Kung Pao Chicken With Peanuts
This Kung Pao chicken is an easy, authentic Chinese dish made with crisp chicken breast, peanuts, and chile peppers in a sauce made from soy sauce, black vinegar, and sesame oil.
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 1/2 teaspoons potato flour or 2 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine or medium-dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2/3 pound boneless chicken breasts, skin-on or skinless, cut into 1/2-to-3/4-inch (12- to 18-mm) chunks
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon potato flour, or 1 1/8 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinkiang or Chinese black vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth, or water
For the Kung Pao chicken
- 1 handful dried red chiles, (at least 10) preferably Sichuanese
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns
- ginger, (enough to equal the volume amount of garlic), thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 5 scallions, white and green parts, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
- 2/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
Instructions
Make the marinade
- In a small bowl, combine the 1 1/2 teaspoons potato flour or 2 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Slowly add the 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine or medium-dry sherry, and 1 tablespoon water, mixing constantly with a fork.
☞ TESTER TIP: f using potato flour, the marinade will be more of a paste than a liquid marinade. That's okay.
- Add the 2/3 pound boneless chicken breasts and stir to evenly coat the chicken. Let it stand at room temperature while you make the sauce.
Make the sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 3/4 teaspoon potato flour, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Chinkiang or Chinese black vinegar, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth.
Make the Kung Pao chicken
- Snip the 1 handful dried red chiles into 2 or 3 pieces. Wearing rubber gloves, discard as many chile seeds as possible.
☞ TESTER TIP: For a milder—but still spicy—flavor, keep the peppers whole or use fewer.
- Add 2 tablespoons peanut oil to the wok and place it over high heat. When the oil is hot but not yet smoking, add the chiles and 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry briefly until crisp and the oil is spicy and fragrant. Whatever you do, be mindful not to burn the chiles and pepper. You can remove the wok from the heat if necessary to prevent overheating.
☞ TESTER TIP: Keeping the peppercorns whole and the dried chiles in larger pieces allows the heat-averse eaters at your table to pick around them.
- Plop in the chicken pieces and cook, stirring constantly. As soon as the chicken cubes have separated, add the ginger, 3 garlic cloves, and 5 scallions and continue to stir-fry for a few minutes until everything is fragrant and the chicken is cooked through. (You may want to slice into one of the larger pieces of chicken to make sure it's done.)
- Stir the sauce and then carefully swirl it into the wok, continuing to stir and toss. As soon as the sauce is warmed through and becomes thick and shiny, add the 2/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, stir to combine, and serve immediately.
Notes
Kung Pao Chicken Variations
Kung Pao Shrimp or Pork You can substitute prawns (shrimp) or chunks of pork in place of the chicken. Kung Pao Chicken with Cashews Cashews can be used instead of traditional peanuts for a slightly grander version of this dish. Kung Pao Chicken with Whatever’s in Your Fridge I love this Kung Pao chicken recipe without changing a thing. However, if you’re the sort who prefers a little extra vegetable to make you feel a little more virtuous after having cold cereal for dinner last night, or if you happen to have some vegetables languishing in the fridge or canned items in the back of the pantry that you know you won’t use if they linger any longer, then go ahead and toss them in. Red bell peppers, water chestnuts, even asparagus, they all work here. Follow your bliss.Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 753kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 1115mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g