Unlike many Chinese-American favorites, which were invented by resourceful Chinese immigrants, Kung Pao Chicken (宫保雞丁) is a Sichuan classic that can be enjoyed to this day in China. If you’re expecting the mild vegetable and chicken stir-fry suspended in a sweet gravy that you’d get in the US, you may be in for a surprise when a plate with equal parts chili peppers and chicken shows up.
The dish may be pronounced more like gōng bǎo in China, but it certainly packs more pow than the Chinese-American Kung Pao thanks to the copious addition of chili peppers. Face-meltingly spicy, the flames are both fanned or tamed by the handfuls of tongue-numbing huā jiāo (Sichuan Pepper) in the original.
I know it’s neither here nor there, but personally, I’m not a fan of the candy-sweet sauce in the Chinese-American version, and the Sichuan original is a little more heat than I can handle. That’s why my Kung Pao Chicken recipe comes in between the two with a piquant sauce that’s redolent of citrusy huā jiāo, glazing a colorful medley of chicken, bell peppers and oil roasted peanuts, and garnished with scallions (green onions). Trust me, it’s way better than a takeout version and easy to make.
To infuse as much flavor into the chicken as possible, I like to marinate it in a combination of Chinese rice wine and potato starch. As meat cooks, the proteins shrink, forcing out the liquid contained within the meat. By thickening the escaping liquids, the potato starch helps lock the moisture in the chicken so it doesn’t dry out as it cooks.
For the sauce, I use a combination of earthy Chinese black vinegar, savory soy sauce, spicy dòubànjiàng and tongue-tingling huā jiāo , or Sichuan peppercorn. The latter two ingredients create the málà (numbing/spicy) taste that’s a trademark of Sichuan cuisine and the sublimely pungent sauce plays well with the dark, nutty peanuts and umami-packed chicken. You may also enjoy my Kung Pao Tofu ; it’s a great way to enjoy this bland but healthy and economical ingredient. The recipe also includes an instructional video.
As with any stir-fry, the key is to maintain a very high heat, which is why it’s important to use a pan with enough surface area so that incoming ingredients don’t cool it off too much. A good Kung Pao develops a sear which contributes to the classic stir-fried flavor of the dish. This is also why it’s crucial that you have all your prep-work done ahead of time and the ingredients close at hand, so things don’t burn while you’re hunting for something.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Units
Ingredients1x2x3x
For marinade
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon potato starch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 400 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into ½-inch pieces)
For sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon black vinegar
- 2 teaspoons doubanjiang
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon potato starch
- ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper (to taste)
For stir-fry
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 dried chili peppers
- ⅓ cup peanuts
- 7 grams fresh ginger (minced)
- 7 grams garlic (~1 large clove, minced)
- 70 grams red bell pepper (~ ½ pepper, chopped)
- 70 grams green bell pepper (~ ½ pepper, chopped)
- 2 scallions (minced for garnish)
Instructions
- Whisk the 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine , 1 teaspoon potato starch , and ¼ teaspoon salt together and add the 400 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs , stirring to combine. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- To make the sauce, add the 1 tablespoon Chinese dark soy sauce , 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine , 1 tablespoon black vinegar , 2 teaspoons doubanjiang , 2 teaspoons granulated sugar , ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper , and 1 teaspoon potato starch into a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Heat a wok or large sauté pan until hot and then add the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil , along with the 6 dried chili peppers and ⅓ cup peanuts . Stir-fry until the chilies are fragrant, but be careful not to burn them. Transfer the chilies to a plate and then continue to stir-fry the peanuts until they start to brown. Transfer the peanuts to a plate, leaving as much oil the pan as possible.
- Add the 7 grams fresh ginger and 7 grams garlic to the pan and then add the marinated chicken in a single layer. Leave the chicken undisturbed until it starts to brown.
- Add the 70 grams red bell pepper and 70 grams green bell pepper and then stir-fry until the chicken is mostly cooked.
- Add the sauce and return the peanuts and chili peppers to the pan. Continue stir frying until the sauce thickens and evenly coats the chicken and vegetables.
- Garnish with the 2 scallions and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Kung Pao Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Medium Glass Bowl
- 1 Small Glass Bowl
- 1 12-inch Non-stick Frying Pan
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
For marinade
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon potato starch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 400 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into ½-inch pieces)
For sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon black vinegar
- 2 teaspoons doubanjiang
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon potato starch
- ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper (to taste)
For stir-fry
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 dried chili peppers
- ⅓ cup peanuts
- 7 grams fresh ginger (minced)
- 7 grams garlic (~1 large clove, minced)
- 70 grams red bell pepper (~ ½ pepper, chopped)
- 70 grams green bell pepper (~ ½ pepper, chopped)
- 2 scallions (minced for garnish)
Instructions
- Whisk the 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine , 1 teaspoon potato starch , and ¼ teaspoon salt together and add the 400 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs , stirring to combine. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon potato starch, ¼ teaspoon salt, 400 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs
- To make the sauce, add the 1 tablespoon Chinese dark soy sauce , 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine , 1 tablespoon black vinegar , 2 teaspoons doubanjiang , 2 teaspoons granulated sugar , ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper , and 1 teaspoon potato starch into a small bowl and whisk to combine. 1 tablespoon Chinese dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 tablespoon black vinegar, 2 teaspoons doubanjiang, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon potato starch, ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
- Heat a wok or large sauté pan until hot and then add the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil , along with the 6 dried chili peppers and ⅓ cup peanuts . Stir-fry until the chilies are fragrant, but be careful not to burn them. Transfer the chilies to a plate and then continue to stir-fry the peanuts until they start to brown. Transfer the peanuts to a plate, leaving as much oil the pan as possible. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 6 dried chili peppers, ⅓ cup peanuts
- Add the 7 grams fresh ginger and 7 grams garlic to the pan and then add the marinated chicken in a single layer. Leave the chicken undisturbed until it starts to brown. 7 grams fresh ginger, 7 grams garlic
- Add the 70 grams red bell pepper and 70 grams green bell pepper and then stir-fry until the chicken is mostly cooked. 70 grams red bell pepper, 70 grams green bell pepper
- Add the sauce and return the peanuts and chili peppers to the pan. Continue stir frying until the sauce thickens and evenly coats the chicken and vegetables.
- Garnish with the 2 scallions and serve. 2 scallions
