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Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken

A spicy and flavorful dish, Kung Pao Chicken is a classic Chinese recipe featuring chicken, peanuts, and a tangy sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinating Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 servings
Calories 555 kcal

Equipment

  • Wok
  • small bowl

Ingredients
  

Chicken

  • 1 lb chicken thigh cut into bite size pieces

Sauce

  • 2 teaspoon cornflour / cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce Note 2
  • 1.5 tablespoon dark soy sauce Note 3
  • 2 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar Note 4
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine Note 5
  • 3 tablespoon sugar any
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • ⅓ cup water

Stir Fry

  • 2 tablespoon peanut oil or other cooking oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
  • 6 – 10 dried chillies cut into 2cm/ ¾″ pieces, most seeds discarded (adjust to taste)
  • 3 green onions cut into 2cm/ ¾″ pieces, white parts separated from green
  • 1.5 teaspoon ground sichuan peppercorns adjust to taste
  • ¾ cup whole peanuts (or ½ cup halved), roasted unsalted

Instructions
 

Sauce & Marinade Chicken

  • Mix cornflour and soy sauce in a small bowl until cornflour is dissolved. Then mix in remaining Sauce ingredients EXCEPT water.
  • Pour 1.5 tablespoon Sauce over chicken. Toss to coat, set aside for 10 – 20 minutes.
  • Add water into remaining Sauce.

Stir Fry

  • Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add garlic, ginger and chillies. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  • Add chicken, cook until it turns white, then add the white part of the green onions. Cook until chicken is cooked through – about 2 minutes.
  • Add Sauce and Sichuan pepper. Bring to simmer, mixing constantly, until almost all the sauce reduces to a thick syrup.
  • Just before the end, mix through peanuts and green part of the green onions. Also check spiciness – add more Sichuan pepper if you can handle the heat!
  • Serve immediately with rice.

Notes

For tenderness, chicken thighs are preferred but can also use breasts. Adjust the number of dried chillies based on your preferred heat level.

Nutrition

Serving: 195gCalories: 555kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 28gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 604mgPotassium: 480mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 185IUVitamin C: 2.1mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1.8mg
Keyword Asian cuisine, Chicken Recipe, Kung Pao Chicken, peanuts, Spicy Chicken
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