Kung Pao Chicken
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Kung Pao Chicken, a Chinese takeout favorite with tender chicken, crunchy peanuts, and vibrant veggies in a bold, savory sauce, comes together in just 30 minutes for an easy weeknight meal!
Kung pao chicken is a popular Chinese restaurant dish that combines tender chicken, crisp veggies, and peanuts with a spicy, tangy sauce. While it’s traditionally made with specialty ingredients like Sichuan peppercorns, Chinese black vinegar, rice wine, and dried red chilies, this simplified version swaps those hard-to-find items for staples from your local supermarket. It still delivers the same bold flavor and makes for a delicious weeknight dinner, especially with a side of rice.
“We made this for the first time this week, and it was a massive hit. Our family has a rating scale for recipes, and this got the top marks from everyone!”
What You’ll Need To Make Kung Pao Chicken
- Soy sauce – Adds savory umami flavor to both the marinade and sauce, a classic base for Asian cooking.
- Dry sherry – Adds a subtle depth and complexity to the marinade. While Chinese cooking wine is traditional, dry sherry is a great substitute that’s more readily available and offers a similar rich, slightly sweet flavor.
- Cornstarch – Creates a protective coating that locks in the chicken’s moisture during cooking, preventing it from drying out and ensuring it stays juicy and tender. Additionally, it helps thicken the sauce, giving the dish a smooth, glossy finish.
- Chicken – Chicken tenderloins are ideal—they are easy to work with and naturally very tender—but boneless skinless chicken breasts can be used as well (just keep in mind they won’t be quite as tender).
- Balsamic vinegar – Used as a substitute for Chinese black vinegar, it provides a similar tangy sweetness and depth to the sauce.
- Hoisin sauce – Brings a touch of sweetness and savory depth to the sauce.
- Asian toasted sesame oil – Adds a nutty, toasty flavor to the sauce.
- Crushed red pepper flakes – Adds a kick of heat; adjust to your taste for a milder or spicier dish.
- Ground ginger – Adds a warm spice and aromatic note to the sauce.
- Vegetable oil – Neutral cooking oil that allows the other flavors to shine while giving a nice sear to the chicken and veggies.
- Red bell pepper and Celery – These veggies add color, sweetness, and crunch to the stir-fry.
- Garlic and scallions – Together, they provide a fragrant, aromatic base for the stir-fry, with the garlic adding bold flavor and the green onions bringing a fresh, mild onion note.
- Peanuts or cashews – Adds crunch and a nutty richness that complements the savory sauce and tender chicken.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
As with any stir-fry, you want to do all of your prep ahead of time because the cooking goes very quickly. Since the chicken needs to marinate for 15 minutes, get that started first. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, dry sherry, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, chop the bell pepper, celery, scallions, and garlic.
In another medium bowl, prepare the sauce by whisking together all of the sauce ingredients: balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, red pepper flakes, ground ginger, and water.
Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat. Add the bell pepper, celery, and salt.
Cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and set aside.
Add an additional half tablespoon of oil to the pan and set over high heat. Add half of the chicken (it’s important not to crowd the pan) and brown on one side.
Turn the chicken pieces and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until the chicken is just cooked through. Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the peppers and celery. Add another half tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the remaining chicken and cook until golden on one side.
Turn the chicken pieces over and cook for 1 minute. Add 1/2 tablespoon more oil to the pan, along with the garlic and scallions.
Cook, stirring with the chicken, for about 30 seconds more.
Add the reserved vegetables and reserved chicken to the pan, along with the sauce.
Reduce the heat to low. Cook until the chicken and vegetables are warmed through and the sauce is thickened, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the nuts. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve with rice.
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Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken, a Chinese takeout favorite with tender chicken, crunchy peanuts, and vibrant veggies in a bold, savory sauce, comes together in just 30 minutes for an easy weeknight meal!
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1½ lbs chicken tenderloins (or boneless skinless chicken breasts), cut into 1-in pieces
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, best quality such as Kikkoman or Lee Kum Kee
- 1 tablespoon Asian/toasted sesame oil
- 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (use half the amount for a milder sauce)
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅓ cup water
For the Stir-fry
- 2½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 5 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup whole roasted unsalted peanuts or cashews
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, dry sherry, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare the sauce: In another medium bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until the cornstarch is dissolved (it can stick to the bottom of the bowl so be sure to scrape it up).
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat. Add the bell pepper, celery, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and set aside.
- Add an additional ½ tablespoon of oil to the pan and set over high heat. Add half of the chicken (it's important not to crowd the pan) and brown on one side, about 1½ minutes. Turn the chicken pieces and continue cooking for about 1½ minutes more, or until the chicken is just cooked through. Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the peppers and celery. Add another ½ tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the remaining chicken and cook until golden on one side, about 1½ minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and cook for 1 minute. Add ½ tablespoon more oil to the pan, along with the garlic and scallions, and cook, stirring with the chicken, for about 30 seconds more.
- Add the reserved vegetables and reserved chicken to the pan, along with the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken and vegetables are warmed through and the sauce is thickened, about 30 seconds. Stir in the nuts. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve. (Note: the sauce will thicken as it sits; thin it with a few tablespoons of water, if necessary.)
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 692
- Fat: 45 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Sodium: 1639 mg
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I made this last night and it was extraordinary – my boyfriend absolutely loved it as well. I love that you don’t need to do this in a wok. I find the wok a bit intimidating and messy – this was far less frenetic. I only had chicken thighs with skin and bone – so deskinned and deboned and used those and they were meltingly tender. The sauce – as with others I’ve made of Jenn’s – was the star of the dish. I didn’t have sherry so used rice wine instead. Thank you Jenn – I look forward to seeing your emails in my in box!!!
Oh – and I doubled the sauce because I know by now that Jenn’s sauces are wonderful.
Another winner! Very good recipe!
Only change to the recipe was I cut down on the red pepper flakes to 1/4 tsp. Tasted like take out!
Hi Jenn,
Tonight I made the Kung Pao Chicken, it was absolutely delicious. I will certainly be making it again. So easy to make . I love how you show step by step instructions.
When are you going to have your own cooking show, and make sure we see it in Australia.
😊
This is a fantastic recipe! I doubled it because I had a feeling my family would love it! It seems like a lot of work but it’s actually fun and easy to prepare. We had it with rice and broccolini! Thanks so much again Jenn for another amazing recipe!!!
Delicious Jen!! May I ask what type of non stick pan you use?
Hi Lisa, I use All-Clad nonstick pans. Glad you enjoyed!
Jenn, you do not disappoint. This looked like a lot of steps but it’s easy to make. I upped the red pepper since I had a 1/2 I didn’t want going bad. I may double next time or use one red and one yellow/orange. Took your suggestion for the sherry alternative. I was thinking vermouth but did the rice wine.
This is a keeper. That you for your site and book!
Hi, can I substitute fresh, grated ginger for the ground ginger? Would you use the same amount? Thank you.
Sure, Steve. I would add 1 tablespoon fresh ginger along with the garlic and scallions.
It was AMAZING!!!!! Thank you! deb
I fixed the Kung Pau Chicken last night for friends and they were impressed!
Thank you for the excellent instructions. I followed them exactly. It was fun to try a recipe I’ve never done before. My prep time is a lot slower than yours though.
Hi Jenn, I made this last night and it was a hit! I’ve tried many of your recipes and they have all turned out delicious. Your instructions are easy to follow. I also bought one of your cookbooks because all your recipes have been so good. I’ going to try the red curry chicken later this week. Thank you so much!
Hi Jen,
I made your Kung Pao Chicken last night. I’m going to be honest, it wasn’t all that it could be. For so many little bits of ingredients, it was lacking in flavor. I did add 5 Spice powder at the end after tasting it. My son suggested pineapple & cashews next time. I think that’s a good idea even though they might not be traditional in this dish.I know Chinese food is labor intensive…I don’t mind that but, when after all is said & done it should be very tasty. I’ll conclude with…I love your site & I have both of your books….so…I’m an avid follower. Nancy Visconti
So sorry you didn’t enjoy it, Nancy. Thank you for the feedback.