Kung Pao Chicken Recipe (The Best!)
Kung Pao Chicken is a classic Chinese stir-fry dish with tender chicken and crunchy peanuts in a savory, spicy Kung Pao sauce. This authentic recipe uses traditional velveting and Chinkiang black vinegar to achieve perfect restaurant-style results at home.
Servings: 3 people
Ingredients
- 12 oz. (350g) boneless & skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 cloves garlic sliced diagonally
- 5 slices fresh ginger peeled
- 6-8 dried red chilies seeded and cut into halves
- 3 tablespoons roasted peanuts
- 1 stalk scallion cut into rings
Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxing rice wine optional
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oil
Kung Pao Sauce:
- 1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken in water, then pat it dry with a paper towel. Cut the chicken into small cubes and marinate with the marinade ingredients for 30 minutes.
- Mix the ingredients for the Kung Pao Sauce in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Heat a wok with one tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the marinated chicken until it's 70% cooked. Remove it from the wok and set it aside. (The surface of the chicken should turn white and opaque, but it should not be fully cooked at this point.)
- Clean the wok or skillet with paper towels, then heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until fully heated. Add the ginger and garlic slices, and quickly stir-fry before adding the dried red chilies.
- Stir-fry the dried red chilies until aromatic, then add the chicken. Briefly stir-fry before adding the roasted peanuts.
- Add the sauce and stir continuously until the chicken is well coated. Then, add the scallions and mix thoroughly with the chicken.
- Dish out the Kung Pao chicken and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 3g | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 872mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g