An authentic Kung Pao chicken is a spicy chicken dish that originally hails from the Sichuan province in South-Western China. Kung Pao chicken recipe features stir-fried chicken cubes with peanuts and spring onions in a slightly sticky and vinegary sauce. The highlight is the numbing and tingling quality attained through the addition of Sichuan peppercorns. The sweet, savoury, spicy, and sour profile of Kung Pao Chicken makes it a hot favourite across the world. The easy and instant Kung Pao chicken recipe also makes this Chinese fare a popular takeout food. But you don’t have to wait to visit a Chinese dine-in or to order in this favourite of yours because with this easy and original Kung Pao chicken recipe you can cook and enjoy the real thing right at home. Jump to the detailed recipe.
An authentic Kung Pao chicken would not boast any one bold flavour, rather it has a well-balanced taste that lets each distinct flavour shine. The chicken cubes are covered in a moderately sticky sauce that is slightly sweet, marginally spicy with a hint of acidity from the vinegar and has deep savoury notes in the background to balance all the flavours out. None of the flavours overpower each other. The Sichuan peppercorns add a slightly peppery texture which is numbing to the palate, leaving a tingling sensation on taste buds, thus adding further depth to the Kung Pao chicken. The chicken cubes are perfectly cooked while stir-frying on high heat. They are tender to bite and juicy from the marination, while the peanuts add a considerable amount of nuttiness and crunch to the Kung Pao chicken recipe. A generous garnish of spring onions towards the end of the cooking is a great addition to cut through the deep notes of the sauce and add an aromatic and visual freshness to the dish.
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Kung Pao sauce is an amalgamation of both light and dark soya sauce, Chinese vinegar, sesame oil, cornflour, and sugar. The marinade from the chicken which contains Shaoxing rice wine and the juices from the chicken all combine in the cooking to make the great-tasting Kung Pao sauce that clings to the chicken pieces making the Chinese dish taste heavenly.
Kung Pao chicken translates to palace guardian chicken cubes. This chicken dish is known to have been named after a palace guardian, Ding Baozhen, a late Qing Dynasty official and governor of Sichuan Province in the 19th century, who was also a palace guardian. This dish was prepared by his cook, which was later perfected by Ding and went on to become Gong Bao ji ding, eventually being called Kung Pao chicken, as we know it.
A homemade Kung Pao chicken is a great healthy meal option for weight watchers and health enthusiasts. While it is packed with protein, being stir-fried, it also contains very little unsaturated fats. Kung Pao chicken is largely gluten-free, barring the use of soy sauce, which can be substituted with the gluten-free variety if the need be. This is also a great quick and easy keto-friendly recipe. So, binge on the best Kung Pao chicken ever all you want, guilt-free!
This recipe – the best Kung Pao chicken recipe – can be divided mainly into three steps:
Marinating the chicken: All the ingredients like soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, cornflour, and salt are mixed to prepare a marinade which is used to douse the boneless chicken cubes – we suggest boneless chicken thighs for that final succulent bite. Adding salt during marination allows all the flavours to seep into the chicken.
Preparing the sauce: This divine mix is a combination of various condiments like light and dark soya sauce, Chinese vinegar, sesame oil, cornflour, and sugar. They are combined in recommended proportions to prepare Kung Pao sauce which is reserved to be used at the end of stir-frying the marinated chicken.
Stir-frying: Sichuan pepper and red chillies are added to hot oil in a wok, and as they emanate an aroma and grow plump, next to go in the wok is the marinated chicken which is stir-fried and then cooked with spring onions, ginger and garlic until it is fully done. The sauce is tipped into the wok and stirred well on medium-high heat until it thickens and coats the chicken well. The dish is finished with roasted unsalted peanuts tossed in towards the end.
This appetizing Kung Pao chicken recipe needs nothing more than a garnish of salted, roasted peanuts and a wee bit of freshly chopped spring onions for garnish. You can either choose to serve Kung Pao chicken as an appetizer or as a main with steamed rice. Alongside you can serve an egg drop soup, some Sichuan chicken noodles, or prawn fried rice. If you mean to further uplift your spirits, then consider semi-sweet rieslings that add brightness to the fare and offset the heat from the spicy Kung Pao. Whatever you choose to serve, this addictive Kung Pao chicken is sure to steal the show.
With the real taste of Sichuan, here’s the best Chinese Kung Pao Chicken recipe ever! Learn how to make this delish savory, sweet and spicy chicken in a snap with this easy step by step tutorial video.