cook on a medium high heat until thick and glossy.
- Optional – Pour the cornstarch slurry (make sure you mix it first with a spoon). Bring to a boil and let simmer for a minute, until thick and bubbling.
- Taste test and adjust sauce to taste. It should be prominently hot, with a slight hint of soya and faintly sour (from tomato sauce). Turn off and keep it warm.
Fry the chicken
- When you are ready to fry, on a medium flame heat oil in a deep pan.
- Stir in the egg white and coat the chicken well. Mix together both the flour and cornstarch. Sprinkle evenly over the chicken and coat it well. If it is too dry, add a splash of water or egg. But avoid making the batter runny.
- Test if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small portion of batter to the hot oil. It should sizzle and rise to the surface without turning too brown.
- Gently slide the chicken pieces one by one to the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry without disturbing them for 2 mins. Stir and fry further for another minute, until they turn evenly golden and crisp.
- Remove to a wired rack or a steel colander and fry the remaining marinated chicken in batches. Optionally, flash fry (refry) the chicken on a medium high heat just for a minute or 2. Overdoing can make the chicken chewy.
- Cool down slightly for 1 to 2 mins.
Assemble Dragon Chicken
- Add the fried chicken and roasted cashews. Mix to coat with the dragon sauce. Garnish with spring onion greens.
- Serve immediately as an appetizer/ snack or side with fried rice or noodles or soup.
Notes
- If using store bought chili paste, omit vinegar while making sauce. Taste test the dragon sauce and add it if required at the end.
© Swasthi’s Recipes
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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