Spicy Dragon Chicken
Spicy Dragon Chicken coats crisp cornstarch chicken in a glossy garlic, ginger, chili, ketchup, and soy sauce glaze. It is a bold Asian-style chicken dinner that works well with rice, noodles, or quick vegetables.
Equipment
- Large skillet or wok
- Mixing bowls
- Tongs
- Paper towel-lined plate
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 large egg white
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 2 to 3 dried red chilies or crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- 1/2 cup tomato ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
- 1/4 cup water plus more as needed
- sliced green onions optional garnish
- toasted sesame seeds optional garnish
- thin strips of fried onion or bell pepper optional garnish
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and cut it into even bite-size pieces.
- In a bowl, toss chicken with egg white, salt, black pepper, and cornstarch until lightly coated.
- In a separate bowl, mix ketchup, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, vinegar, sugar or honey, and water.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok and fry the chicken in batches until golden and cooked through.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and remove excess oil from the pan.
- Add sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and dried chilies to the pan and cook until fragrant.
- Pour in the sauce mixture and simmer until glossy and lightly thickened.
- Return the chicken to the pan and toss until every piece is coated in sauce.
- Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, fried onion, or bell pepper strips and serve hot.
Notes
Storage: Store cooled Spicy Dragon Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Freezing: Freeze cooked chicken and sauce for up to 2 months, knowing the coating will soften after thawing.
Reheating: Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water until the sauce loosens and the chicken reaches 165°F.
Best Tips: Fry the chicken in batches so the coating crisps instead of steaming in the pan.
Sauce Tips: Taste the sauce before adding chicken and adjust with vinegar for tang, honey for sweetness, or water to thin it.
Variations: Add bell peppers, broccoli, snap peas, or carrots for a fuller dinner with more color and texture.