Kung pao chicken exists both in the traditional Chinese repertoire and Americanized takeout menus alike. When we lived in Beijing, I was actually surprised to see how popular Kung Pao Chicken was among restaurant goers.
At certain restaurants that featured family-style cooking, I’d often see kung pao chicken on one out of every three tables. Chopsticks would work hard to grab at the small bite-sized pieces of chicken. And trust me, when the dish was “hot-off-the-wok” good, those chopsticks were moving faster.
Note: While this recipe was originally published in February 2015, we’ve re-tested it and updated it with new photos and clearer instructions. We’ve also included a recipe video! Happy to report the recipe itself is the same, and still as good as ever.
(Also, if you’d like to try a vegan version of kung pao, here are our recipes for kung pao tofu and kung pao mushrooms.)
What is Kung Pao Chicken?
Kung Pao Chicken is a dish featuring small pieces of diced chicken, peanuts, and chilies. While the dish originated in Sichuan province, its fame brought it to other provinces as well, each with their own regional variation.
The dish has also made its way out of China, and remains a common sight on Chinese takeout menus in countries around the world.
There are good reasons why everyone loves kung pao chicken. It’s got so many flavors going on: tangy, sweet, and salty with a hint of heat. The art is putting in the right amount of each ingredient to come up with that winning flavor combination.
It’s actually a relatively easy dish to make at home, and my goal was to make a restaurant-quality kung pao chicken recipe. Try it for yourself to see if I’ve succeeded!
Kung Pao Chicken Recipe: Instructions
1. Start by roasting the peanuts:
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a wok over medium heat and add a cup of raw shelled peanuts. Stir constantly (or they’ll burn) for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir for another minute using the residual heat in the wok.
Set aside to cool. They will turn crunchy once they’re cooled completely.
Alternatively, you could skip this step and simply use shelled roasted peanuts!
2. Marinate the chicken:
Combine the chicken with 1 teaspoon each of oil, cornstarch, and Shaoxing wine, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of white pepper. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes. For more information and preparing chicken for stir fries, see Bill’s post on Chicken velveting 101.
3. Prepare the sauce:
Mix together light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, water, and cornstarch, and set aside.
4. Grab the rest of your ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced
- 2 thin slices ginger, minced
- 2 dried red chilies, deseeded and chopped (these can be quite spicy, so adjust according to your own tastes)
- 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn powder
- 6 scallions, white portions only, cut into 3/4” pieces
5. And you’re ready to cook kung pao chicken:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over high heat. Sear the chicken, remove from the wok to a bowl, and set aside.
Turn the heat to low and add another tablespoon oil. Add the garlic, ginger, chilies, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and scallions. Cook for a minute or two until fragrant.
Add the chicken back to the wok. Turn up the heat to high and stir-fry for a minute.
Then stir up your prepared sauce (the cornstarch will have settled to the bottom, so make sure it’s well incorporated).
Add the sauce to the wok and stir-fry for another minute. The sauce should thicken very quickly.
Finally, add the peanuts.
Give everything a final stir and serve.
For a twist on this Kung Pao Chicken recipe, try our oven fried Kung Pao wings, or vegan/vegetarian versions: kung pao tofu and kung pao mushrooms.
Kung Pao Chicken Recipe - Chinese Restaurant Quality
Ingredients
To roast the peanuts:
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup raw peanuts (shelled, with or without the skin)
- Can also substitute roasted shelled peanuts and skip this step!
To marinate the chicken:
- 12 oz. 340g chicken breast, cut into 3/4” cubes
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon shaoxing wine
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- a pinch of ground white pepper
To prepare the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
The rest of your ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 3 cloves garlic , smashed and sliced
- 2 thin slices ginger , minced
- 2 dried red chilies , deseeded and chopped (these can be quite spicy, so adjust according to your own tastes)
- 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn powder
- 6 scallions , white portions only, cut into 3/4” pieces
Instructions
- Heat a teaspoon of oil in a wok over medium heat and add a cup of raw shelled peanuts. Stir constantly (or they’ll burn) for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir for another minute using the residual heat in the wok. Set aside to cool. They will turn crunchy once they’re cooled completely. You can also skip this step and use already roasted shelled peanuts.
- Marinate the chicken. Mix together the chicken with all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and set aside for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the sauce. Mix together all the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over high heat. Sear the chicken, remove from the wok to a bowl, and set aside.
- Turn the heat to low and add another tablespoon oil. Add the garlic, ginger, chilies, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and scallions. Cook for a minute or two until fragrant.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and turn up the heat to high. Stir-fry for a minute and then use your finger to stir up your prepared sauce (the cornstarch will have settled to the bottom, so make sure it’s well incorporated). Add the sauce to the wok and stir-fry for another minute. The sauce should thicken very quickly.
- Finally, add the peanuts. Give everything a final stir and serve.
Nutrition
Skip Berry says
First….how is this not in the “Chinese Take-Out” section?
That said….THANK YOU for this. Your blog and this recipe have rocked my world. I love (American) Chinese food but my wife doesn’t care for it much…so I ate it everywhere when I traveled for business. But since February we are not traveling to our client site so we are working virtual. But that meant I was not getting my Chinese Food fix weekly. So I decided to learn how to make Chinese Food myself…and boom…I found your blog.
Your blog not only has great recipes but is the ultimate guide to a guy like me to all things that go into the making of those recipes. The explanations of the authentic sauces and spices and what to look for in my local market are great. Sometimes I had to go the Amazon route (looking at you Sichuan Peppercorn Paste) but everything else I was able to find in a very good Asian Market on the other side of my city by looking at the “Ingredients” section of your blog on my phone.
So anyway….this recipe, on my first every try, was better than any Kung Po I ever had in a restaurant in three decades of business travel to cities all over North America.
Thank you so much for this recipe and what is truly the best blog on the internet about Chinese Cooking
Judy says
Thank you so much for your high praise, Skip, and we are so happy to hear these kind of life-changing moments from our readers.
Sarah says
Hi Skip, it’s not in the Chinese Takeout section, because our version of this recipe isn’t the Americanized one, but the authentic Chinese one. But thank you for your comment and so glad you’re enjoying the recipes.
Skip Berry says
Ahh…that explains why it isn’t in the take-out section.
And why this is better than any I have had at a restaurant!
It was kind of funny, me walking with a young clerk at the market pointing at my phone and having her take me to the item. But now I know where they are!
Today I made 40 Beef/Mushroom Fried Dumplings for the first time. Next up…your Mongolia Beef! I am working my way through your blog!
Thank you again to all of you for all you do. 60 years old and I am turning into a Chinese Chef thanks to you guys! I am proving that with great instruction you absolutely can teach and old dog new tricks!
chloe says
Thank you for your recipe.
I’m wondering how do you call ‘light soy sauce’ and ‘dark soy sauce’ in chinese.
And do I need to blanch the chicken in the hot water for couple of seconds before fry?
Judy says
Hi Chloe, light soy sauce is (sheng chou, 生抽) and dark soy sauce (lao chou, 老抽). For this dish, there is no need to blanch the chicken.
Laura Lee Kane says
Love your site! I have a question? Can I use a wok on a electric stove that really does not get the best heat? I am not too happy with it……………………………………….Again, this site is the best! Thank you all! Laura from Seal Beach Ca.
Judy says
Hi Laura, a flat bottomed wok works better on an electric stove.
Antonio says
Your website has changed my life, that may sound extreme but I’m not exaggerating. I’m a 40 year old man who was convinced he couldn’t cook, yet in the past month I have managed to cook many delicious Chinese dishes such as this Kung Pao recipe, the lazy noodles (so good and so easy to adjust) and fried rice. The steps are so clear, concise and precise that even a timid cook like myself has been able to recreate them with much success. Thank you so much for all your hard work and sharing these fabulous recipes and taking the time to clearly describe and photograph the steps. I look forward to continue working through the many recipes you’ve posted. One love from the UK.
Judy says
You are very welcome, Antonio. Like they say, everyone can cook :-)
Skip Berry says
I hear you Antonio! This blog ROCKS!