Stir-fried chicken with peanuts, dried chilies, and Sichuan peppercorns — sweet, sour, spicy, nutty.
Kung Pao Chicken (Gong Bao Ji Ding) is a Sichuan classic — wok-tossed chicken cubes with crunchy peanuts, dried red chilies, and Sichuan peppercorns in a tangy-sweet-spicy sauce. The interplay of textures (tender chicken, crunchy peanuts, soft vegetables) and flavors (smoky chilies, numbing peppercorns, vinegar tang) makes it one of the most addictive dishes in Chinese cuisine.
Serves 4
Mix chicken with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and 1 tsp potato starch. Marinate 15 minutes.
Combine vinegar, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, potato starch, stock, and sesame oil. Whisk well.
Heat wok over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tbsp oil.
Add dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir-fry 30 seconds until fragrant — don't burn chilies.
Add chicken in single layer. Don't stir for 1 minute — let it sear. Then stir-fry 3 more minutes.
Add garlic, ginger, and white parts of green onions. Stir-fry 1 minute.
Stir sauce again. Pour into wok. Toss to coat. Add peanuts and green onion greens.
Stir-fry 30 more seconds until sauce is glossy. Serve immediately with rice.
Don't burn the dried chilies — they should darken slightly, not blacken.
High heat is essential for proper wok hei (breath of the wok) flavor.
Use shrimp instead of chicken.
Add bell peppers and zucchini for veggie boost.
Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat in wok or skillet.
Kung Pao Chicken is named after Ding Baozhen, a Qing dynasty governor (gong bao = palace guardian) who reportedly loved this dish.
Asian groceries. It's a dark, slightly sweet aged rice vinegar — essential for authentic flavor.
Per serving (320g) · 4 servings total
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