Kung Pao Chicken
A classic Sichuan dish with tender chicken, crunchy peanuts, and a spicy, tangy, slightly sweet sauce. Perfect with steamed rice.
Ingredients
14 items- Chicken breast 300g
- Roasted peanuts 50g
- Dried red chilies 10 pieces
- Sichuan peppercorns 1 tsp
- Spring onions 2 stalks
- Ginger 3 slices
- Garlic 3 cloves
- Soy sauce 2 tbsp
- Black vinegar 1 tbsp
- Sugar 1 tbsp
- Cooking wine 1 tbsp
- Cornstarch 2 tsp
- Salt a pinch
- Cooking oil 3 tbsp
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Cut chicken breast into 1.5 cm cubes. Marinate with 1 tbsp cooking wine, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp cornstarch and some salt for 15 minutes until sticky.
Cut dried chilies into sections, remove seeds. Slice scallions, ginger and garlic. In a bowl, mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp black vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch and water to make sauce.
In a cold wok, add oil and peanuts, stir-fry over low heat until lightly browned and fragrant, then remove and cool.
Leave oil in wok, add Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies, fry over low heat about 30 seconds until chilies darken and aroma releases, be careful not to burn.
Turn heat to high, add chicken and stir-fry quickly for about 1 minute until the surface turns white and chicken is nearly cooked through.
Add ginger and garlic, stir briefly, then pour in the sauce. Stir-fry on high heat for about 20 seconds until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken evenly.
Add peanuts and scallion sections, toss quickly a few times to coat everything with sauce, then turn off heat.
Transfer to a plate and garnish with sesame seeds or chopped scallions if desired.
Tips
Key tips: Add a little oil to the marinade to prevent sticking; fry peanuts starting from cold oil for extra crispiness; rinse dried chilies and pat dry to prevent burning; quickly reduce sauce at the end to keep chicken tender.
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