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Kung Pao chicken recipe.

Kung Pao Chicken

John Whitehead
How to make Kung Pao Chicken, Shrimp, etc.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Rice Cooking time 10 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • 1 small bowl for marinade
  • small bowl for sauce
  • 1 pot or rice steamer for rice
  • 1 wok or saute pan for main dish

Ingredients
  

Chicken Marinade

  • 1 large chicken breast or cubben chicken 430 grams
  • 1 tsp dark soy use dark not regular
  • 1 tsp sesame oil that nutty flavor
  • 1 tsp mirin or rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp chili crisp
  • 1 ½ tsp corn startch

Kung Pao Sauce

  • 1 tbsp black vinegar
  • 1 tsp shaoxing wine
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp raw sugar or light brown sugar/for sugar free use Truvia Brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tsp Guilin Style Chili Sauce.
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • 1½ tsp corn starch
  • salt to taste

Kung Pao Ingredients

  • ½ cup carrots or 73 grams
  • ¾ cup water chestnuts 15 oz or 160 grams
  • ½ cup chopped green peppers 75 grams I used poblano peppers
  • 1 cup cubbed zucchini/green squash 170 grams
  • ½-⅓ cup dry unsalted peanuts
  • ½ cup green onions/scallions 28 grams

Rice

  • 1-2 cups medium grain rice or Basmati brown rice for healthier option
  • water as per directions

Instructions
 

Chicken Marinade

  • add chicken and all marinade ingredients to bowl and mix
    1 large chicken breast or cubben chicken 430 grams, 1 tsp dark soy, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp mirin or rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp chili crisp, 1 ½ tsp corn startch
  • refrigerate for 6 hours to overnight

Rice

  • wash rice with cold water
    1-2 cups medium grain rice or Basmati brown rice for healthier option
  • cook as per directions

Kung Pao Chicken

  • heat wok
  • toast peanuts on low heat for about 30 seconds while tossing
    ½-⅓ cup dry unsalted peanuts
  • add about 1-2 tbsp of oil
  • stir fry chicken until 75 percent done
  • remove chicken from pan
  • add vegetables except green onions and stir fry for 2-3 minutes depending wok heat You can add a tbsp of water to help steam
    ½ cup carrots or 73 grams, ¾ cup water chestnuts 15 oz or 160 grams, ½ cup chopped green peppers 75 grams, 1 cup cubbed zucchini/green squash 170 grams
  • add chicken back into pan and mix
  • add kung pao sauce. It must heat to a simmer to thicken. Add more cornstarch slurry if you need to thicken it more
    1 tbsp black vinegar, 1 tsp shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp raw sugar or light brown sugar/for sugar free use Truvia Brown sugar, 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 2 tsp Guilin Style Chili Sauce., 1 clove garlic chopped, ¼ tsp white pepper, 1½ tsp corn starch, salt to taste
  • once thick and done add green onions and peanuts
    ½ cup green onions/scallions 28 grams, ½-⅓ cup dry unsalted peanuts
  • remove from heat and serve Enjoy

Notes

Remember, recipes are guides. Feel free to use shrimp or another protein.  If you can ever stop by a nice Asian grocery store, it will save you a ton of money over the grocery store.  They usually have a much better selection and products.  Buy a good quality sesame oil, soy sauce, black vinegar and chili crisp.  If you can't find chili crisp, there are recipes online.  Enjoy. 
Sometimes I make this with poblano peppers instead of green or red peppers.  Odd choice, but tastes amazing.  Another additions are snow peas.