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Authentic Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

One of China's most famous dishes, Kung Pao chicken, is becoming a real hit in restaurants worldwide. And you know what? You can easily whip it up in your own kitchen! Tender chicken chunks seared with fragrant spices and coated in a lip-smacking sauce – it's a real treat.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 3
Calories 520 kcal

Equipment

  • Cutting Board
  • Sharp Knife
  • Bowls
  • Wok or Large Skillet/Frying Pan

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken:

  • 11 oz Boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
  • 1 tsp Cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp Water
  • 1 tsp Sesame oil

For the Nuts:

  • 1/3 cup Peanuts or cashews

For the Sauce:

  • 1 tsp Light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Dark soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Black rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
  • 2 tsp Sugar
  • 2 tsp Cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp Water

For Stir-Frying:

  • 2 tbsp Neutral oil like vegetable or canola
  • 10 dried Red chilies halved and deseeded
  • 1 tsp Whole Sichuan peppercorns
  • 6 Scallion stalks cut into chunks
  • 3 Garlic cloves sliced
  • 8 slices Fresh ginger

Instructions
 

Marinate the Chicken:

  • Cut the chicken into 2cm cubes and put in a bowl. Add the cornstarch, water, and sesame oil. Mix well until coated.

Toast the Nuts:

  • In a pan over low heat, toast the peanuts (or cashews) until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Make the Sauce:

  • In a bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients together. Easy

Time to Stir-Fry!

  • Heat a wok over high heat and add the oil. Throw in the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. As soon as you get a whiff of those spicy aromas, add the marinated chicken. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
  • Next, toss in the scallions, garlic, and ginger. Keep stir-frying until the chicken is cooked through (cut one piece open to check). Don't overcook!
  • Give the sauce a stir and pour it into the wok. Stir everything together until the sauce thickens up. Then turn off the heat.
  • Finally, toss in those toasted nuts and serve it up hot with steamed rice. Delish!

Notes

  • Don't be scared of the dried red chilies! They add a blazing kick of heat but you can control the spice level by deseeding them or using fewer chilies.
  • The sauce can be mixed up to 3 days in advance and stored covered in the fridge. The chicken can also be marinated up to a day ahead of time.
  • Kung Pao chicken is fantastic over steamed white or brown rice to soak up all that delicious sauce. Or serve it with Chinese hot mustard or chili crisp on the side for an extra kick!