Description
Kung Pao Chicken is a classic Chinese stir-fry dish featuring tender chicken cubes cooked with crunchy peanuts, dried red chilies, and a savory, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce. This quick and flavorful recipe uses a skillet or wok to create a perfectly balanced mix of textures and bold flavors, finished with aromatic garlic, ginger, and green onions.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Oil
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Sauce and Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Aromatics and Extras
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
- 2 green onions
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
- 3 dried red chilies
Instructions
- Heat oil: Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat to prepare for cooking the chicken.
- Prepare chicken: Cut 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes for even cooking.
- Cook chicken: Add the chicken pieces to the hot oil, spreading them out evenly in the skillet or wok.
- Browning chicken: Cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and fully cooked through.
- Set chicken aside: Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and place it on a plate to keep warm temporarily.
- Toast peanuts and chilies: In the same skillet, add 1/2 cup roasted peanuts and 3 dried red chilies to stir-fry for about 1-2 minutes, ensuring they don’t burn.
- Add sauce ingredients: While stirring, add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, and 1 tablespoon sugar to the skillet.
- Combine sauce: Mix the sauce ingredients until the sugar dissolves and the sauce starts bubbling.
- Make cornstarch slurry: Whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 1/4 cup chicken broth in a small bowl until smooth.
- Thicken sauce: Pour the cornstarch mixture into the skillet, stirring to combine, and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add aromatics: Finely mince 2 cloves garlic and 1 teaspoon fresh ginger.
- Stir-fry aromatics: Add the garlic and ginger to the sauce, stir-frying for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add green onions and spice: Chop 2 green onions into 1-inch pieces and add along with 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the skillet.
- Return chicken: Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and toss it well in the sauce to coat evenly.
- Finish with sesame oil: Drizzle 2 teaspoons sesame oil over the chicken and stir to incorporate.
- Final simmer: Cook everything together for 1-2 minutes to allow flavors to meld and chicken to absorb the sauce.
- Serve: Serve the Kung Pao Chicken hot, garnished with extra green onions if desired.
Notes
- Adjust the number of dried chilies and red pepper flakes to control the heat level according to your preference.
- Use fresh ginger and garlic for the best aromatic flavor impact.
- You can substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth for a lighter version.
- Serve over steamed rice or noodles to make a complete meal.
- To make it gluten-free, use tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce alternative.
- Peanuts add essential texture and flavor, but you can omit or substitute them with cashews if allergic.
