Description
Kung Pao Chicken is a spicy, saucy stir-fry packed with tender chicken, crunchy peanuts, and crisp bell peppers. It’s bold, easy to make at home, and better than takeout, and ready in under 40 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 – 3 teaspoons cornstarch, depending on how thick you want the sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 – 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into cubes
- 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and cut into cubes
- 3 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger, minced or grated
- ½ cup dry roasted peanut halves (I used lightly salted)
- 5 dried red chili peppers, deseeded (you can leave some seeds for more spice, if desired)
- ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to desired spice
- sliced green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Place diced chicken in a large bowl, set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and cornstarch until the mixture is smooth and the cornstarch is fully dissolved.
- Stir in the brown sugar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
- Scoop out 2 tablespoons of the sauce and pour it over the chicken. Toss until all pieces are evenly coated. Let the chicken marinate for 15 minutes.
- Add water to the remaining sauce and stir until well blended. Set aside for later.
- As the chicken has marinates, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a bit of oil and sauté the chopped bell peppers for 3 to 5 minutes, until they start to soften.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger, cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Transfer the veggies to a clean bowl and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add more oil if needed and cook the chicken over medium-high heat until fully cooked, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Toss in the peanuts and dried red chilis, cooking for about a minute while stirring frequently to avoid burning.
- Add the cooked vegetables back to the skillet. Pour in the reserved sauce and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Stir everything together and lower the heat. Let it simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Finish with a sprinkle of green onions on top and serve with steamed white rice.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Marinating Tine: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 529
- Sugar: 13.4 g
- Sodium: 545.9 mg
- Fat: 28.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.1 g
- Fiber: 3.9 g
- Protein: 47.5 g
- Cholesterol: 124.1 mg