Kung Pao Chicken is a hot, and spicy classical Chinese dish that has its origin from Szechuan Cuisine. It is usually made with chicken breast, Sichuan peppercorns, veggies, peanuts, and a flavor bursting Kung Pao Sauce. The recipe I have shared here shows you how to make Kung Pao Chicken with easy step-by-step instructions for you to try and enjoy at home.
I have also shared a detailed video of this recipe to make the cooking process clear and simple. This Kung Pao Chicken is one of the best stir-fry dishes that delivers authentic taste and flavor. And it tastes great over rice dishes such as white rice, basmati rice, brown rice, noodles, or other similar dishes for lunch and dinner.
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What is Kung Pao Chicken?
Kung Pao Chicken is a sweet, spicy, and savory Chinese dish authentic to Szechuan Cuisine. It is one of the popular chicken stir fry dishes from Sichuan Province. Usually, the bite-size chicken breast pieces are marinated and stir-fried in a special kung pao sauce with veggies, Sichuan peppers, and finally garnished with peanuts.
The authentic Kung Pao Chicken has a citrusy tongue-tingling sensation that comes from the Szechuan peppercorns. It is one of the main ingredients of Sichuan cuisine and it is part of most of their authentic dishes.
This Kung Pao Chicken is one of the easy and healthy dishes to enjoy on your busy weekdays or weeknights. And it pairs great as a side dish over rice, noodles, or fried rice for lunch and dinner.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need to make this Kung Pao Chicken are mostly Chinese kitchen basics. These ingredients can be found in most Asian groceries around and online grocery stores. So let's check out what are they below.
For Marinade
Following are ingredients required to marinate the Chicken.
- Chicken Breast - Bite size cut chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs works well for this dish
- Soy Sauce - You can use both dark, light or all purpose soy sauce for this dish. It is used for both marination and while stir frying the Kung Pao Chicken
- Shaoxing Wine (Chinese Wine) - It is a popular cooking wine used in the Chinese cuisine which delivers the restaurant style taste and flavor. You can also use sherry sauce, apple cider vinegar, balsamic or Chinese black vinegar if the wine is not handy to you. And we will be using this wine for stir-fry as well
- Cornstarch - For coating the chicken and it delivers the velvety texture to the chicken
- Ginger Powder (optional) - Gives nice aroma and helps to remove the raw aroma from the meat
- Garlic Powder - Gives nice flavor and taste to the chicken
For Kung Pao Chicken
Following are the ingredients required to prepare Kung Pao Chicken.
- Sauces - Sweet bean Sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine gives the perfect flavors for this dish
- Vinegar - Usually Chinese black vinegar is used, but you can also use rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar to achieve similar taste and flavor
- Sichuan Peppercorns - Gives citrusy tongue numbing effect to the dish. And the best substitute for it is white pepper powder
- Sugar - Since I have used sweet bean sauce, I have skipped the sugar here, but you can use 2 tsp of sugar if you are not using the bean sauce
- Veggies - I have used Bell peppers and scallions here but you can also use broccoli, snow peas, chestnuts for other options
- Chicken Broth - Delivers the in depth flavor of chicken
- Dry Red Chili - The heat of the dish comes from the dry red chili but you can adjust the quantity as per your heat level
- Ginger and Garlic - Basic aromatics that gives fresh flavors to the dish
- Oil - Sesame oil gives the earthy and traditional flavor to this dish but you can also use vegetable or canola oil if its handy to you
- Peanuts - Roasted peanuts gives the perfect crunchiness to this dish and you can also use cashew nuts to achieve the similar results
How to make Kung Pao Chicken?
The recipe I have shared here is the Kung Pao Chicken that delivers the authentic taste and flavor of Szechuan Cuisine. This is a Chinese Stir fry dish that should be done quickly, so make sure to prepare the ingredients ahead. The sauce plays an important factor to achieve the restaurant-style taste and flavor, so I recommend not to compromise on it. I have also shared some substitutions in the ingredients list above if any of the items are not handy for you.
Following are the high-level instructions to make this dish but for detailed step-by-step instructions with photos and video please check out the recipe card below.
- Marinate the chicken- In a bowl, add the bite-size chicken pieces, ginger powder, garlic powder, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and corn starch. Mix until everything coats well
- Rest the chicken - Close the bowl with a lid and rest it for at least 10 minutes
- Fry the Chicken - In a pan with medium heat, pour oil and add the marinated chicken pieces. Fry the chicken pieces until it turns golden brown on both the sides
- Remove and Reserve - Remove the fried chicken from the oil and reserve it for later use
- Add in the aromatic - Preheat the seasoned wok on medium-high heat and pour in the oil. Add ginger, garlic, and red chili. Saute until it turns aromatic
- Stir in the Sichuan Pepper - Add in the scallions and Sichuan peppers and give a quick stir
- Add the bell peppers - Now add the red, green, and orange bell peppers and give a quick stir
- Add the sauces - Add chili bean paste, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, chicken broth, and give it a nice mix
- Thicken the sauce - Now add the cornflour slurry and give a stir until the Kung Pao Sauce thickens
- Stir in the chicken - Add in the fried chicken and give it a nice toss
- Garnish with peanuts - Finally, add the roasted peanuts and give it a final stir. And now the delicious homemade Kung Pao Chicken is ready for you to taste and enjoy
- Serve - Serve this authentic Chinese restaurant-style Kung Pao Chicken with white rice, noodles, or other similar dishes of your choice
Tips
- Kung Pao Sauce - The sauce plays an important role in making this dish unique from other Asian Takeouts. So I recommend not to compromise on it. I have also shared the substitutes if some of the ingredients are not handy
- Prepare ahead of the ingredients - Always make sure to prepare ahead of the ingredients as Chinese stir-frying cooking happens so quickly
- For soft and juicy chicken - To make a soft and juicy chicken marinate it with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and corn starch to achieve a velvety finish. And it helps to retain the chicken's soft texture after it is pan-fried. This process is called velveting the chicken in Chinese restaurants
- Chicken breast - I have used chicken breast to make this dish but you can also use boneless chicken thighs
- Sichuan peppers - Sichuan peppers used in this recipe gives the citrusy tongue-tingling feel to the dish and it is one of the main ingredient used in Szechuan Cuisine. But you can also replace it with white pepper if Szechuan peppercorns are not handy
- Shaoxing wine - It is nothing but a cooking wine used in most Chinese recipes which elevate the taste and flavor of your dish. But feel free to replace it with sherry sauce or apple cider vinegar if it is not handy
- Sweetness - I have used sweet bean sauce that is widely used in Szechuan Cuisine dishes which has a good amount of sweetness in it and so I skipped using sugar here. But you can feel free to add sugar if you are not using sweet bean sauce to the dish
Calories
This Kung Pao Chicken shared here contains 412 calories per serving and it is an estimation by the nutrition calculator. The calorie count may change if you change or alternate the ingredients. You could also find the detailed nutritional information in the recipe card below.
Storage Suggestions
You could store this dish in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a closed air-tight container. Always make sure to reheat only the portion that you want to enjoy to retain its taste and freshness.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this authentic Kung Pao Chicken with rice dishes such as white rice, basmati rice, brown rice, noodles, or fried rice of your choice.
Related Recipes
You could also find similar recipes below and more at Szechuan recipes and Asian recipes.
- Kung Pao Shrimp
- Szechuan Chicken
- General Tso's Chicken
- Orange Chicken
- Lemon Chicken
- Chicken Stir Fry
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Schezwan Chicken Fried Rice
- Szechuan Shrimp
- Szechuan Sauce
- Vegetable Stir Fry
Kung Pao Chicken Recipe video
I have also shared a detailed video of this Kung Pao Chicken Recipe below that I hope will help you to make an authentic Szechuan dish at home. And you could also find this recipe in story format.
📖 Recipe
Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients
To marinate Chicken
- 1.6 lb Chicken Breast
- 1 tsp Ginger Powder
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing Wine
- 2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
To make Kung Pao Chicken
- 6 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Ginger, chopped
- 2 tsp Garlic , chopped
- 7 Red Chili, dry
- ½ cup Scallions , cut lengthwise
- 2 tsp Sichuan Peppers, crushed (has bold flavor add ½ tsp if you are new to this flavor)
- ¼ cup Red Bell Pepper
- ¼ cup Green Bell Pepper
- ¼ cup Orange Bell Pepper
- 2 tbsp Sweet Bean Sauce, optional
- 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing Wine
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce, all purpose or light
- 2 tsp Sugar
- ½ cup Chicken Broth
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch slurry
- 2 tbsp Peanuts, roasted
Instructions
To Marinate the Chicken
- In a bowl, add the bite-size chicken pieces, ginger powder, garlic powder, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and corn starch
- Mix until everything coats well. Close the bowl with a lid and rest it for at least 10 minutes
To Fry the Chicken
- In a pan with medium heat, pour oil and add the marinated chicken pieces
- Fry the chicken pieces until it turns golden brown on both sides
- Remove the fried chicken from the oil and reserve it for later use
To make Kung Pao Chicken
- Preheat the seasoned wok on medium-high heat and pour in the oil. Add ginger, garlic, and red chili. Saute until it turns aromatic
- Add in the scallions and Sichuan peppers and give a quick stir
- Now add the red, green, and orange bell peppers and give a quick stir
- Add sweet bean sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, chicken broth, and give it a nice mix
- Now add the cornflour slurry and give a stir until the Kung Pao Sauce thickens
- Add in the fried chicken and give it a nice toss. Finally, add the roasted peanuts and give it a final stir. And now the delicious homemade Kung Pao Chicken is ready for you to taste and enjoy
To Serve
- Serve this authentic Chinese restaurant-style Kung Pao Chicken with white rice, noodles, or other similar dishes of your choice
Video
Notes
- Kung Pao Sauce - The sauce plays an important role in making this dish unique from other Asian Takeout. So I recommend not to compromise on it. I have also shared the substitutes if some of the ingredients are not handy
- Prepare ingredients ahead - Always make sure to prepare ingredients ahead as Chinese stir-frying cooking happens so quickly
- For the soft and juicy chicken - To make a soft and juicy chicken marinate it with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and corn starch to achieve a velvety finish. And it helps to retain the chicken's soft texture after it is pan-fried. This process is called velveting the chicken in Chinese restaurants
- Chicken Breast - I have used chicken breast to make this dish but you can also use boneless chicken thighs
- Sichuan Peppers - Sichuan peppers used in this recipe gives the citrusy tongue-tingling feel to the dish and it is one of the main ingredient used in Szechuan Cuisine. But you can also replace it with white pepper if Szechuan peppercorns are not handy
- Shaoxing Wine - It is nothing but a cooking wine used in most Chinese recipes that elevate the taste and flavor of your dish. But feel free to replace it with sherry sauce or apple cider vinegar if it is not handy
- Sweetness - I have used sweet bean sauce that is widely used in Szechuan Cuisine dishes which has a good amount of sweetness in it and so I skipped using sugar here. But you can feel free to add sugar if you are not using sweet bean sauce to the dish
Nutrition
FAQ
Kung Pao Chicken is a sweet, spicy, and savory Chinese dish authentic to Szechuan Cuisine. It is one of the popular chicken stir fry dishes from Sichuan Province. Usually, the bite-size chicken breast pieces are marinated and stir-fried in a special kung pao sauce with veggies, Sichuan peppers, and finally garnished with peanuts.
It is a sweet, salty, and spicy dish and also has a unique tongue-tingling sensation from Sichuan peppercorns. Even though the dry red chilies used in the recipe deliver the spiciness it is balanced out with soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin sauce, and sugar.
Szechuan chickens a stir-fry dish that has similar tongue-tingling citrusy numbness similar to Kung Pao Chicken. And you will not use glossy sauces for making Szechuan Chicken which makes it different from Kung Pao Chicken.
General Tso's Chicken is a sweet and spicy dish that does not have Sichuan peppers and peanuts. While Kung Pao is hot and spicy with Sichuan peppers and crunchy peanuts.
Even though the dish is made with healthy stir-fried chicken, veggies, and peanuts, the sauces used here usually have a good amount of sodium. But the homemade dishes are always healthier compared to restaurant-style dishes, and you know what goes into your dish.
Kung Pao Chicken tastes hot, spicy, and tongue-tingling citrusy numbness. And the sauce is filled with additive flavors of hoisin, soy, and Shaoxing wine.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe that I have shared here and I would love to hear from you on how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
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