Kung Pao Chicken

  • Total time - 30 minutes
  • Preparation - 15 minutes
  • Cooking time - 15 minutes
  • Servings: 4
  • Country: China
A rich bowl of Kung Pao Chicken with peanuts and vegetables.

This Kung Pao Chicken recipe will teach you how to make this popular dish that is a huge hit in Chinese cuisine. It's a perfect combination of textures – from crunchy peanuts to juicy chicken. The preparation is quick and ideal for a fast and delicious dinner.

Ingredients

For the Marinade

  • 500 g chicken breast or thigh, diced into cubes
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine or dry sherry

For the Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 0.5 cup water or chicken broth

For the Stir-fry

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 5 pieces dried whole chili peppers
  • 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon garlic and ginger, minced
  • 2 pieces spring onions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
  • 1 piece red bell pepper, diced
  • 0.5 cup peanuts, roasted and unsalted

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the marinade and sauce

Cut the chicken into 1.5 cm cubes. In a bowl, mix the chicken with cornstarch, soy sauce, and rice wine. Let it marinate for 10-15 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients.

Step 2: Stir-fry the aromatics

Heat a wok with oil. Add the dried whole chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry for a few seconds until fragrant. Then, add the minced garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the spring onions and stir-fry until fragrant.

Step 3: Cook the chicken and vegetables

Add the marinated chicken to the wok and stir-fry until cooked through and lightly browned. Add the diced bell pepper and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are tender-crisp.

Step 4: Add the sauce and peanuts

Give the sauce mixture a quick whisk and pour it into the wok. Stir quickly until the sauce thickens and coats all the ingredients. Remove from heat and stir in the roasted peanuts and the green parts of the spring onions.

Krok 5: Serve

Serve the Kung Pao Chicken immediately, hot, with a side of steamed rice.