Kung Pao Chicken
Tender chicken stir-fried with roasted peanuts, dried chilies, and a savory-sweet sauce finished with a hint of vinegar. Restaurant-quality in 25 minutes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 412
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- 12 ounces chicken breast
- ½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts
- 4 whole dried red chilies
- 2 whole scallions
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon ginger, fresh
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- 1
Place the chicken breast on a cutting board and slice straight down through the meat against the grain—the lines running left to right—into 0.5-inch-thick strips, then cut those strips into 1-inch cubes.
- 2
Mince the garlic until each piece is smaller than a grain of rice—about pencil-tip dots. Mince the ginger the same way.
- 3
Slice each scallion lengthwise from the white root to the green tip into two halves, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
- 4
Break open each dried chili by hand and pull out the seeds and pale ribs inside—discard these—to reduce heat intensity while keeping flavor.
- 5
Pour the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, cornstarch, and 0.25 cup water into a small bowl and whisk with a fork until the cornstarch dissolves and the mixture looks smooth.
- 6
Set a 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat for 30 seconds, then pour in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and wait until it shimmers and flows quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 7
Add the chicken pieces in a single layer and let them sit undisturbed for 90 seconds until the side touching the pan turns white and opaque, then stir constantly until all pieces are white throughout, about 3 minutes total.
- 8
Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate using a slotted spoon or fork, leaving the liquid in the pan.
- 9
Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil into the hot empty skillet, then add the minced garlic and ginger and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the smell becomes strong and fragrant—do not let it burn.
- 10
Add the deseeded dried chilies to the pan and stir constantly for 20 seconds to toast them and release their flavor.
- 11
Pour the sauce mixture into the pan and stir constantly as it simmers for 45 seconds until it thickens noticeably and coats the back of a spoon.
- 12
Return the cooked chicken to the pan, then add the peanuts and scallions and stir constantly for 45 seconds until everything is hot and coated with sauce.
- 13
Slide the kung pao chicken from the skillet onto serving bowls or plates, making sure each serving gets sauce, peanuts, and chilies.
Tools you’ll need
- cutting board
- sharp chef's knife
- small bowl
- fork for whisking
- 12-inch skillet or wok
- wooden spoon or spatula for stirring
- slotted spoon or fork
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