Kung Pao Chicken also spelled as Kung Po or Gong Bao originates from the Sichuan cuisine. It is a spicy Chinese stir fry dish made with chicken, dried chilies and roasted peanuts. Another spicy stir fry with nuts which you might also love is my Thai Cashew Chicken!
Traditionally, Sichuan peppercorns are used to flavour this dish. The oil is first infused with this exotic spice and then dried red chili is added.
If you can easily get hold of Sichuan peppercorns add a tablespoon to the oil before frying red chilies. Otherwise just follow the recipe without it and it will still be as good.
Also some prefer a drier version of Kung Pao where the sauce is sticking to the chicken pieces and some like to have that pool of sauce. So I suggest to add the chicken stock according to how you like it.
More Chinese Recipes
- Chinese Chicken in Garlic Sauce
- Chinese Hot and Sour Soup
- Chinese Chili Chicken Dry
- Chicken Manchurian
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📖 Recipe
Chinese Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients
- 500 g boneless chicken cut into 2 cm cubes
- 2-3 tablespoon olive oil
- 5-8 dried red chilies broken up in small pieces
- ½ - ¾ cup roasted unsalted peanuts
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup cornflour (cornstarch) slurry 2 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 4 tablespoon water
- 3-4 stalks spring onion green and white parts sliced separately
MARINADE
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon or to taste salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
SAUCE
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Marinate chicken in all the mentioned ingredients for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the sauce and keep aside.
- Heat olive oil in a pan and on high heat add the red chilies. Stir fry for 30 seconds then add the ginger and garlic. Don’t brown just cook for a minute until they loose their rawness.
- Now throw in the chicken and fry.
- Add the white part of the spring onion along with the sauce. Stir fry for another 2 mins.
- Put in the peanuts and chicken stock. Wait till the stock starts bubbling and then thicken the sauce with the cornflour slurry. Add the slurry gradually and stop till you reach your desired thickness.
- Sprinkle the green onions and turn off heat.
- Serve with fried rice or noodles.
Notes
- If you do not have rice vinegar, you can use the regular white vinegar.
- Chicken can also be replaced with shrimp.
Nutrition
Ruby says
We made it today. Turned out very tasty and had that authentic kung pao flavour and heat. Can't wait to try the other recipes! Thanks!
Hafsa says
Excellent taste ,though i reduced the sesams oil from 4 tbsp to only 1 tbsp as it has very strong taste .....
marriam says
It turned out very salty. What should I add less to avoid that? I followed the recipe exactly as it is.
Qashang says
Your brand of soy sauce could be saltier. You can try using soy sauce with less sodium. And if you are using chicken stock cubes reduce their quantity.