Description
Dragon Chili Cashew Chicken is a spicy and flavorful dish featuring crispy chicken thighs, roasted cashews, and a tangy sauce, perfect for those who enjoy a kick in their meals.
Ingredients
Scale
- 450 grams boneless chicken thighs, sliced about 1.25 cm thick
- 2.5 millilitres paprika
- 2.5 millilitres garlic powder
- 1 egg
- 2.5 millilitres onion powder
- 2.5 millilitres cayenne pepper
- 15 millilitres reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2.5 millilitres ground ginger
- 7 grams chili powder
- Canola or vegetable oil, as needed for frying
- 60 grams plain flour
- 30 grams cornstarch
- 30 millilitres oyster sauce
- 15 millilitres Chinkiang (Chinese black) vinegar
- 60 millilitres reduced sodium soy sauce
- 7.5 millilitres cornstarch
- 22–30 millilitres Asian chili sauce
- 60 millilitres ketchup
- 15 millilitres toasted sesame oil
- 45 millilitres honey
- 15 millilitres fresh ginger, grated
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly cut
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 130 grams unsalted cashews
- 1/2 white onion, sliced thin
- 15 millilitres vegetable oil or peanut oil
- Green onions, sliced thin (for garnish)
- Plenty of toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)
Instructions
- Crack the egg into a large mixing bowl and add soy sauce, ginger powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne. Whisk together and add the chicken strips, mixing until coated. Let the chicken marinate.
- Combine flour, cornstarch, and chili powder in a zip-top bag. Dry the marinated chicken with a paper towel and toss in the bag until coated.
- Heat about 60 ml of oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken in batches for about 2 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
- Toast the cashews in a dry cast iron pan over medium heat until they have brown spots. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, drizzle oil and sauté onion and bell pepper for a couple of minutes until soft. Add ginger and garlic, cooking for another 30 seconds.
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and pour it into the skillet with veggies. Stir until bubbly and thickened, about 1 minute.
- Return fried chicken and cashews to the skillet, tossing everything together until well coated with sauce. Remove from heat.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve immediately for a crunchy texture.
Notes
- You can substitute Chinkiang vinegar with half balsamic and half rice vinegar if needed.
- For a milder dish, adjust the amount of chili sauce based on your taste preferences.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying and Stir-frying
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 12 grams
- Sodium: 800 milligrams
- Fat: 30 grams
- Saturated Fat: 5 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 50 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 40 grams
- Cholesterol: 100 milligrams