Kung Pao Chicken and Vegetables

Kung Pao Chicken and Vegetables

Kung Pao Chicken does require a few Asian ingredients, but they are all good ingredients to have on hand for other Asian recipes too. Make sure you do all your prep for this recipe ahead of time because the actual cooking is super quick.

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Kung Pao Chicken is a spicy Chinese stir-fry with chicken, vegetables, chili peppers and peanuts. You’ll see it on all your favorite Chinese restaurant menus, but it’s pretty easy to make at home if you have all the ingredients. Now, most of us living in North America won’t naturally have all these ingredients on hand, but if you shop and make this once, you’ll start to build up your collection of Asian ingredients and will be able to pull this dish (and other Chinese recipes) together in a jiffy the second time around.

Ingredients for Kung Pao Chicken and Vegetables on a wooden cutting board.

Kung Pao Chicken originated in the Sichuan province of China, which is in the southwest of the country. As a result, it always includes Sichuan peppercorns. Sichuan pepper is a spice from the area that is in actuality not related to the black peppercorn at all. Nor is it related to chili peppers. It’s actually the husk of the seed of a shrub called “prickly ash”. The flavor of Sichuan peppercorns is also not like that of black peppercorns or chili peppers. It has a slightly lemony, floral flavor, but the most distinct feature of Sichuan peppercorns is that it creates a numbing sensation in and around your mouth. This sensation is, of course, temporary and is a result of certain molecules naturally occurring in the spice. It’s said that this numbing effect allows the eater to better handle hot spice from chili peppers, but I’ll leave that up to you to decide. If you don’t have (or can’t find) Sichuan peppercorns, you can try to substitute black peppercorns and some coriander seeds. You won’t be able to replicate the exact flavor or the numbing sensation, but the black pepper and coriander is a good flavor stand-in.

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Sichuan Peppercorns tumbling out of a spice jar onto a cutting board.

Whenever you do see Sichuan peppercorns in a recipe, you’ll probably also see chili peppers. This recipe calls for dried red chili peppers and that leaves you to decide what dried red chili pepper to use. Generally, the smaller the pepper, the hotter it is in spice level, so let that be a guide to you.

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Dried red chili peppers on a cutting board with a label.

You’ll char dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns in oil which will help spread their heat and numbing sensation to everything else that comes in contact with that oil – in other words, the whole dish.

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Dried red chili peppers and sichuan peppercorns charring and toasting in a pan.

Once you have your chicken marinated (you can do this while you prepare all the other ingredients), the vegetables chopped and the sauce made, this dish comes together very quickly because it is a true stir fry. Stir-frying is a quick cooking method and key to this is high heat and action. Make sure you pre-heat your wok (ideally) or large skillet before you add anything to it – just a few minutes is enough. Then, a drizzle of oil followed immediately by the first batch of chicken. Let the chicken sit in the oil for just a minute before kicking into action. From then on, tossing the food regularly (not constantly) is key to even cooking. Once everything – the chicken, the veg, the sauce – is back in the hot pan you can toss the food to your heart’s content. Stir-frying is for the cook who wants to feel like they are doing something all the time and it’s a great way to practice your pan tossing technique (it helps to have a hungry dog around to clean up after you if this is new to you). 

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Kung Pao Chicken and Vegetables in a pan with a wooden spoon.

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Kung Pao Chicken and Vegetables

Nutrition Info Print Recipe
  • Prep Time: 15 m
  • Cook Time: 15 m
  • Marinating Time: 30 m
  • Total Time: 1 h
  • Servings:
    4

Ingredients

Marinade:
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 1 inch fresh ginger grated
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoon cornstarch
Stir Fry:
  • 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • peanut or canola oil
  • 8 to 10 dried red chili peppers
  • 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns coarsely crushed
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 1 small zucchini diced
  • 4 scallions sliced, white and green parts separated
  • 4 ounces water chestnuts diced
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • ⅓ cup unsalted roasted peanuts

Instructions

  1. Combine the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat them well. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Make the sauce by whisking together the Shaoxing wine, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
  3. Pre-heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add a little peanut oil. Add half of the chicken pieces to the pan – be sure not to over-crowd. Let the chicken sit in the pan for one minute, then stir or toss the chicken to brown on all sides. Remove the chicken from pan and set it aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken and add it to the first batch.
  4. Add the dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns to the hot pan. Stir-fry over medium-high heat for 1 minute to char the peppers. Push the charred peppers to the sides of the pan and add the red and green peppers. Stir-fry for a few minutes. Then add the zucchini and white parts of the scallions. Stir-fry all of the vegetables together until they start to soften slightly. Whisk the sauce again and add it to the pan, bringing it to a boil. Add the water chestnuts and return the cooked chicken to the pan, tossing everything together. Stir-fry for a few more minutes before adding the peanuts and sesame oil. Toss one last time.
  5. Serve over rice and top with the scallion greens.
Enjoy,
If you made this recipe, please add your comments and ratings below.

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Comments (1)Post a Reply

  1. This was a wonderful base for a recipe. I knew what I wanted to use and this was the closest. Like all people added other vegetables, some more spices, and used Sake.
    Now my other half loved this and asked if I could also put in pineapple and even more crunch. This from a person who does not cook. It has taken me 27 years to finally learn to love different flavors and adventures in food.

    Reply

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