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5 from 2 votes

Dragon Chicken Recipe

This Chinese dragon chicken recipe is spicy marinated chicken that is lightly fried then sauteed with cashew nuts and peppers, served alone or with rice.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Marinating Time1 hour
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Keyword: chicken, recipe, spicy
Servings: 4
Calories: 415kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

  • 1.25 pounds chicken breast cut into bite-sized chunks

FOR THE MARINADE

  • 2 tablespoons chopped ginger
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic about 2-3 cloves
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
  • Pinch of salt

FOR THE DRAGON CHICKEN PREPARATION

  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon water

FOR THE DRAGON SAUCE

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper chopped (or use spicy Chinese peppers)
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • ¼ cup cashew nuts (or more to your taste)
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
  • ¼ cup tomato sauce
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • FOR GARNISH Chopped green onions, sliced chili peppers, spicy chili flakes

Instructions

  • Make your marinade first by crushing the ginger and garlic into a paste. Combine it with the paprika, soy sauce and salt. Pour it into a bowl or a bag and add the chicken. Rub the chicken down with it. Marinate at least 1 hour.
  • Next, beat the egg in a wide bowl and stir in the corn starch and water to form a slurry. If needed, add a bit more water.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pan.
  • Dredge the chicken through the corn starch mixture, then fry the pieces in the oil until they crisp up, about 6-7 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside for now.
  • Drain about half of the remaining oil from the pan, then add the onion, peppers and cashew nuts. Cook them down about 5 minutes to soften.
  • Add the garlic and ginger and cook another minute.
  • Stir in the tomato sauce, soy sauce, chicken stock, paprika, garam masala and sugar. Add salt and pepper to your personal tastes.
  • Cook, stirring often, over high heat, about 10 minutes, or until the sauce reduces. If it gets too thick, add a bit more stock.
  • Add in the cooked chicken and cook another couple of minutes, until the chicken is heated through and coated.
  • Garnish and serve!

Notes

You can serve Dragon Chicken on its own, or serve it over rice.
Heat Factor: Mild-Medium. You can easily spice things up with hotter chili peppers, extra spicy chili flakes, and a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. The hot sauce would blend right in nicely.

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 1191mg | Potassium: 941mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2035IU | Vitamin C: 35.1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2.8mg