Kung Pao Chicken with peanuts, dried chilies, spring onions and rice
Chinese Recipe

Kung Pao Chicken

For Kung Pao chicken, the meat is briefly marinated with soy sauce, shaoxing wine and starch. After that, it is fried at high heat with chilli, garlic, ginger, peanuts and a prepared sauce.

5.0 out of 5 from 1 rating
Jump to recipe View ingredients
Share
Total time 37 min
Calories 590 kcal
Servings 4 servings
Difficulty Medium
By the Published Updated Editorially approved

Why this recipe works

Kung Pao Chicken with chilli and peanuts

Kung Pao Chicken needs short heat and a prepared sauce. The chicken pieces should brown but remain juicy. Dried chilies give scent and heat, Sichuan pepper brings a slightly tingling aroma.

Chinese Recipes Lunch Dinner Meat

Recipe

Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken is a Sichuan-wok dish with marinated chicken, dried chilli, Sichuan pepper, peanuts and a sweet-salty-sour sauce.

Ingredients

4 servings

Method

  1. 1

    Marinate chicken

    Mix chicken with soy sauce, shaoxing wine and starch. Allow to pull for 15 minutes.

  2. 2

    Mix sauce

    Stir soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, some water and starch smoothly.

  3. 3

    flavour chilli

    Heat oil, briefly fry chilli and Sichuan pepper without burning them.

  4. 4

    Roast chicken

    Fry chicken in high heat, add garlic, ginger and spring onions.

  5. 5

    Sauce and peanuts

    Stir in the sauce, allow to bind briefly and add peanuts.

Kitchen know-how

Tips for Kung Pao Chicken

Do not burn chilli

Dried chilies give aroma, but become bitter when they turn black.

Sichuan pepper

It brings the typical tingling. Start sparingly and increase to taste.

Mix sauce before

starch is easier to clump when it comes directly to the hot wok.

Variations

How to adapt this recipe

Cashews can replace peanuts and taste a little milder.

Halve or leave whole chilli peppers and remove them before eating.

Nutrition per serving

590kcal
28.0 gCarbohydrates
42.0 gProtein
32.0 gFat

Values are estimates per serving and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.

Frequently asked questions

FAQ about Kung Pao Chicken

Dried chilies, Sichuan peppers, peanuts and a sweet, sour, salty sauce characterize the dish.

Yes, but the typical tingling aroma is missing. Black pepper replaces it only partially.

Soy sauce, wine and starch season the meat and keep it more juicy when roasting.

You control this over the amount and cut of the chilies. Whole chilies give off less heat than cut ones.

Keep cooking

Related recipes and topics

Similar recipes

55 min · Chinese Wonton soup Wantan soup consists of filled dough bags in clear broth with ginger, spring onions, Pak Choi and sesame oil. The Wantans are gently cooked. 37 min · Chinese Beef with broccoli Beef with broccoli is fried with thinly cut, briefly marinated beef and blanched broccoli in a dark oyster soy sauce. 1 hr · Chinese Dim Sum Dumplings Dim Sum Dumplings succeed with juicy filling of pork chops or shrimps, cabbage, ginger, spring onions and finished dumpling dough leaves. 45 min · Chinese Sweet and sour chicken Sweet and sour chicken is prepared with crispy fried chicken, paprika, pineapple and a sauce of vinegar, sugar, ketchup, soy sauce and starch. 4 hr 40 min · Turkish Tavuk Şiş Tavuk Şiş are Turkish chicken skewers from a yoghurt-paprika-mark marinade with garlic, onion, lemon, Pul biber and oregano. 1 hr 35 min · Turkish Karnıyarık Karnıyarık are Turkish eggplants from the oven, filled with spicy minced meat, onions, tomatoes, green peppers, garlic and parsley.