Pan Asian food is hands down my favorite cuisine. I love a good glossy gravy, crispy fried chicken, and a bowl of rice or noodles on the side. Whenever I want to use chicken and vegetables together, it almost always ends up becoming something like this.
This one came together because I had just bought a big bag of peanuts and needed to use them. I made Kung Pao chicken on a whim, it turned out so good that I immediately wrote the recipe down. I always make extra sauce so there is plenty of gravy to pour over rice. This dish is sweet, spicy, and sour all at once, and the peanuts add a wonderful crunch and nuttiness that makes every bite interesting. Definitely better than takeout.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Sweet, spicy and sour all in one dish
- Crispy shallow fried chicken coated in a rich, glossy sauce
- Extra sauce made for pairing with rice or noodles
- Ready in under 30 minutes once the chicken is marinated
- Better than takeout
- A great way to use up vegetables you have on hand
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade
- 500g chicken breast or thigh, cut into pieces
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp MSG
- 1 egg white
- 2 to 3 tbsp cornstarch
- Oil for frying
For the Sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp chicken powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp MSG
- 2 tsp cornstarch
For the Stir Fry
- 1 tbsp ginger, finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 6 to 10 dried chillies, adjust to taste
- 3 green onions, cut into pieces, white and green parts separated
- 3/4 cup whole peanuts, roasted and unsalted
Instructions
1. Marinate the Chicken Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and place in a bowl. Add the soy sauce, black pepper, garlic powder, MSG, and egg white. Mix well until the chicken is fully coated.
Add the cornstarch and mix again until each piece is well coated and the marinade looks sticky. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes while you prepare everything else.
2. Mix the Sauce Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl or jug and stir well until the sugar and cornstarch are fully dissolved. Set aside. Having the sauce ready before you start cooking is important because the stir fry moves fast.
3. Shallow Fry the Chicken Heat enough oil in a wok over medium high heat for shallow frying. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces in a single layer and fry until golden and crispy on the outside and cooked through. Do not overcrowd the wok.
Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside on a plate. Discard most of the oil, leaving just a thin layer in the wok.
4. Sauté the Aromatics With the wok still on medium high heat, add the ginger, garlic, dried chillies, and the white parts of the green onion. Sauté for a minute or two until fragrant and the garlic is just starting to turn golden. The dried chillies will bloom in the oil and give the dish its heat and depth.
5. Bring It All Together Add the fried chicken back into the wok along with the peanuts. Toss everything together so the chicken and peanuts are coated in the aromatics.
Pour in the sauce and toss quickly over high heat until everything is well coated and the sauce thickens into a glossy gravy that clings to the chicken. Add the green parts of the green onion and give it one final toss.
Serve immediately over steamed rice or noodles.
Why I Love This Recipe
Pan Asian food is my comfort zone in the kitchen. I love the combination of bold aromatics, a glossy sauce, and crispy protein all coming together in one wok. This Kung Pao chicken hits every note I want from a stir fry. It is spicy from the dried chillies, tangy from the rice vinegar, slightly sweet from the sugar, and deeply savory from the soy and oyster sauce.
I always make extra sauce in this recipe so there is enough gravy to pour generously over rice. A stir fry with barely any sauce feels unfinished to me. I want the rice soaked and glossy. If you are the same way, this recipe is for you.
The Peanuts
Do not skip the peanuts and do not chop them. You want whole roasted peanuts so you get a proper crunch with every bite. They absorb some of the sauce as everything comes together and become these little flavor packed bites throughout the dish.
Unsalted is the way to go here because the sauce already has plenty of salt from the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Roasted peanuts give the best flavor and texture compared to raw ones.
Tips for Getting It Right
Have everything prepped and ready before you turn the heat on. Stir frying moves fast and you do not want to be chopping garlic while your wok is smoking.
Mix your sauce ahead of time and keep it next to the wok. You need to pour it in quickly once the chicken and peanuts are in.
Do not overcrowd the wok when frying the chicken. Fry in batches if needed so the chicken gets crispy rather than steaming in its own moisture.
Keep the heat high throughout the stir fry. This is what gives the dish that wok flavor and keeps the sauce from becoming watery.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavors actually get better the next day as everything sits together.
Reheat in a wok or pan over medium high heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. The microwave works but the chicken will lose its texture.
The sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to a week. Having it ready makes this recipe even quicker on a weeknight.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. Can I use chicken thigh instead of breast? Yes, chicken thigh is actually my preferred cut for stir fries. It stays juicier and more tender through the frying and tossing process. Both work well in this recipe.
Q. How spicy is this? That depends on how many dried chillies you use. Six gives a mild to medium heat. Ten and above will be genuinely spicy. Start with fewer and adjust to your preference.
Q. Can I skip the MSG? Yes, you can leave it out. The dish will still be flavorful from the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and aromatics. MSG simply enhances the savory depth of the sauce.
Q. What vegetables can I add? Bell peppers, zucchini, and broccoli all work well. Add them after the aromatics and before the chicken so they have time to cook through.
Q. Can I make this without frying the chicken first? You can cook the chicken directly in the wok without shallow frying, but you will lose the crispy coating. The texture will be different but the flavor will still be good.
Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade
- 500 g chicken breast or thigh cut into pieces
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp MSG
- 1 egg white
- 2 to 3 tbsp cornstarch
- Oil for frying
For the Sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp chicken powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp MSG
- 2 tsp cornstarch
For the Stir Fry
- 1 tbsp ginger finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 6 to 10 dried chillies adjust to taste
- 3 green onions cut into pieces, white and green parts separated
- 3/4 cup whole peanuts roasted and unsalted
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add soy sauce, black pepper, garlic powder, MSG, egg white, and cornstarch. Mix until well coated and sticky. Marinate for at least 20 minutes.
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir until the sugar and cornstarch are fully dissolved. Set aside next to the wok.
- Heat oil in a wok over medium high heat. Shallow fry the chicken in batches until golden and crispy on the outside and cooked through. Remove from the wok and set aside. Discard most of the oil leaving just a thin layer.
- Add the ginger, garlic, dried chillies, and white parts of the green onion to the wok. Sauté over medium high heat for a minute or two until fragrant and the garlic is just golden.
- Add the fried chicken and peanuts back into the wok and toss to coat in the aromatics.
- Pour in the sauce and toss everything over high heat until the sauce thickens into a glossy gravy that coats the chicken. Add the green parts of the green onion and toss once more.
- Serve immediately over steamed rice or noodles.
