Kung Pao Chicken
A Sichuan stir-fry of diced chicken with peanuts and dried chilies in a sweet-savory-tangy sauce. Premix the sauce and it's a 20-minute wok dish — superb over rice.
Ingredients
- Chicken thigh (or breast) · 2cm cubes300 g
- Roasted peanuts60 g
- Dried red chilies · snipped8
- Green onion · 2cm pieces1
- Garlic · sliced3 cloves
- Ginger · minced1 tsp
- Sichuan peppercorns · optional, for mala1 tsp
- Cooking oil2 tbsp
- Chicken marinade
- Soy sauce1 tbsp
- Shaoxing wine (or mirin)1 tbsp
- Cornstarch1 tbsp
- Sauce
- Soy sauce1.5 tbsp
- Black vinegar (or vinegar)1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Cornstarch1 tsp
- Water3 tbsp
Steps
- ⏲ 10 min
Cube the chicken and toss with the marinade (soy, wine, cornstarch); rest 10 minutes.
- ⏲ 1 min
Stir all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl (sugar, vinegar, soy, cornstarch, water).
- ⏲ 4 min
Heat a wok or pan over high heat with oil, spread in the chicken, and stir-fry until golden, then push to one side or remove.
- ⏲ 1 min
In the same pan, fry the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns over low heat 30 seconds until fragrant (don't burn them or they turn bitter).
- ⏲ 2 min
Add the garlic, ginger, and green onion, then return the chicken and stir-fry over high heat.
- ⏲ 2 min
Pour in the sauce and toss quickly until glossy and coated, turn off the heat, and stir in the peanuts. Serve with rice.
Tips & Variations
Variations
- Milder: Use fewer chilies and skip the peppercorns for a kid-friendly version.
- Shrimp or pork: Swap the chicken for shrimp or pork.
- More veg: Add bell pepper, celery, or bamboo shoots for crunch.
- Cashews: Use cashews instead of peanuts.
Tips
- Stir-fry fast over high heat so the chicken stays tender and veg crisp.
- Fry the chilies and peppercorns over low heat for aroma only — burnt = bitter.
- Premix the sauce and add it all at once for even coating.
- Add the peanuts at the end to keep them crunchy.
- A cornstarch marinade velvets the chicken so it stays moist.
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