Chicken Kung Pao
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4.8 out of 5 stars
(5)
Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 ½ lbs chicken breast, cut into ¾-inch cubes (or sub chicken thigh)
- ¼-½ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce or sub regular soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar (or sub with rice wine vinegar)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- ⅛- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil- the peanut sauce elevates! See notes.
- 1 ½ tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 5- 15 dried red Chinese chilies, halved and seeds removed (SEE NOTES, dont use Thai Chilies)
- optional: 1 cup celery, sliced thin
- ½-1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, more to taste
- 5 green onions, cut into 1-inch slices (slice white parts in half, lengthwise)
- ½-1 cup roasted peanuts
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Preparation
Step 1
Marinate the chicken
Step 2
Cut the chicken into ¾-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle in the cornstarch, salt, soy sauce, Chinese wine, and sesame oil and give a good toss.
Step 3
Make the Kung Pao Sauce
Step 4
. In a small bowl, whisk the dark soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, sugar, water and white pepper. Make sure sugar gets mixed in.
Step 5
Mise en place
Step 6
Chop the garlic, ginger, and scallions and place them near the stove with all the remaining ingredients.
Step 7
Stir fry
Step 8
Turn your hood fan on. Heat a wok or large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peanut oil, and when hot, stir in the garlic, ginger, dried chiles, and Szechuan peppercorns, stirring constantly for for 30-45 seconds. Don’t breathe it in! Add the chicken and its marinade, stirring often until all the pink is gone, abut 3 minutes. Add celery if using. Lower heat to medium, pour in the kung pao sauce, scraping the bowl (to get all the sugar), and bring it to a simmer, add the scallions while stirring for 1-2 mintues. Let the sauce thicken, and the chicken cook through. Stir in the peanuts.
Step 9
Season
Step 10
Taste and adjust salt and spice levels to your liking. Add more black vinegar or sugar if you like.
Step 11
Serve
Step 12
over rice, or in lettuce wraps.
Step 13
Save recipe for the next time?
