Description
Learn how to make authentic Kung Pao Chicken! Tender chicken breast is stir-fried with the most flavorful Kung Pao Sauce. Serve with fluffy Jasmine rice, for a fast, easy weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (or sub chicken thigh)
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce or sub regular soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Kung Pao Sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar (or sub with rice wine vinegar)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/8- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Stir fry ingredients
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil- the peanut sauce elevates! See notes.
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 5- 15 dried red Chinese chilies, halved and seeds removed (SEE NOTES, dont use Thai Chilies)
- optional: 1 cup celery, sliced thin
- 1/2 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, crushed or sub black peppercorns
- 5 green onions, cut into 1-inch slices (slice white parts in half, lengthwise)
- 1/2-1 cup roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Cut the chicken into ¾-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle in the cornstarch, salt, soy sauce, Chinese wine, and sesame oil and give a good toss.
- Make the Kung Pao Sauce. In a small bowl, whisk the dark soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, sugar, water and white pepper. Make sure sugar gets mixed in.
- Mise en place: Chop the garlic, ginger, and scallions and place them near the stove with all the remaining ingredients.
- Stir fry: Turn your hood fan on. Heat a wok or large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peanut oil, and when hot, stir in the garlic, ginger, dried chiles, and Szechuan peppercorns, stirring constantly for for 30-45 seconds. Don’t breathe it in! Add the chicken and its marinade, stirring often until all the pink is gone, abut 3 minutes. Add celery if using. Lower heat to medium, pour in the kung pao sauce, scraping the bowl (to get all the sugar), and bring it to a simmer, add the scallions while stirring for 1-2 mintues. Let the sauce thicken, and the chicken cook through. Stir in the peanuts.
- Season: Taste and adjust salt and spice levels to your liking. Add more black vinegar or sugar if you like.
- Serve over rice, or in lettuce wraps.
Notes
Chilies: Be aware! Dried Thai red chiles are twice as hot. Seek out Chiles Japones, Chinese chilies, Tianjin (or Tian Tsin) chilies, or sub-milder chiles de Arbol for subtle heat if you can’t find dried Chinese chilies. You can always skip the chilies and season with red pepper flakes to taste.
Peanut Oil TIP: If you don’t have peanut oil, heat up your wok with 2-3 tablespoons oil over medium heat, add 1/2 cup peanuts, and cook until fragrant and deeply golden, 5-ish minutes. This will infuse the oil with great peanut flavor. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the peanuts to save for the end.
Veggies: Feel free to add stir-fried veggies to the king pao chicken—mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, cabbage, celery, zucchini. I recommend stir-frying them first until tender-crisp (season with salt and pepper), setting them aside, then folding them in the end; otherwise, they can make the kung pao chicken overly watery.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 ounces
- Calories: 368
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 762.6 mg
- Fat: 17.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.8 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 36.1 g
- Cholesterol: 99.3 mg