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–+ servings
A bowl of kung pan Chicken with rice.

Kung Pao Chicken

Author: Veena Azmanov
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Marinate: 30 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Calories: 420kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 4 servings

Description

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.

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb (500 g) Chicken cut into bite-size pieces
  • 8 pieces Chinese bok choy or 2 sticks celery cut into pieces
  • 1 Onion sliced
  • 1 tbsp Garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp Ginger minced
  • 3 Red chilies dried, spicy, chopped
  • 10 Cashewnuts or peanuts
  • 2 tbsp Cooking oil canola, sunflower grapeseed
  • 2 tbsp Cilantro for garnish
  • ½ tsp Salt if necessary

Marinade

  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Soy sauce

Sauce

  • 1 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Soy sauce dark
  • 1 tbsp Hoisin sauce
  • 1 tsp Sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • ½ tsp Scheuan peppercorns crushed
  • 1 tbsp Cornstarch

Instructions

Marinate chicken

  • Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
  • Season with salt and pepper ( use less salt).
  • Add the vinegar and soy sauce.
  • Cover and leave to marinate for 30 mins to an hour.

Saute

  • Cut the bok choy in half - stalks and leaves separate - set aside.
  • In a wok or cast-iron skillet, heat the oil.
  • Add sliced onions, and saute for a minute.
  • Then, add the ginger, garlic, and chilies - saute 30 seconds.
  • Then, add the chicken and stir-fry on high for 2 minutes.
  • Add the stalks of the bok choy (as they take time to cook) - saute 2 minutes more.
  • Then, add the prepared sauce - stir-fry another minute.
  • Next, add the bok choy leaves - continue to stir-fry.
  • Sprinkle on the nuts - cashew or peanuts.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning, add salt as necessary.
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Recipe Notes

 

Tips for making this Kung Pao chicken

  • 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 the cooking on high heat that enhances the flavor of stir-fry 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 spicy but you can reduce the number of spicy chilies or use a non-spicy variety
Nutrition Information
Calories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 26gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 1363mgPotassium: 330mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 278IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 2mg

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

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