Description
Sizzling Dragon Chicken brings fiery Sichuan flavors right to your dinner table with a spicy kick that’ll make your taste buds dance. Crispy chicken pieces tossed in a bold, red-hot sauce guarantee a flavor adventure that keeps everyone coming back for more.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), thinly sliced
Coating and Seasoning:
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 egg white
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
Sauce Ingredients:
- ½ cup tomato ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 2–3 dried red chilies (or crushed red pepper flakes)
- ¼ cup water (if needed, to loosen sauce)
- Salt to taste
Garnishes:
- Sliced green onions
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Fried onion or bell pepper strips
Instructions
- Cut 1 lb chicken breasts into thin slices. Mix with ¼ cup cornstarch, 1 egg white, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Let sit for 15 minutes to absorb flavors.
- Pour 2 inches vegetable oil into a skillet. Heat to 350°F. Fry chicken pieces in small batches until golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil.
- In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, and 2-3 dried red chilies. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour ½ cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1 tablespoon sugar into the skillet. Simmer sauce for 3 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Add ¼ cup water if sauce seems too thick. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Stir sauce until smooth and consistent.
- Return crispy chicken to the skillet. Gently toss until each piece is completely coated with sauce, about 1 minute.
- Transfer dragon chicken to a serving platter. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sliced green onions and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds on top. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Notes
- Marinating the chicken in cornstarch helps create an extra crispy exterior that locks in moisture and gives a restaurant-quality texture.
- When frying chicken, work in small batches to maintain high oil temperature and ensure each piece gets beautifully golden and crisp.
- Choose a neutral oil with a high smoke point like vegetable or canola for frying to prevent burning and achieve perfect golden-brown chicken.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular soy sauce with tamari and ensure all other sauce ingredients are certified gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 285 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg