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Dragon Chicken Recipe

Dragon Chicken Recipe (Restaurant Style)

Bhumika Kaushal
A fiery, crispy, and utterly addictive Indo-Chinese Dragon Chicken recipe made restaurant-style at home. Golden fried chicken strips tossed in a bold deep-red dragon sauce with cashews, capsicum, and dried red chillies — ready in under 45 minutes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Appetizer, starter
Cuisine indo chinese
Servings 4 people
Calories 387 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl For marinating the chicken strips
  • 3 Small Mixing Bowls For pre-mixing dragon sauce ingredients
  • 1 Measuring Spoons Set For accurate measurement of sauces and spices
  • 1 Kitchen Knife For slicing capsicum, onion and spring onion
  • 1 Chopping Board For prepping all vegetables
  • 1 Grater For grating the ginger
  • 1 Garlic Press For mincing the garlic cloves
  • 1 Deep frying pan For deep frying the marinated chicken strips
  • 1 Wok For tossing dragon sauce and final stir-fry
  • 1 Cooking Tongs For turning chicken while frying safely
  • 1 Wooden Spatula For stirring and tossing the sauce in wok
  • 1 Kitchen Thermometer For checking oil temperature — ideal 180°C
  • 1 Slotted spoon For removing fried chicken from oil cleanly
  • 1 Wire rack For resting fried chicken to keep it crispy
  • 1 Serving Plate For plating and presenting the final dish
  • 1 Small Sauce Bowl For serving extra dragon sauce on the side
  • 1 Air Fryer Healthier alternative to deep frying chicken
  • 1 Cast Iron Wok Best for authentic wok hei smoky flavour
  • 1 Food Weighing Scale For accurate 500g chicken measurement
  • 1 Kitchen Timer For tracking 20 minute marination rest time

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken Marinade

  • 500 g boneless chicken cut into strips
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 whole egg
  • 3 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste

For the Dragon Sauce

  • 4-5 whole dried red chillies
  • 2 tbsp red chilli sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 2 tbsp tomato ketchup

Veggies & Garnish

  • 1 whole capsicum sliced
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 10-12 whole cashew nuts
  • 5-6 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 inch ginger grated
  • 2 stalks spring onion sliced for garnish
  • Oil for deep frying

Instructions
 

Marinating

  • Step 1 — Marinate the Chicken
    Add chicken strips, soy sauce, egg, cornflour, all-purpose flour, red chilli powder, salt, and pepper into a large mixing bowl. Mix well until every chicken piece is fully coated. Cover and rest for at least 20 minutes. The longer it rests, the better the flavour.

Frying

  • Step 2 — Fry the Chicken
    Heat oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the marinated chicken strips in batches — do not overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Remove and drain on a tissue paper lined plate.

Making the Sauce

  • Step 3 — Mix the Sauce
    In a small bowl combine red chilli sauce, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, vinegar, and sugar. Mix well and keep aside.
  • Step 4 — Sauté Aromatics
    Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or heavy-bottomed pan on high heat. Add minced garlic, grated ginger, and dried red chillies. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant and slightly golden.
  • Step 5 — Cook the Vegetables
    Add diced onions and sliced capsicum to the wok. Toss on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Keep them slightly crunchy — do not overcook.
  • Step 6 — Add the Sauce
    Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the wok. Stir everything together and let it bubble and cook for 30 seconds on high heat.

Final Toss

  • Step 7 — Toss the Chicken
    Add the fried chicken strips and cashew nuts into the wok. Toss everything together on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes until every chicken piece is well coated in the glossy dragon sauce.
  • Step 8 — Garnish and Serve
    Transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with freshly sliced spring onions. Serve immediately while hot and crispy.

Notes

  • Always fry chicken in batches — overcrowding makes it soggy instead of crispy.
  • For extra crunch, double-fry the chicken — first at low heat to cook through, then again at high heat for the crisp.
  • Add a few drops of sesame oil at the very end for authentic restaurant-style aroma.
  • Oyster sauce is optional but highly recommended — it adds a deep umami richness to the sauce.
  • Dragon Chicken is best eaten immediately — it loses crunch as it sits.
  • To make it less spicy, reduce dried red chillies and cut red chilli sauce quantity in half.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace chicken with paneer or tofu using the same method.
Keyword dragon chicken dry, Dragon chicken recipe, dragon chicken restaurant style, dragon chicken starter