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Home » Asian » Stir-Fried Frog Legs

Stir-Fried Frog Legs

By Hank Shaw on August 7, 2017, Updated August 25, 2021 - 5 Comments

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5 from 3 votes
Stir fried frog legs on a plate
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If you are looking for a frog legs recipe that is a bit different from the typical deep fried, try these Chinese stir-fried frog legs.

A plate of stir-fried frog legs
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Normally I make French fried frog legs when I gig a batch of bullfrogs; it’s an easy, homey way to cook them.

But if you get enough for more than one meal, this Chinese-style frog legs recipe hits the spot. It’s an amalgam of some of my favorite classics: There’s a little of General Tso’s in here, a little black bean-and-scallion action, a touch of kung pao.

You get a bit of crunch from the batter on the frog, sweet-and-spicy flavor from the sauce, then the varied textures of the vegetables. I really like the sliced wood ear mushroom in here, as it adds a very solid, almost meaty texture to the fish. But if you can’t find them, it’s OK to skip the mushrooms.

You will need a few Chinese ingredients to make this recipe, notably the chile bean sauce. You can find it in the “Asian section” of most supermarkets, or you can buy chile bean sauce online. It’d be good to have the bamboo shoots and the wood ear mushroom, and both are commonly found in the Asian section, but if you can’t find them, you can use other vegetables.

Incidentally, if you want to buy frog legs, pretty much every Asian market has them in the freezer section.

The frog legs are precooked in much the same way the chicken is in General Tso’s or orange chicken, which is to say battered and fried and then stir-fried. It makes everything better.

One note on eating this frog legs recipe: It is best done with chopsticks, as the frog is still on the bone — the meat slides right off the bones. Deboning a frog is of course possible, but is also a massive pain. I’d only do it if you were really skeeved out by bones in a stir-fry.

A plate of stir-fried frog legs
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Stir-Fried Frog Legs

Obviously you can sub in chicken or some other white meat for the frog. Besides chicken, pheasant, quail partridge or turkey breast would go well, as would shrimp or chunks of lobster. Serve this with steamed rice and a cold beer. 
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 320kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 1 pound frog legs

MARINADE

  • 4 tablespoons potato, tapioca or corn starch
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 to 3 cups peanut or vegetable oil for frying

SAUCE

  • 1/2 cup chicken or other stock
  • 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine, rice wine or dry sherry
  • 3 tablespoons hot chile bean sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon potato, tapioca or corn starch

STIR FRY

  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced (optional)
  • 1 cup bamboo shoots, slivered
  • 1 handful dried wood ear mushroom (also called "black fungus")
  • 1/2 cup chives, or garlic chives, sliced on the diagonal

Instructions

  • Start by pouring boiling water over the dried wood ear mushrooms to rehydrate them. Cut the frog legs into segments at the joints; if you are really averse to bones, you can debone them as best you can.
  • Whisk the marinade ingredients together and marinate the frog legs in this while you chop the other vegetables and get the oil hot. 
  • Pour the frying oil into a wok or large, heavy pot and get it to 350°F. Get some chopsticks ready, as well as a baking sheet. If you don't have chopsticks, a fork will do. Add one-third of the frog legs into the wok and use the chopstick to separate them as soon as they hit the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove to the baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the frog legs, one-third at a time. 
  • Turn off the heat, pour off the oil (you can let it cool, strain it and reuse several times), leaving about 3 tablespoons.  Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together in a bowl.
  • Get the wok very hot, and add the garlic, ginger and shallot. Stir fry 30 seconds. Add the bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, red bell pepper and the frog legs and stir fry 2 minutes. 
  • Stir the sauce ingredients well so the starch is incorporated. Pour in the sauce, mix well and stir fry until it boils and thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, garnish with the chives and serve. 

Notes

If you have whole frogs and don't know how to prep them, here is my tutorial on how to clean a frog. 

Keys to Success

  • As with all stir-fries, have all of your ingredients prepped and handy when it comes time to cook. This comes together quickly. 
  • Do try to get the Chinese ingredients. They make a difference, and other than the mushrooms, are easy to find.
  • If you want to use mushrooms but can't find dried wood ears, use any fresh mushroom you like. 
  • Serve this with steamed rice. 

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 998mg | Potassium: 527mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1336IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg
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Filed Under: Asian, Featured, Recipe

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for ChrisChris says

    October 30, 2019 at 1:30 pm

    Hank for your marinade am I putting the cups of frying oil in too? There’s no liquid so it’s just going to be a little bit of caked starch.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      October 30, 2019 at 1:50 pm

      Chris: No, you don’t include the frying oil. And there is plenty of liquid! Egg yolks and the soy sauce.

      Reply
  2. Avatar for nicknick says

    August 10, 2017 at 6:57 am

    Very Cool. Looks way better than the last frog legs I had

    Reply
  3. Avatar for kevin tothkevin toth says

    August 7, 2017 at 7:31 pm

    Hank, would garbanzo flour work

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      August 8, 2017 at 8:40 am

      Kevin: I’d use rice flour instead.

      Reply

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Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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