Easy Kung Pao Chicken
Published July 27, 2022
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch chunks
- 3tablespoons soy sauce
- 2teaspoons cornstarch
- Salt and ground black or Sichuan pepper
- 1½tablespoons Chinkiang (black) vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- 2teaspoons sugar
- ¼cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed
- ½cup small dried red chiles (15 grams; see Tip)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
293 calories; 17 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 27 grams protein; 715 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Mix the chicken, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and a big pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl until evenly coated. Let sit while you prepare the sauce.
- Step 2
Stir the vinegar, sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Step 3
Combine the oil and chiles in a wok or large nonstick skillet, and set over medium heat. When the chiles start to sizzle and brown, about 15 seconds, push them to one side of the pan. Add the chicken to the other side all at once and spread in a single, even layer. Cook, without moving the pieces, until the bottoms are dark golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. If the chiles start to blacken, put them on top of the chicken so that they don’t burn.
- Step 4
Using a large spatula, flip the chicken in portions. Cook just until the meat almost loses all of its pinkness, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir the sauce and pour it into the pan. Stir until the sauce thickens and slicks the chicken evenly. Immediately transfer to a plate and serve hot.
- The small dried red chiles typically used in kung pao dishes are available in Chinese markets. Any small dried red chiles work, though they do range in heat. For a similar spice level, use chiles de árbol.
Private Notes
Comments
This is almost identical to a recipe that I got from a friend in grad school that my family has enjoyed for over 2 decades now. A couple of key additions: 1) We mix 2 shakes of red chili flakes into the sauce. Perhaps the Sichuan peppercorns would compensate for that - hard to get those in late-90s Georgia when I first made this, but it will be interesting to compare the two. 2) When the chicken is flipped, I also mix in ~1/2cp unsalted whole peanuts and a couple thinly sliced green onions.
¿Where is the garlic and the ginger here? There are also some essential ingredients missing: rice wine, spring onions (the green only). Last but not least, the peanuts.
Just my ignorance but I thought peanuts were one of the defining characteristics of Kung Pao?
Add peanuts, garlic, and green onions
It was ok but not the best Kung Pao I’ve cooked. What it lacks in complexity it makes up for with convenience. After prep, the cooking time is just a handful of minutes. My advice to anyone cooking this dish is to prep the ingredients and only start cooking when all other accompanying dishes are ready. Then as soon as the Kung Pao has finished cooking you can serve. My only subs was diced dried chillies instead of whole chillies in the recipe and I also added a handful of roasted (non-salted) peanuts at the end. I served it with bok choi and carrot sautéed with garlic and ginger and steamed jasmine rice.
I replaced the chicken with cubed pork and couldn’t find the chilis so used 1 TBS red pepper flakes instead and doubled the sauce. Added cooked broccoli when I added the sauce. It was delicious! As for the spiciness my partner from Mexico thought it was perfect low level heat but I, as a midwestern, had tears in my eyes and a runny nose while eating. Still loved it but just beware!