The BEST Kung Pao Chicken at Home! (VIDEO)

Some American Chinese takeout dishes are battered and deep fried (like Orange Chicken) – Kung Pao Chicken is one of the ones that are not! If you want similar dishes that are not battered but instead covered in a savory sauce, try:

• a crowd favorite and one of my most popular recipes is Beef and Broccoli
• if you want a chicken dish with lots of veggies, make Chinese Chicken and Broccoli, String Bean Chicken, or Mushroom Chicken
• Cashew Chicken is another great choice for a weeknight dinner!
• my personal favorite is Black Pepper Chicken (if you’re feeling beef instead, make Black Pepper Beef)

Ingredients for Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken is savory, a little spicy, and so flavorful with a side of rice – basically, it’s the perfect weeknight dinner! I love how most of the ingredients are items that I always have in my pantry.

Chicken

• Chicken Thigh: I like to use 1″ pieces of chicken thigh for Kung Pao Chicken. You want to cut them into similar sized pieces so the chicken can cook evenly.
  • You can substitute with chicken breast if you prefer.
• light soy sauce – You will need “light” (you can either use light or “low sodium” light soy sauce) or “all-purpose” soy sauce. Do NOT use dark soy sauce, which is thicker and has a more syrup-like consistency as it is too intense for Kung Pao Chicken.
• Dark Soy Sauce: Dark soy sauce is thicker, darker, and sweeter (as well as has a higher sodium content) than all-purpose soy sauce, which is why we use less of it. I don’t recommend using one as a substitute for the other.
• White Pepper
• Kosher Salt
• Shaoxing wine – This is one of my favorite Chinese pantry staples. It adds a depth of flavor and complexity to the sauce and truly one of my “secret ingredients” for making restaurant quality Chinese food. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with mirin, sherry, or even chicken broth.
• Corn Starch – this is for velveting, which is a key Chinese cooking technique that involves marinating the protein in cornstarch and various seasonings (such as white pepper, salt, shaoxing wine, and oils) before quickly passing it through hot oil. It’s one of my favorite ways to guarantee moist and tender meat.

Sauce & Aromatics

• Rice Vinegar
• chicken stock – if you don’t have chicken stock on hand, you can substitute with water
• Sugar – to balance out the savory elements of the dish
• MSG – I like to use MSG in moderation as a flavor enhancer; you can always skip it!
• Garlic
• Scallions – you can also use leeks
• Ground Sichuan Peppercorn: Kung Pao Chicken is a staple Sichuan ingredient and adds in a little bit of mouth numbing spice to the dish.
  • Sichuan peppercorns are easier to find now and are unique to Sichuan cooking due to their tingling spice! I used to only buy them at my local Chinese grocery (99 Ranch) but now they are even available on Amazon!
  • I highly recommend grounding these by hand – I do it in my mortar and pestle. The flavor will be the freshest when ground by hand.
• Dried Red Chilis – I can find these at most grocery stores – they’re labeled as “dried red chilis” or sometimes “japones chilis”.
  • They’re not super spicy but if you are sensitive to heat, you can adjust by using less chilis OR by removing the seeds. The seeds don’t contain the chemical that make the peppers hot but they are oftentimes coated with oils that make peppers hot.
• neutral oil, for frying – My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. The flavor profile does not work with the flavors of Chinese cooking.

2. Mix The Kung Pao Sauce

I like to have my sauce premixed and ready to go before cooking the chicken. Combine your sauce ingredients (chicken broth or stock, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine, sugar, cornstarch, and optional MSG) into a small bowl. Mix well so each ingredient is incorporated. Set aside.

5. Add the Kung Pao Sauce and Finish the Dish!

Bring your heat down to medium-high heat and place your garlic, red chilis, and ground Sichuan peppercorns in your wok or pan. Cook for 5-10 seconds until fragrant.

(This part is going to go fast!) Add back the chicken into the wok or pan with the aromatics. Pour the sauce over the chicken and work quickly to mix and evenly coat all of the chicken. Once the chicken looks coated, add the peanuts. Stir and then add the scallions. Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce has thickened to your liking. Once ready, serve your Kung Pao Chicken with a side of rice.

What to Serve with Kung Pao Chicken

If you are making Kung Pao Chicken and want to recreate your favorite American Chinese Take-Out meal, you have come to the right place – I absolutely love recreating BETTER versions of all of your favorite Chinese takeout dishes! Here’s how to have the perfect American Chinese Take-Out meal at home:

• You’re going to want to start with the crispiest Egg Rolls as your appetizer!
• Don’t forget about soup! Make Egg Drop Soup (or Chicken Corn Egg Drop Soup, if you want a heartier version) or Hot and Sour Soup.
• Pair your Kung Pao Chicken with Chicken Fried Rice (if you want shrimp instead, try Shrimp Fried Rice)and Shrimp Lo Mein (if you need a chicken option, try Chicken Lo Mein)! If you’re nostalgic for mall food, make sure to include my Panda Express Chow Mein!
• You need some vegetables, so make my super easy Garlic Bok Choy or Din Tai Fung Garlic Green Beans!
• For another chicken dish, make General Tso’s Chicken or the sadly discontinued Panda Express Sweetfire Chicken Breast!