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Kung Pao Chicken

This spicy and flavorful dish features tender chunks of chicken thighs sauteed with toasted peanuts, vegetables, and a mouth-watering sauce. While it may seem intimidating to recreate this dish at home, it is actually very simple to prepare, and can be cooked in a Western kitchen with relative ease. Below is a recipe for Kung Pao Chicken that you can create and enjoy in the comfort of your own home, without a ton of time required for prep and cooking.

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp white granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp corn starch
  • 16 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into large bite-sized chunks
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt, for salting chicken
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
  • 2 or 3 Tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
  • 2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup peanuts, lightly toasted
  • ½ red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
  • ½ green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
  • ½ cup scallions, finely sliced
  • ½ cup water chestnuts, drained and rinsed and sliced
  • Kosher salt & freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, white granulated sugar, and cornstarch until well combined. Set the sauce aside.
  • Salt the chicken pieces with Kosher salt.
  • Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan.
  • Add the chicken to the very hot pan and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until browned on all sides.
  • Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan and saute for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Add the chopped bell peppers, ¾ of the sliced scallions, and the sliced water chestnuts to the pan and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
  • *Save a small amount of the sliced scallions for a garnish as the end.
  • Add the Sichuan peppercorns and red pepper flakes to the pan and saute for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Whisk together the sauce that you made earlier again, just to make sure the corn starch is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
  • Pour this sauce over the chicken and vegetables, stirring to coat everything evenly.
  • Continue to saute the mixture for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.
  • Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the toasted peanuts.
  • Taste, and season with additional Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper if desired.
  • Serve the Kung Pao Chicken immediately, garnished with some additional sliced scallions.

Notes

This dish still tastes good when reheated the next day for leftovers.