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Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

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Kung Pao Chicken

[heart_this] · Jan 20, 2020 · 65 Comments

Kung Pao Chicken

A tasty Chinese chicken dish with spicy chilies and mouth numbing sichuan peppercorns that’s so quick and easy to make!

Sichuan style of Chinese cuisine is one of my favourites, especially for it’s use of the Sichuan peppercorns which have a mouth numbing property that pairs well with spicy heat and has an amazing flavour that is pretty unique. This kung pao chicken is probably the sichuan style dish that I make most frequently and when I made it again the other day (updated 20120115) I took the opportunity to update the the photos, recipe and this post! This is a very simple dish where chicken is diced and quickly sauteed in oil before adding whole dried chilies to cook and infuse the dish with their flavour and spicy heat. The sichuan peppercorns are toasted to bring out their amazing aroma and flavour before being added along with the chilies, garlic and ginger imbuing this meal with a tantalizing fragrance! Next up is the sauce which has salty soy sauce, tangy vinegar and a hint of sweetness from sugar, which, when combined with the heat creates such an amazing flavour combo that dances in your mouth! The dish is finished off with roasted peanuts, aromatic toasted sesame oil and fresh green onions! This kung pao chicken can be made in about as much time as it take to cook the rice that you can enjoy it over!

Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Servings: 4

A tasty Chinese chicken dish with spicy chilies and mouth numbing sichuan peppercorns that’s so quick and easy to make!

ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon oil (peanut or vegetable)
  • 1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 10 dried red chilies
  • 1 teaspoon sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced/grated
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, minced/grated
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth (or water)
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chinkiang (Chinese black vinegar) (or balsamic vinegar)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 4 green onions, sliced
directions
  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat, add the chicken and saute until lightly golden brown.
  2. Add the chilies, sichuan peppercorns, garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
  3. Add the mixture of the broth, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and cornstarch, bring to a boil and simmer until it thickens a bit, about a minute.
  4. Remove from heat, mix in the peanuts, sesame oil and green onions and enjoy over rice or noodles!
Option: Add a vegetable like a diced bell pepper or snap peas, etc.
Option: Replace the light and dark soy sauce with the soy sauce that you have access to if you cannot find them.
Note: You do not eat the dried chilies. They are there to add heat and left in the finished dish for the visual effect.
Tip: Start cooking the rice just before starting this recipe and they will be done at the same time!
Nutrition Facts: Calories 324, Fat 19g (Saturated 4g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 73mg, Sodium 474mg, Carbs 8g (Fiber 1g, Sugars 3g), Protein 27g

Nutrition by: Nutritional facts powered by Edamam
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Steve @ the black peppercorn says

    January 19, 2012 at 12:00 am

    Hey Kevin. Glad to have found another food blogger from Toronto! Been scanning through your site and I love it! This kung poa looks like a great dish! It is one of my favorite chinese dishes, especially with lots of chilies! I am hoping to do some chinese food for chinese new yew next week, likely gonna do some turnip cake! YUM!

    Reply
  2. daphne says

    January 19, 2012 at 12:13 am

    Oh a Chinese classic! and best of all, you did it so well-not the heavy oily salty version!

    Reply
  3. vanillasugarblog says

    January 19, 2012 at 1:26 am

    and the leftovers are so good in moo shi pancakes. Well, if there are any leftovers. LOL

    Reply
  4. Girlie Blogger says

    January 19, 2012 at 2:24 am

    You put the "POW!" in Kung Pao Chicken. That's a LOT of red peppers!

    Happy Chinese New Year!

    http://www.thegirlieblog.com

    Reply
  5. beti says

    January 19, 2012 at 3:38 am

    I've always wondered if I could make it and if it would taste the same as the one in chinese restaurants, it looks pretty good I will sure give it a try!

    Reply
  6. Jennifer says

    January 19, 2012 at 3:50 am

    Congratulations on getting Blogger's Blog of Note! I love your blog! This food looks amazing!

    Reply
  7. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    January 19, 2012 at 6:45 am

    Oh that looks so good! A fatastic dish.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  8. Maja says

    January 19, 2012 at 11:20 am

    This sounds mouth-watering recipe!

    Reply
  9. Joanne says

    January 19, 2012 at 11:26 am

    I don't think I've EVER seen a kung pao chicken that isn't SMOTHERED in oil…but you've done it! I can feel the heat and the flavor from here!

    Reply
  10. Leslie says

    January 19, 2012 at 12:14 pm

    mouth Numbing? Yikes. Still sounds amazingly flavorful!

    Reply
  11. Agnes says

    January 19, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    You're making me so hungry!

    Reply
  12. Anonymous says

    January 19, 2012 at 4:07 pm

    Kevin so glad I found your site. Great recipes

    Reply
  13. Vinita says

    January 19, 2012 at 4:14 pm

    This looks so good!! I can't wait to go to the Chinese store here and get some rice wine vinegar and Sichuan peppercorns. Thanks for sharing and would love to add your blog to my list of go-to blogs.

    Reply
  14. Lydia Lyn says

    January 19, 2012 at 4:32 pm

    Congratulations on being honored as a Blog of Note! I hope to have the same badge on my vest someday.
    http://www.theholeinmyhandbag.blogspot.com

    Reply
  15. Anonymous says

    January 19, 2012 at 6:04 pm

    Excelentt!!

    Reply
  16. Wendy @ Salt and Wine says

    January 19, 2012 at 6:13 pm

    Woo hoo! Congrats on being blog of note! Long time follower here (even if I don't always comment). Happy to see you were chosen. 🙂

    Reply
  17. Anonymous says

    January 19, 2012 at 8:16 pm

    oh my, I can't wait to try this!

    Reply
  18. Alexandra says

    January 19, 2012 at 9:28 pm

    Interesting recipe on kung pao chicken. I was searching for it. I will try making it soon. Regards from NJ!

    Reply
  19. giz says

    January 19, 2012 at 10:22 pm

    I loooove Kung Pao Chicken and I'm looking at all the peppers and thinking that it must have been fire.

    Reply
  20. LDH says

    January 19, 2012 at 10:25 pm

    Wow ~ this looks so fabulous! I am copying the recipe and hope to make soon!

    Kindly, Lorraine

    Reply
  21. Y u think says

    January 19, 2012 at 11:03 pm

    I love Chinese, I think I will try to cook this – it will be a first for me.

    Reply
  22. cholesterol lowering diets says

    January 20, 2012 at 1:32 am

    Chinese new year is near! What a fun and bright dish this is. Congrats in making it to the blog of note!

    Reply
  23. Rosie Publications says

    January 20, 2012 at 1:10 pm

    Wow, this recipe looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing. I love chicken dishes.

    Reply
  24. Боби says

    January 20, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    It's amazing!

    Reply
  25. Anonymous says

    January 20, 2012 at 2:57 pm

    Looks awesome!

    Reply
  26. Tanapat Surisang says

    January 20, 2012 at 3:40 pm

    It's delicious food,I like it.

    Tanapat Surisang. allofthailand.blogspot.com

    Reply
  27. Littlemisssunshine says

    January 20, 2012 at 3:46 pm

    Looks and sounds delicious!!! Thank you for sharing!!

    Reply
  28. Rocky Mountain Woman says

    January 20, 2012 at 4:02 pm

    I make a version of this that is a little heavier on the oil. I am going to try this one next time!

    Reply
  29. Tyna says

    January 20, 2012 at 7:07 pm

    That recipes make me hungry after having breakfast. You make it looks perfect. I just dont like the rice, it makes me fatter 🙂

    Reply
  30. Sue @ Cakeballs, cookies and more says

    January 20, 2012 at 7:27 pm

    just found your post I am from the area too, I will be following you now, I know how hard it is to work with a small kitchen.

    Reply
  31. Haven says

    January 20, 2012 at 8:51 pm

    Oh! I haven't done a lot of Chinese cooking, though I love to eat it! I especially like spicy, yet not oily, food. I will definitely have to try this!

    Reply
  32. Michael says

    January 20, 2012 at 9:03 pm

    This food looks so good. I am hunger now.

    Reply
  33. Amy says

    January 21, 2012 at 12:05 am

    One of my absolute favorite Chinese food dishes. I'm definitely giving it a try at home!

    Reply
  34. Tawcan says

    January 22, 2012 at 11:27 pm

    Looks amazing. Definitely one of the classic Chinese dishes. Definitely have to come back to this site and check out more recipes.

    Reply
  35. Chris says

    January 23, 2012 at 12:55 am

    You are a true talent, Kevin. Every time I visit I think you have outdone yourself.

    Reply
  36. Jessica Mariella says

    January 23, 2012 at 5:06 am

    Great photo! I have never tried Kung Pao chicken, but this photo makes we want to try it!

    Reply
  37. www.oliviajasonkim.com says

    January 23, 2012 at 5:21 pm

    looks good. will have to try it out. thanks and great pics. olivia

    Reply
  38. Anonymous says

    January 30, 2012 at 7:42 pm

    I made your Kung Pao Chicken as well as your dumpling recipes last week for a dinner party. Both were a hit!! Thanks for sharing these!

    Reply
  39. kara says

    February 3, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    My husband loves kung pao chicken. I will make this for him!

    Reply
  40. Sam says

    March 10, 2012 at 5:29 pm

    i'm going to make this tomorrow, thanks! One thing I would like to say to everyone who talks about oil quantities…. Fear not good fats! Thanks again! 🙂

    Reply
  41. Amy says

    April 26, 2012 at 9:06 am

    Made this tonight and I wanted to check-in about the amount of sichuan peppercorns in this recipe. Should that maybe be 1 tsp instead of 1 Tbs? I ask because it was the only thing I could taste in the finished dish, and on reviewing other recipes of similar size, 1 tsp seems more standard. In related news, my mouth has been numb for hours XD

    Reply
  42. Kevin says

    April 27, 2012 at 10:11 am

    Amy: I guess you build up a tolerance for them. 🙂 I like to go with the full tablespoon but if you prefer you can easily go with less. I have update the recipe to indicate this. Thanks

    Reply
  43. Anonymous says

    May 2, 2012 at 10:59 am

    made this tonight, WAY to salty (and i am known for over-salt everything!!), and really gritty? are sechuan peppercorns suppose to be like eating sand? was i supposed to grind them after toasting them?

    Reply
  44. Kevin says

    May 6, 2012 at 11:29 am

    Anonymous: This dish is not a salty one and I am not sure why yours came out so. I kind of like the texture of the Sichuan peppercorns but if you do not you can do one of two things: 1. As you say, grind them, but there will still be a bit of a gritty texture. 2. Saute them in the oil that you will be cooking with and then remove them from the oil before continuing. This will impart some of their fragrance and flavour to the oil but it will not be nearly as strong.

    Reply
  45. [email protected] says

    May 11, 2012 at 1:25 pm

    Thanks so much for the Kung Pao chicken recipe. This is exactly what I wanted to make tonight.

    Reply
  46. Anonymous says

    May 27, 2012 at 8:08 pm

    Have been looking for a authentic Gongbaojiding recipe for quite some time. Tried this one tonight, it's great, thanks!

    Reply
  47. @nc says

    August 4, 2013 at 5:37 am

    Hi Kevin. I tried this recipe today and I have to agree with the previous comments. The peppercorns were way too much. I'm Indian (with high tolerance for heat) and I've ordered hot Chinese dish, so I thought that I could take this. But what I felt about Sichuan peppercorns is that its not about the heat, it's a tangy sourness and numbing feeling. I don't know if the sauce had to do with the sourness too. Anyway it was a disaster and it went right into the trash lol! It reminded me of the recent ford focus "sour chicken" commercial and couldn't stop laughing! I'm not saying that your recipe is bad, I may have gone wrong somewhere. Damage control included dumping sugar, honey, sweet chili sauce, hoisin sauce – it just got worse. I think it's funny so thought I should share my experience. 🙂

    Reply
    • Courtney Lorenz says

      November 21, 2021 at 6:16 pm

      Same, we made this today and it was extremely salty and gross. Nothing like hung Patrick and I have had before. I have loved everything else from closet cooking so I’m not sure what went wrong. We used all the correct amounts.

      Reply
  48. kevin says

    August 11, 2013 at 7:11 pm

    @nc: Did you use the full tablespoon or did you start with the teaspoon as recommended in the recipe? The peppercorns should not be responsible for an overpowering sourness…

    Reply
  49. Anonymous says

    April 15, 2014 at 7:07 am

    is it compulsory to add shaoxing wine or dry sherry in marinade? i want to avoid this as we are non alcholic family, any other substitution or suggestion for this.
    thanks.

    Reply
  50. kevin says

    April 20, 2014 at 1:26 pm

    Anonymous: Yes, you can omit the shaoxing wine in marinade!

    Reply
    • Laura says

      January 15, 2022 at 11:18 am

      I don’t see this listed as an ingredient, or any mention of a marinade. Am I missing something?

      Reply
  51. Anonymous says

    July 22, 2015 at 9:20 pm

    I made this twice and I love it. The first time I did not use the peppercorns since I did not have them. Went to the store and purchased them for the second time. WOW… never tasted anything quite like it. Almost like anise flavor. And numbs your mouth in an interesting way. Best recipe for Kung Pao ever. Can't wait to make again

    Reply
  52. asphyxia says

    August 14, 2015 at 10:09 am

    I have made this several times with the peppercorns and while I do think it is a very interesting and delicious flavor, it is a bit much at times. Perhaps this is because of the size of the whole peppercorns? I have given some thought to smashing them up into smaller pieces or even grinding into a powder to more evenly disperse the flavor. Any thoughts on this? Thanks! I love it!!

    Reply
  53. kevin says

    August 17, 2015 at 12:42 pm

    asphyxia: Yes, it is better when the peppercorns are ground!

    Reply
  54. Paige Cassandra Flamm says

    January 20, 2020 at 12:42 pm

    This looks incredible! We totally need to make this for dinner soon!

    Paige
    http://thehappyflammily.com

    Reply
  55. Lynette aka breezermom says

    September 15, 2020 at 3:13 pm

    I made this today for lunch. I went to 3 stores and could not find the dried chilies. I had one on hand so I threw in some fresh serrano chiles and fresh red chile peppers. I also added some snow peas for a little bit more vegetable content. Turned out delicious! Beautiful too.

    Reply
  56. mavee125 says

    October 12, 2021 at 11:20 pm

    I love your Kung Pao chicken recipe. Just looking through it, you’ll know it’s delicious and flavorful; its colorful too! The kids loved it. Glad I had bought an authentic light soy sauce at Karman Foods, the taste is absolutely fantastic!

    Reply

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I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
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