Kung Pao chicken is a favorite Chinese dish that is simple to make at home. This recipe calls for just a few ingredients, and it can be ready in under 30 minutes. It's a delicious dinner that's quick to make and everyone loves it.
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Keyword chicken, chinese, Kung Pao
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Calories 381kcal
Ingredients
CHICKEN:
2chicken breasts - diced
3tablespoonscornstarch
1tablespoonsoy sauce
1tablespoonrice vinegar
1egg white
1teaspoonsalt
SAUCE:
3tablespoonssoy sauce
2tablespoonscooking wine
2tablespoonsbalsamic vinegar
1teaspoonblack pepper powder
½cupwater
STIR FRY:
2tablespoonsoil + more for frying chicken
1tablespoonchopped garlic
1teaspoonchopped ginger
4-5dried red chilies cut into ½ inch pieces
1green bell pepper cut into cubes
1red bell pepper cut into cubes
1tablespooncorn starch
2tablespoonswater
2green onions cut into ½ inch pieces
1teaspoonground black pepper
½teaspoonsalt
½cuproasted unsalted peanuts
Instructions
Combine the diced chicken, corn starch, egg white, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and salt in a large bowl. Toss and then let the chicken marinate for about 5 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
Combine the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, black pepper powder, cooking wine, and water in another small bowl. Whisk to combine.
In a large skillet, heat the cooking oil over medium heat and then add the chicken. Stir occasionally and cook until crisp and golden on the outside and evenly cooked on the inside (3-4 min). Once done transfer the chicken onto a plate.
In the same skillet, Next heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add chopped ginger and garlic and fry until garlic becomes fragrant.
Add the dried red chilies and cubed red and green bell peppers. Stir and cook for a few seconds.
Stir the prepared sauce, then pour it into the pan and bring it to a boil.
In a small bowl mix together the corn starch and water and then add it to the sauce.
Add the green onions, ground black pepper, and cooked chicken to the pan and mix all the ingredients in the sauce until the chicken is evenly coated and the sauce thickens.
Stir in the peanuts, toss well, and cook for another 2 minutes.
Serve hot with rice.
Notes
You can store the chicken in an air-tight container up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer. Microwave to reheat or add the leftovers back to a pan and flash fry to reheat.Marinating the chicken in the corn starch, vinegar, egg white, and soy sauce not only makes chicken extremely flavorful but also provides a protective coating that holds the moisture inside the chicken. This makes it tender from the inside and crispy from the outside.You can add or omit vegetables in stir fry according to your liking.Ensure that the sauce thickens and coats each and every piece of chicken properly before serving.You can use any oil of your choice in the recipe. However, I recommend using peanut oil or sesame oil for the best flavor.Make sure you cut the chicken into roughly similar size pieces so they cook evenly. Overcooking will make them chewy and rubbery instead of juicy and tender.