Kung Pao Chicken
Sichuan chicken stir-fry with peanuts
Ingredients
- 500 g Chicken
- 80 g Peanuts
- 8 Dried chilies
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 15 g Ginger
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 3 tbsp Peanut oil
- 4 Scallions (optional)
- 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil (optional)
Method
- Cube the chicken into 2 cm dice.
- Marinate the chicken with the light soy, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch. Rest 20 minutes (use this window for the next three prep steps).
- While the chicken marinates: snip the dried chilies open and shake out the seeds.
- Still during the marinate: mince ginger and garlic. Slice scallions into 2 cm batons, keeping whites and greens separate.
- Finish the marinate window by stirring the dark soy, black vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of cornstarch with a splash of water in a small bowl to make the sauce.
- Heat the wok dry until smoking. Add the peanut oil and swirl.
- Fry the chicken in a single layer. Sear undisturbed 30 seconds then toss until cooked through, 2 minutes.
- Scoop the chicken to a plate. Return the wok to high heat.
- Add the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorn. Toss 20 seconds until fragrant — do not let the chilies blacken.
- Stir in ginger, garlic, and scallion whites for 15 seconds.
- Return the chicken. Pour in the sauce and toss until glossy and clinging.
- Toss in the peanuts and scallion greens off heat. Finish with sesame oil.
- Plate at once over rice.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao chicken is a classic of Sichuan cooking, named after a Qing-dynasty official and built around the region's defining flavor logic: a balance of sweet, sour, hot, and the tingling numbness of Sichuan peppercorn. Diced chicken is stir-fried with dried chilies, peanuts, garlic, and ginger in a sauce that pulls together soy, Shaoxing wine, Chinkiang black vinegar, and sugar. The result is not just spicy but layered — the dried chilies bring dry heat, the peppercorns bring the famous má (numbing) sensation, and the black vinegar gives a dark, tangy depth that a plain soy sauce never could.
This version leans on two techniques that separate a good Kung Pao from a mediocre one. First, the chicken is velveted — marinated with cornstarch and Shaoxing wine so it stays tender and slick through the high heat of the wok. Second, the sauce is mixed in advance so it can be thrown in fast and reduced to a glaze without overcooking anything. Snipping the seeds out of the chilies tempers the heat while keeping the fragrance, and toasting the peanuts adds a crucial crunch against the soft chicken. Serve it with plain steamed rice, which soaks up the sauce and tames the peppercorn buzz.
Kung Pao Chicken: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Kung Pao Chicken?
A serving has about 550 calories — 30.3g protein, 20.8g carbs, 38.3g fat, 4.1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 30.3g of protein, roughly 22% of its calories.
Is Kung Pao Chicken gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Light soy sauce, Dark soy sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for those ingredients to make it gluten-free.
How long does Kung Pao Chicken take to make?
About 35 minutes start to finish, but only around 21 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Kung Pao Chicken?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out scallions, toasted sesame oil — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Kung Pao Chicken make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.