This easy kung pao chicken is a perfect balance of sweet, savoury, spicy and tangy. A Chinese restaurant classic you can make at home!
The original recipe appeared in the August 2018 Olive magazine. It's not a dish I'd ever ordered from a Chinese restaurant or takeaway, but it looked delicious and the ingredients list really appealed. I was also looking for some new recipes to try, and recommend for making at Chinese New Year...this is definitely one to add to the list!
It's a dish that is full of flavour with a spicy hit from the chilli, an additional kick of heat from the Szechuan peppercorns and an occasional crunch from the cashews.
Enjoy!
Tips
- The original recipe used 2 fresh red chillis sliced, with extra to serve, instead of using dried chillis which is the traditional Szechuan version. I tried both ways and preferred the version using chilli flakes.
- This kung pao chicken recipe is easily adapted if you're cooking for less or more people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditionally, yes - but you can control the spice level by adjusting how many chillies you use or removing the seeds. It's a classic Sichuan dish, known for it's balance of sweet, salty, spicy and sour flavours.
Yes - use tofu or mushrooms instead of chicken for a plant-based option.
Dry sherry or mirin (reduce added sugar if using mirin).
Yes - but opt for unsalted peanuts. Toast them in a dry pan to revive flavour and texture if needed.
It's best fresh, but leftovers will keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge and reheat well in a pan or microwave.
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How to make this Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- a handful of cashews (approx. 35g)
- 500g skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 stick celery, sliced
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 peppers (any colours), deseeded and chopped into chunks
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- a thumb sized piece of ginger (approx. 25g), finely chopped
- 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, crushed
- 4 spring onions, cut into 4cm pieces
- 2 tsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 200ml water
- 1 tsp caster sugar
To serve (optional):
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large wok over a medium heat and cook the cashews, stirring, for a about 1 minute until brown, then use a slotted spoon to scoop them out onto a plate and set aside.
- Season the chicken, turn the heat up to high and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until well browned. Scoop out onto a plate and set aside. Cook the celery, chilli flakes and peppers for 5 minutes or until softening and browning at the edges. Add the garlic, ginger, crushed peppercorns and spring onions, and cook for 1 minute.
- Mix together the cornflour, Shaoxing rice wine and soy sauce to form a paste, then gradually add 200ml of water while stirring, followed by the sugar. Tip into the wok along with the chicken and cashews, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and everything is well coated. Serve with rice or noodles, and some prawn crackers, if you like.
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Kung Pao Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- a handful of cashews (approx. 35g)
- 500 g (1.1 lb) skinless chicken thigh fillets cut into bite-sized pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 stick celery sliced
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 peppers (any colours) deseeded and chopped into chunks
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- a thumb sized piece of ginger (approx. 25g) finely chopped
- 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns crushed
- 4 spring onions cut into 4cm pieces
- 2 tsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 200 ml (⅞ cup) water
- 1 tsp caster sugar
To serve (optional):
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large wok over a medium heat and cook the cashews, stirring, for a about 1 minute until brown, then use a slotted spoon to scoop them out onto a plate and set aside.
- Season the chicken, turn the heat up to high and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until well browned. Scoop out onto a plate and set aside. Cook the celery, chilli flakes and peppers for 5 minutes or until softening and browning at the edges. Add the garlic, ginger, crushed peppercorns and spring onions, and cook for 1 minute.
- Mix together the cornflour, Shaoxing rice wine and soy sauce to form a paste, then gradually add 200ml of water while stirring, followed by the sugar. Tip into the wok along with the chicken and cashews, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and everything is well coated. Serve with rice or noodles, and some prawn crackers, if you like.
Notes
- The original recipe used 2 fresh red chillis sliced, with extra to serve, instead of using dried chillis which is the traditional Szechuan version. I tried both ways and preferred the version using chilli flakes.
- This kung pao chicken recipe is easily adapted if you're cooking for less or more people.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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