Dragon Chicken

Name: Dragon Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: indo_chinese
Ingredients: 500 g chicken breast (boneless, cut into thin strips); 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (for marination); 0.5 tsp red chili powder (for marination); 1 pinch black pepper (for marination); 0.5 tsp salt (divided); 1 pcs egg; 0.5 cup cornflour; 0.25 cup all-purpose flour; 2 cup oil for frying (for deep frying chicken); 6 pcs garlic (cloves, finely chopped); 1 inch ginger (finely chopped); 4 pcs dried red chili (broken); 2 pcs green chili (slit); 1 pcs onion (medium, sliced); 1 pcs capsicum (medium, sliced); 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp red chili sauce; 1 tbsp tomato ketchup; 1 tsp vinegar; 1 tsp sugar; 0.25 cup water (for sauce); 2 tbsp spring onion (chopped, for garnish)

RATING

4.6/5(98)

TASTE SCORE

9/10

Crispy fried chicken strips tossed in a glossy, spicy Indo-Chinese sauce with garlic, chili, and capsicum. It is sweet, hot, tangy, and perfect as a restaurant-style starter for sharing.

PREP

20m

COOK

20m

SERVES

1 PIECE

476 cal

SERVINGS

METHOD · 9 STEPS

prep · ~5 min
Marinate the chicken strips.
1.Add chicken breast strips to a bowl.
2.Mix in ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, black pepper, and half of the salt.
3.Add egg, cornflour, and all-purpose flour.
4.Mix well until the chicken is evenly coated.
TIPThe coating should cling to the chicken without turning runny. Add a little more cornflour only if needed.
rest · ~15 min
Rest the marinated chicken.
Set the bowl aside for 15 minutes so the coating sticks well and the chicken picks up the seasoning.
fry · ~10 min
Fry the chicken until crisp.
1.Heat oil for frying in a deep pan over medium heat.
2.Drop the coated chicken strips in small batches.
3.Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch.
4.Lift out and drain the fried chicken.
TIPDo not crowd the pan or the coating will soften instead of turning crisp.
mix · ~1 min
Make the cornflour slurry.
Stir 1 tsp cornflour with 1 tbsp water in a small bowl until smooth and lump-free.
saute · ~4 min
Cook the aromatics and vegetables.
1.Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan.
2.Add garlic, ginger, dried red chili, and green chili.
3.Cook for 30 to 40 seconds until fragrant.
4.Add onion and capsicum and toss on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
TIPKeep the vegetables slightly crisp for the best restaurant-style texture.
simmer · ~3 min
Build the dragon sauce.
1.Add soy sauce, red chili sauce, tomato ketchup, vinegar, sugar, and the remaining salt.
2.Pour in water and bring it to a quick simmer.
3.Stir in the cornflour slurry.
4.Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce turns glossy and lightly thick.
assemble · ~2 min
Toss the chicken in the sauce.
Add the fried chicken to the pan and toss on high heat until every piece is coated well and the sauce clings to the chicken.
garnish
Garnish with spring onion.
serve
Serve the dragon chicken hot.

PRO TIPS

What to keep in mind.

7 tips from the recipe — small details that make a real difference to the final dish.

1
Slice the chicken into even thin strips so they fry at the same speed and stay juicy inside.
2
If the marinade loosens after resting, dust in a little cornflour so the coating fries up crisp instead of patchy.
3
Fry in small batches over medium heat; very hot oil browns the coating before the chicken strips cook through.
4
For extra-crispy Dragon Chicken, refry the first batch for 30 to 45 seconds just before tossing in the sauce.
5
Keep the onion and capsicum on high heat and slightly crunchy; overcooking makes the final dish feel soggy.
6
Add the cornflour slurry only after the sauce simmers, and stir continuously so it thickens glossy without lumps.
7
Toss the fried chicken in sauce right before serving to keep the edges crisp and the coating from softening too much.