The Springfield chicken is the fried version of the Chinese dish cashew chicken (Yāoguǒ jī – 腰果雞丁 in Mandarin) – closely associated with the city of Springfield, Missouri.
It was first served in 1963 at the “Grove Supper Club” in Springfield.
David Leong (1920–2020), a chef who moved to the United States from China in 1940, struggled to make the foods of his homeland accepted, so he began looking for a dish that would appeal to the local residents’ tastes.
Drawing inspiration from the local love for fried chicken, Leong invented a variation of the pre-existing dish. Instead of frying the chicken as is usually done, he fried the chicken pieces and then rediscovered them with the typical sauce made from chicken broth, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, and added a handful of cashews.
As a novelty, he added spring onions, serving it on a bed of stir-fried rice, and Springfield chicken was an immediate hit with the local public.
His famous recipe for fried cashew chicken was so popular that he soon opened “Leong’s Tea House” in Springfield.
The dish was extremely popular in the Springfield area and is indeed often cited as the “unofficial dish of the city”.
Springfield also hosts an annual festival centered around this dish: Springfield Sertoma Cashew Craze.
“Leong’s Tea House” closed in 1997, but Springfield-style cashew chicken is still served in over 70 Chinese restaurants, as well as many local American restaurants, in and around the Springfield metropolitan area and elsewhere in Missouri and other states.
In 2010, Leong’s son, with his father’s help, opened a new restaurant in Springfield that serves the same style of cashew chicken.
Leong died at the age of 99 on July 21, 2020.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove, Frying
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs chicken pieces
- as needed flour
- as needed breadcrumbs
- as needed paprika
- as needed pepper
- as needed garlic powder
- as needed salt
- 3 eggs
- as needed oil for frying
- 1.1 cups cooked rice (steamed)
- 1 spring onion
- 2.5 oz cashews
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- as needed white pepper
Steps
Combine the flour with the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic.
Beat the eggs.
Dip the chicken pieces first in the eggs, then in flour, then again in the eggs.
Fry in plenty of oil.
Prepare the sauce: combine the broth with soy sauce and oyster sauce, add the white pepper, cornstarch, and sugar. Cook until thickened.
Stir-fry the steamed white rice in a wok with a dash of sesame oil.
Serve the chicken on top of the rice, drizzle with the sauce, and add the cashews and sliced green part of the spring onion.
The Springfield Chicken has been mentioned on “The Food Channel”, a national radio show, and in the United States House of Representatives.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is the difference between Springfield chicken and Kung Pao Chicken?
In the Chinese recipe for Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁, Gōngbǎo jīdīng), the chicken is not fried, but is stir-fried after being marinated.
Although the Chinese names for cashew chicken 腰果雞丁 and Kung Pao Chicken 宮保鸡丁 are similar and both include chicken, it is not just about using cashews instead of peanuts, the two belong to different cuisines.
