Kung Pao Chicken With Peanuts
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
5 mins
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Total Time
25 mins
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Servings
2 servings
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Calories
753 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Chinese
Kung Pao Chicken With Peanuts
Description
This recipe starts by marinating bite-sized chicken pieces in a mixture of potato flour or cornstarch, salt, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and water to tenderize and coat the meat. The sauce combines sugar, dark and light soy sauces, Chinkiang vinegar, sesame oil, and chicken stock for balanced sweetness, saltiness, and acidity.
Cooking involves frying whole dried red chiles and whole Sichuan peppercorns in hot peanut oil until fragrant, careful not to burn them, which infuses the oil with bold spices. Chicken is then stir-fried with garlic, ginger, scallions, the peanuts, and the prepared sauce until cooked through, resulting in flavorful, tender chicken with a spicy, nutty crunch.
This dish pairs well with steamed rice to soak up the sauce and balance its heat. Variations can include substituting pork or shrimp for chicken, swapping peanuts for cashews, or adding vegetables such as bell peppers or water chestnuts.
Keeping the peppercorns whole and chiles in large pieces makes them easier to remove if preferred to reduce heat. Using room temperature marinade and quickly cooking over high heat helps achieve a tender texture and well-coated sauce.
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 1/2 teaspoons potato flour or 2 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce light
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine or medium-dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2/3 pound chicken breast skin-on or skinless, cut into 1/2-to-3/4-inch (12- to 18-mm) chunks, boneless
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 soy sauce light
- 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar also known as Chinese black vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil toasted
- 1 tablespoon chicken stock or water, or canned chicken broth, homemade
For the Kung Pao chicken
- 3 garlic thinly sliced, cloves
- ginger (enough to equal the amount of garlic), thinly sliced
- 5 scallions white and green parts, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 handful dried red chiles at least 10) preferably Sichuanese
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns whole
- 2/3 cup peanuts roasted unsalted
Instructions
Make the marinade
- In a small bowl, combine the potato flour or cornstarch and salt. Slowly add the soy sauce, rice wine, and water, mixing constantly with a fork. (If using potato flour, the marinade will be more of a paste than a liquid marinade. That's okay.)
- Add the chicken 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 sauce ingredients.
Make the Kung Pao chicken
- Snip the chiles into 2 or 3 pieces. Wearing rubber gloves, discard as many chile seeds as possible.
- Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok and place it over high heat. When the oil is hot but not yet smoking, add the chiles and 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, garlic, and 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 peanuts, stir to combine, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Prawns or pork chunks can replace chicken for a different protein with this recipe.
- Cashews provide a milder nut alternative to peanuts, offering a slightly different texture and flavor.
- Additional vegetables like red bell peppers, water chestnuts, or asparagus can be added according to preference or to use up ingredients.
- Keep Sichuan peppercorns whole and dried chiles in larger pieces to control spiciness and ease removal if desired.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 2servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 753 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1portion | |
| Calories | 753kcal | 38% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 45g | 90% |
| Fat | 54g | 83% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 25g | 125% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 97mg | 32% |
| Sodium | 1115mg | 46% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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