Dragon Chicken is a popular Indo-Chinese appetizer made with crispy fried chicken strips tossed in a spicy, sweet, and tangy sauce. This is a dry-style dish with a thick, glossy coating that tastes just like your favorite restaurant version. It is easy, quick, and comes together in 30 minutes.
Unlike many dragon chicken recipes, this version uses simple red chili sauce instead of sambal oelek, making it easy to prepare with pantry ingredients and perfect for a mild, kid-friendly taste. It has a good balance of heat, sweetness, and tang.
This restaurant-style dragon chicken recipe looks bright red and fiery, but I don't find it too spicy. The name dragon comes from the long, thin chicken strips that look like the shape of a dragon. Love Indo-Chinese recipes? Try my Gobi Manchurian, Chicken 65 Gravy, and Schezwan Chicken Fried Rice next.
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Restaurant Style Dragon Chicken
This Chinese dragon chicken is the one recipe I keep coming back to. The crispy chicken tossed in a sweet, spicy Indo-Chinese sauce is just too good to resist. If you love crispy fried chicken, try this popular Indo-Chinese chilli chicken next.
I recently made this crispy chicken appetizer at home, and it tasted just like the one from my favorite Indo-Chinese restaurant. It is made with boneless chicken strips, crunchy cashews, onions, and capsicum, all tossed in a flavorful dragon sauce.
For me, the dragon sauce is the highlight. It has a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors, and coats the chicken beautifully. The addition of red chillies and cashews adds extra crunch and flavor.
Why You'll Love it
- Easy & ready in 30 minutes: This crispy chicken recipe is quick and simple to make at home. I have included step-by-step photos and a video. It is perfect as an appetizer or served with egg fried rice or chilli oil noodles, for a perfect weeknight meal.
- Sweet, spicy & tangy dragon sauce: I like how the mix of ketchup, chili sauce, and soy sauce creates a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors. The sauce thickens nicely and coats the chicken beautifully.
- Crispy fried chicken: This crispy fried chicken is hard to resist. The chicken is coated with flour, cornflour, and egg white, which makes it crispy on the outside and juicy inside, just like the restaurants.
- Kid-friendly recipe: My kids love the flavors.
Ingredients for Dragon Chicken Recipe
See the recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredients, quantities, and a printable version.
- Boneless chicken breast: I used boneless chicken breasts cut into thin strips, as they cook quickly and give a nice crispy texture. You can also use boneless thighs for a juicier result or chicken tenders for small, quick-cooking, bite-sized pieces.
- Egg white: I used one egg white in the batter. It helps keep the chicken moist from the inside while making it crispy on the outside, and prevents it from drying out.
- Tomato Ketchup: I use it to add sweetness and a slight tang with a mild tomato flavor. It is not used in traditional Chinese recipes, but it is commonly used in Indo-Chinese cooking. To substitute, add vinegar, tomato paste, and a little sugar to the sauce or tomato sauce.
- Soy Sauce: I used dark soy sauce for deep umami flavor. You can substitute it with light or regular soy sauce.
- Ginger, garlic, and onions: I used ginger-garlic paste and fresh garlic for flavor. I also used spring onions (both white and green parts) in this recipe.
- Capsicum (Bell Peppers): I used green and red capsicum. You can use any color you have on hand.
- Red chili sauce: I used it instead of sambal oelek to keep this recipe simple, kid-friendly, and mild. It gives a nice balance of heat and flavor that everyone enjoys.
How to make Dragon Chicken at home (Step-by-Step)
For the Chicken Marinade
In a large mixing bowl, combine the 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin, long strips, with
- ½ teaspoon of pepper,
- salt to taste,
- 1 tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste,
- 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar (any cooking vinegar works here)
- 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce (for best flavor)
- ½ egg white (It keeps the chicken strips from drying out after frying.)
- Marinate for 30 minutes. The longer you marinate, the better it tastes. Cover and keep it inside the refrigerator.
Prepping the Dragon Sauce
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk
- ¼ cup of tomato ketchup,
- 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce,
- ½ teaspoon of sugar,
- 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar (any cooking vinegar works here)
- 3 tablespoons of water,
- 1 tablespoon of spicy red chili sauce (To substitute Sambal Oelek.)
- ½ teaspoon of cornflour/cornstarch.
- Stir to combine. Taste the sauce and add more vinegar or sauce to taste. The stir-fry dragon sauce is ready.
3. Addition of flour: After 30 minutes, add 1 tablespoon of cornflour/cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to the marinated chicken. Stir to combine.
Frying Chicken Strips
4. In a deep-bottom pan or wok, heat oil over medium heat. Add the marinated chicken strips. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches if needed. Do not stir immediately. Let it fry for a few seconds, then flip and fry until golden and crisp. Remove it to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Making Dragon Chicken
5. Toasting the cashews: Heat oil over medium heat in a wok or pan. Add 15 cashews and stir-fry until golden. Remove it to a plate (leaving oil in the pan). If we toast the cashews separately and add them towards the end of stir-frying, they remain crunchy.
6. Return the pan or wok to heat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and heat over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic and 3-4 deseeded dried chilies (they are not spicy red chilies). Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
7. Add ½ cup of white onions. Stir fry until onions are soft. Add capsicum (½ red and ½ green capsicum) and cook it for 2-3 minutes. Keep them slightly crunchy. Do not overcook. Season it with ½ teaspoon of pepper and a pinch of salt.
8. Give the prepared dragon sauce a quick mix (to combine the cornstarch settled in the bottom). Add this sauce to the pan. Cook until the sauce bubbles and thickens. (Cook until glossy and coats the back of a spoon).
9. Add the fried chicken strips and fried cashews. Toss them with the sauce. Garnish with spring onion (scallion) greens. Serve immediately as a starter or side dish with fried rice or noodles.
Expert Tips for the Best Dragon Chicken
- Make sure the temperature of the oil is medium-hot. For crispy chicken cooked through, maintain the oil at 350-375°F. Too hot, and your chicken gets a golden color outside, while it will be raw inside.
- If you have kept the marinated chicken in the refrigerator, take them out and keep it on the kitchen counter. Let it come to room temperature before you deep fry it.
- For the crispiest chicken, serve this appetizer immediately. The longer it sits on the plate, the less crispy the chicken strips will become.
- Keep all the ingredients for stir-frying handy: Before you even turn on the heat, gather all your ingredients to make this dragon recipe and have them within your reach on the kitchen counter. Stir-frying is super fast, so you don't want to search for specific ingredients while your food cooks.
Recipe FAQs
This Indo-Chinese dish looks spicy because of its bright red color, but it is not too spicy or overpowering. You can easily adjust the spice by adding more or less chili sauce and dried red chilies.
Yes, you can make dragon chicken without frying by baking or air frying the chicken instead of deep-frying. The chicken strips will be slightly less crispy, but it still tastes good.
To keep the chicken crispy, fry it in small batches and serve it immediately after tossing in the dragon sauce. Avoid keeping it in the sauce for too long, as it can turn soft.
You can serve it with any of these Indo-Chinese dishes:
1) Egg Fried Rice with Vegetables or steamed rice
2) Noodles like Egg Hakka Noodles or Chicken Chow Mein
3) Chicken Manchow Soup
Recipe Card
Restaurant Style Dragon Chicken
Video
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottom pan or a Chinese Wok
- 1 Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (350 grams, cut into thin long strips)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ½ egg white (just enough to lightly coat the chicken)
For the Crispy Coating
- 1 tablespoon cornflour/cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour (optional)
To make Dragon Sauce
- ¼ cup tomato ketchup
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (substitute regular or light soy sauce)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon spicy red chili sauce (Substitute: red chili paste + vinegar or store-bought Sambal Oelek)
- ½ teaspoon cornflour/cornstarch
For the Stir Fry
- 4 teaspoon oil
- 15 cashews (raw unflavored)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 3-4 deseeded dried red chilies (Substitute: use red chili flakes)
- ½ cup white onions thinly sliced
- ½ red bell pepper (capsicum), cut into thin strips
- ½ green bell pepper (capsicum), cut into thin strips
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- a pinch of salt
- spring onion greens
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: In a mixing bowl, combine chicken strips with ground black pepper, salt, ginger-garlic paste, vinegar, dark soy sauce, and half of 1 egg white. Marinate for 30 minutes. Cover and keep it inside the refrigerator.
- After 30 minutes, add cornflour/cornstarch and all-purpose flour to the marinated chicken. Stir to combine.
Prepping the sauce
- In a bowl, combine tomato ketchup, dark soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, water, red chili sauce (or use store-bought Sambal Oelek), and cornflour/cornstarch. Stir to combine. The stir-fry sauce is ready.
Fry the chicken
- In a deep-bottom pan or wok, heat oil over medium heat. Add the chicken strips and fry. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches if needed. Do not stir immediately. Let it fry for a few seconds. Flip and fry until golden and crispy. Remove it to a plate.
- Toast the cashews: Heat 2 teaspoon oil on medium heat. Add cashews and stir-fry until golden. Remove it to a plate (leaving oil in the pan).
Combine Dragon Chicken
- Return the pan or wok to heat. Add 2 teaspoon of oil and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and dried chilies. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add white onions. Stir fry until onions are soft. Add bell peppers/capsicum and cook them for 2-3 minutes. Keep them slightly crunchy, do not overcook. Season it with ground pepper and a pinch of salt.
- Give the dragon sauce a quick mix before adding it to the pan. Cook until the sauce bubbles and thickens. (Cook until glossy and coats the back of a spoon). Add fried chicken and fried cashews. Toss them with the dragon sauce. Garnish with spring onion (scallion) greens. For the crispiest chicken, enjoy it right away. It will become soggy after some time. Serve as a starter or side dish with fried rice or noodles.
Notes
- Prep in advance: Keep all ingredients ready before cooking. Stir-frying is very quick.
- Cut chicken into thin strips for even cooking and better crispiness.
- Marinate for at least 30 minutes for the best flavor.
- Use egg white just enough to coat the chicken. Too much will make it soggy.
- Fry in batches and don't overcrowd the pan.
- Maintain medium-hot oil for crispy and evenly cooked chicken.
- Fry cashews separately and add them at the end to keep them crunchy.
- Adjust the spice by adding or reducing chilies and sauce.
- Serve hot for the best crispy texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
You may also like these other popular chicken recipes from this website:
Sanya
I made this recipe
Sauce- tomato ketchup, bit soya, red chilli sauce, oysters sauce, vinegar.
And with water added a bit of cornflour slurry to coat the gravy with chicken a little.
White till and scallion to garnish.
Preeti
Thanks for the feedback and star rating.
DTO
I've made this recipe 3 times and my son, who is quite picky loves it. The hardest part is cutting all the veggies and also since we prefer the taste of chicken thighs, trimming all of the excess fat off. I've also had to triple the sauce ingredients as we eat it over white rice. I continue to play with a variety of veggies - carrots, broccoli florets, celery, zucchini and I add a bit of cornstarch slurry to make it a bit more saucy. Phenomenal! Thanks for the recipe.
Preeti
Love it! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Ajay
Tasty
Preeti Nayak
Thanks 🙂