Kung Pao Chicken

A delectably spicy, sweet, and savory Asian-inspired sauce clings to every piece of juicy chicken in this easy dish. Kung pao chicken is quicker to make at home than ordering takeout, and it tastes so much better too.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword kung pao chicken

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 389kcal

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons shao xing cooking wine or sherry, divided
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ cup water
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts
6-10 dried red chiles, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
4 green onions, cut into ½-inch pieces, white and green parts separated

Instructions

Trim any fat or tendrils from the chicken breast and cut into ½-inch pieces.
In a medium bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of cooking wine or sherry, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
In a small bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, water, and the remaining 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cooking wine or sherry, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Whisk until smooth.
In a wok or large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high. Add the peanuts and stir-fry until light brown, about 30 seconds. Remove from the pan.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add chiles, garlic, and white part of the scallions to the pan and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the chicken with its marinade and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture and scallion tops and simmer until the chicken is just done, about 1 minute longer. Stir in the peanuts and cook to warm through. Serve topped with more chopped green onion and white rice.

Nutrition