Easy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe (Better Than Takeout)

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Kung pao chicken (gong bao ji ding) comes from Sichuan in south-west China. The real version is less sweet than takeaway: small cubes of chicken stir-fried with dried chilies, numbing Sichuan pepper, spring onion and peanuts in a glossy, sweet-sour-savoury sauce.

🍳 How to Make Kung Pao Chicken

1. Marinate the chicken. Mix the chicken with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, the Shaoxing wine and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Leave for 10 minutes.
2. Mix the sauce. Stir together the remaining soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, water and 1 teaspoon cornstarch.
3. Toast the spices. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the chilies and Sichuan peppercorns and stir for 20–30 seconds until fragrant and the chilies darken – do not let them burn.
4. Stir-fry the chicken. Turn the heat to high, add the chicken and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until it turns white and lightly golden.
5. Add aromatics. Add the garlic, ginger, spring onions and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 1 minute.
6. Finish. Stir the sauce, pour it in and toss until it thickens and coats the chicken. Add the peanuts and sesame oil, toss once more and serve with steamed rice.

💡 Tips

• Have everything ready before you start – the cooking takes under 7 minutes.
• The dried chilies are for flavour; most people do not eat them.

❓ FAQ

Is kung pao chicken very spicy?
It has a warm chili heat and a tingling numbness from Sichuan pepper, but it is not fiery.

Can I use chicken breast?
Yes, but thighs stay juicier.

👉 More Chinese recipes: browse all recipes.