Kung Pao Stir Fry

Kung pao stir fry is a Chinese-American stir-fry dish that consists of chicken pieces and peanuts coated in a sauce that is slightly sweet and spicy. The process to prepare this recipe is easy enough. We start out by marinating the chicken to improve juiciness and improve  browning, then the chicken is fried and coated with the sauce. The sauce is a combination of wine, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Kung pao chicken is often associated with being hot and you can adjust the amount of spice by using more or less dried chili peppers. For the most delicious and flavorful chicken you will want to use boneless chicken thighs but if you are not a fan of dark meat chicken, boneless chicken breasts can be substituted. I like to prepare my Chinese dishes using a wok but any deep skillet will work fine for this recipe. The chicken is stir-fried for a light and healthy alternative to a lot of Chinese-American dishes that are prepared with deep-frying. You will certainly want to serve this kung pao chicken with jasmine rice just like at the Chinese restaurants.

Kung Pao Stir Fry

Chinese kung pao chicken stir-fry recipe.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• Marinade-
• 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice wine
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• Sauce-
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 green bell pepper sliced
• 2 stalks celery diced
• ½ cup roasted peanuts
• 1 green onion thinly sliced
• 8 small dried chili peppers

Instructions

 

• To make the marinade, In a medium bowl combine chicken, salt, pepper, soy sauce, wine, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Toss to coat. Set aside for 20 minutes.
• To make the sauce combine soy sauce, wine, vinegar, chicken stock, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a woke over high heat. Add the chicken and cook without moving until lightly browned. Continue cooking and stirring until almost fully cooked, about 2 minutes longer. Remove the chicken from the wok to a bowl.
• Add remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut oil over high heat. Add the bell peppers and celery and cooking, stirring and tossing occasionally for about 1 minute. Add peanuts and toss to combine. Add garlic, green onions, and chilis and cook for 30 seconds while stirring. Return chicken to the wok and toss to combine. Stir in the sauce. Cook until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through, about 1-2 minutes longer.