Spicy Dragon Chicken
This is the dish that made my kids say "Mom, your food is kind of fire." I will ride that compliment into the sunset.
Ingredients
For the Crispy Chicken
- 1.5 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
For the Dragon Sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon chilli sauce sambal oelek or sriracha
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 green chilli, sliced optional
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water slurry
Method
Batter and Fry the Chicken
- Mix cornstarch, flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Beat the egg and add to the dry ingredients with a splash of water — just enough to make a thick, coating batter. Toss the chicken pieces in the batter until coated. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a deep skillet or wok to 180C / 350F. Fry the chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels. The batter should be shatteringly crispy — this is essential because the sauce will soften it slightly, and you want it to maintain some crunch even after coating.
Make the Dragon Sauce
- In the same wok (pour out all but 1 tablespoon of oil), add garlic and ginger over high heat. Cook 30 seconds. Add the bell pepper and cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, ketchup, chilli sauce, rice vinegar, and honey. Stir. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy — about 1 minute. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon and have a slightly sticky consistency.
Combine
- Toss the crispy chicken into the sauce. Stir rapidly to coat every piece. The sauce clings to the batter and creates that signature glossy, spicy-sweet coating. Add the sliced green chilli and green onions. Toss once more. Serve immediately over steamed rice.