Kung Pao chicken is a famous Chinese dish made with chicken, peanuts, spicy red chilis, and a sweet kung pao sauce. This stir-fry comes together in less than 15 minutes and is better than any takeaway.
If you’ve ever been to a Chinese restaurant, you’ve probably ordered Kung Pao chicken. It’s a very popular dish and is often described as very spicy. These days, you can make it mild or spicy, but the original is known for its hot sauce. The culprit is the Sichuan peppers and spicy dry chilies called Tien Tsin.
We love Chinese food, but we don’t order it here. I usually make it at home. The truth is, the Chinese takeout here has never impressed me much.
Why make this recipe
- If you love Chinese stir-fry, this dish is a must-try. The recipe is simple and easy.
- And, if you cook Asian food often, then you probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen.
- It is the perfect meal in less than 30 minutes with minimal effort.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chicken – I love to use tender, boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but boneless, skinless chicken breast works just as well for this dish.
- Cornstarch – Used as a thickener. This is what thickens the sauce and makes it syrupy.
- Ginger and garlic – Use fresh, not powders. It makes a huge difference in flavor.
- Sichuan pepper – These are also found in Asian stores. If you can’t find these, regular black pepper also works.
- Chilly – Spicy, dried red chilies, called Tien Tsin, are authentic to this dish. You can find these at any Asian store. If you can’t find these, use any spicy dried chili peppers available.
- Hoisin sauce – It can be found in most supermarkets these days. Look in the Asian cooking section. If not, look for an Asian grocery store near you.
- Soy sauce – I use the low-sodium as these are less salty. And if you use regular soy sauce, reduce or omit salt in the recipe as required.
- Sesame oil – Adds the heat and smell of Asian cooking you get in Chinese restaurants.
Step-by-step: Easy Kung Pao chicken recipe
- Marinate chicken – Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar and soy sauce. Cover and leave to marinate for 30 mins to an hour.
Pro tip – Use less salt in your seasoning because some of the premade sauces have salt added to them.
- Sauce – In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients, and set aside.
Pro tip – The cornstarch tends to settle at the bottom, so make sure to stir it before adding it to the pan. - Sauté – In a wok or cast-iron skillet, heat the oil. Add the sliced onions and sauté for 1 minute. Then add the ginger, garlic, and dry chilies, and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Chicken – Add the chicken and stir-fry on high for 2 minutes. Then add the bok choy stalks and sauté for 2 more minutes.
Pro tip – The stalks take longer to cook than the leaves, so we add them first.
- Combine – Then, add the prepared sauce and stir-fry for another minute. Next, add the bok choy leaves and stir-fry some more. Sprinkle the nuts and stir a minute more.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Frequently asked questions
This chicken will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can even freeze it for up to a month.
Traditionally, chicken thighs are used because thighs work best for deep frying. But since we are not deep-frying, you can definitely use chicken breast.
The authentic recipe for Kung Pao chicken is not deep-fried, so you don’t need to deep-fry it. Perhaps you may want to try General Tso’s chicken, which uses fried chicken.
You can definitely throw in a few veggies. I am using Chinese Bok Choy, which takes 2 to 3 minutes to cook. I suggest using veggies that will cook quickly, such as thinly sliced carrot sticks, red bell peppers, small diced green beans, and peas. You can even throw in some spinach or green onions at the end.
Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao chicken is a famous Chinese dish made with chicken, peanuts, spicy red chilis, and a sweet kung pao sauce. This stir-fry comes together in less than 15 minutes and is better than any take-away.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb (500 g) Chicken cut into bite-size pieces
- 8 pieces Chinese bok choy Cut the bok choy in half – stalks and leaves separate
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Cooking oil canola, sunflower, or grapeseed
- 1 med Onion sliced
- 2 large Garlic cloves minced
- 2 inch Fresh ginger minced
- 3 dried Red chilies spicy, chopped
- 10 Cashewnuts or peanuts
- ½ tsp Salt if necessary
- ¼ cups Fresh cilantro for garnish
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp Black pepper
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
- ¼ cups (60 ml) Light soy sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
- ¼ cups (60 ml) Dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- ½ tsp Scheuan peppercorns crushed
- 2 tbsp (16 g) Cornstarch
Method
- Marinate chicken – Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar and soy sauce. Cover and leave to marinate for 30 mins to an hour.Pro tip – Use less salt in your seasoning because some of the premade sauces have salt added to them.1 lb Chicken, ¼ tsp Black pepper, 2 tbsp Rice wine vinegar, ¼ cups Light soy sauce, ½ tsp Salt
- Sauce – In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients – set aside. Pro tip – The cornstarch tends to settle at the bottom so make sure to stir it before adding it to the pan.¼ cup Rice wine vinegar, ¼ cups Dark soy sauce, 2 tbsp Hoisin sauce, 1 tsp Sesame oil, 2 tbsp Sugar, ½ tsp Scheuan peppercorns, 2 tbsp Cornstarch, ¼ tsp Kosher salt
- Saute – In a wok or cast-iron skillet, heat the oil. Add sliced onions, and saute for a minute. Then, add the ginger, garlic, and dry chilies – saute for 30 seconds.2 tbsp Cooking oil, 1 med Onion, 2 large Garlic cloves, 2 inch Fresh ginger, 3 dried Red chilies
- Chicken – Add the chicken and stir-fry on high for 2 minutes. Then, add the stalks of the bok choy and saute for two minutes more.Pro tip – The stalks take longer to cook than the leaves so we add them first.8 pieces Chinese bok choy
- Combine – Then, add the prepared sauce and stir-fry for another minute. Next, add the bok choy leaves and stir-fry some more. Sprinkle the nuts and stir a minute more.10 Cashewnuts
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with chopped cilantro.¼ cups Fresh cilantro
Notes
- Stir-fry is a quick dish, so have all the ingredients ready before you begin to stir-fry.
- Prepare the sauce before you begin to stir-fry.
- Cut the chicken into even bite-size pieces so they cook evenly
- Heat the wok or skillet on high before you stir-fry. It’s cooking on high heat that enhances the flavor of stir-fried dishes
- Bok choy stalks take longer to cook, so we add them ahead of time. But they take not more than 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add leaves at the last 2 minutes of cooking.
- Similarly, add nuts at the end of cooking so they don’t become soft.
- If you don’t have Sichuan peppercorns, use black pepper powder.
- Kung Pao chicken is supposed to be hot and spic,y but you can reduce the number of spicy chilies or use a non-spicy variety.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Veena
I’m the recipe developer, baker, and food photographer behind Veena Azmanov Kitchen.
I’ve spent years developing and testing recipes, from everyday meals and homemade breads to cakes and desserts.
I share the practical tips and little details I’ve learned along the way so you can get great results in your own kitchen.
Delicious, but for me it could do with more Sichuan pepper.