Description
Spice up your dinner with dragon chili cashew chicken, a zesty dish that brings bold flavors straight from your kitchen to the table. Tender chicken, crunchy cashews, and a fiery sauce guarantee a meal that’ll have your taste buds dancing with excitement.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 450 grams boneless chicken thighs
- 130 grams unsalted cashews
- 1 egg
Spices and Seasonings:
- 7 grams chili powder
- 2.5 millilitres paprika
- 2.5 millilitres garlic powder
- 2.5 millilitres onion powder
- 2.5 millilitres cayenne pepper
- 2.5 millilitres ground ginger
- 15 millilitres fresh ginger, grated
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 red bell pepper
- ½ white onion
- Green onions
- Toasted sesame seeds
Base and Sauce Ingredients:
- 60 grams plain flour
- 30 grams cornstarch
- 7.5 millilitres cornstarch
- 15 millilitres reduced sodium soy sauce
- 60 millilitres reduced sodium soy sauce
- 30 millilitres oyster sauce
- 15 millilitres Chinkiang (Chinese black) vinegar
- 22–30 millilitres Asian chili sauce
- 60 millilitres ketchup
- 45 millilitres honey
- 15 millilitres toasted sesame oil
Oils:
- Canola or vegetable oil
- 15 millilitres vegetable oil or peanut oil
Instructions
- Whisk 1 egg with 15 millilitres soy sauce, 2.5 millilitres each of ginger, garlic, and onion powder, plus 2.5 millilitres paprika and cayenne. Coat 450 grams sliced chicken thoroughly in this marinade.
- Mix 60 grams flour, 30 grams cornstarch, and 7 grams chili powder in a zip-top bag. Pat marinated chicken dry and coat completely in this mixture.
- Heat 60 millilitres canola oil in a large nonstick pan at 375°F. Fry chicken strips for 2 minutes per side until golden and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Toast 130 grams cashews in a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat until brown spots appear, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, sauté ½ sliced white onion and 1 thinly cut red bell pepper in 15 millilitres oil for 2 minutes until softened.
- Add 6 minced garlic cloves and 15 millilitres grated ginger. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Whisk sauce ingredients: 30 millilitres oyster sauce, 15 millilitres Chinkiang vinegar, 60 millilitres soy sauce, 7.5 millilitres cornstarch, 22 millilitres chili sauce, 60 millilitres ketchup, 15 millilitres sesame oil, 45 millilitres honey.
- Pour sauce into skillet with vegetables. Simmer for 1 minute until thickened.
- Return fried chicken and toasted cashews to skillet. Toss until completely coated in sauce.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes to enhance flavor and tenderness, allowing the spices to penetrate deeply.
- Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying by dropping a small piece of bread that should sizzle immediately when added.
- Toast cashews carefully, watching closely to prevent burning, as they can quickly go from perfectly golden to charred.
- For a gluten-free version, swap wheat flour with rice flour or almond flour and use tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 447 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg