Authentic Sichuan Kung Pao Chicken (Better Than Takeout!)
×Category: International Ingredients | Type: Chinese | Servings: 4 | By: The Mikey
Protein 30g • Carbs 25g • Fat 25g • 450 Calories
Estimated macros only. Values are guidelines, not precise nutrition data.
Kung Pao Chicken is one of the most iconic dishes from Sichuan cuisine—bold, spicy, slightly sweet, and packed with that signature numbing heat from Sichuan peppercorns. The magic of this dish lies in its balance: tender “velveted” chicken, aromatic chilies, fragrant garlic and ginger, and a rich sauce that clings beautifully to every bite. Serve it over steaming white rice and you’ve got a restaurant-quality meal at home.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breast (cut into cubes): 1 Lbs.
- Salt: 1/2 TSP
- Chinese Cooking Wine: 1 TBSP
- Cornstarch: 1 1/2 TBSP
- Egg White
- Cooking Oil: 2 TBSP
- Dried Red Chilies (Seeded, and cut into short pieces)
- Garlic (Sliced): 4 Clove
- Ginger (Sliced): 1 Inch
- Sichuan Peppercorn Powder: 1/2 TBSP
- Brown Sugar: 2 TBSP
- Sichuan Dou Ban Jiang (chili bean paste): 1 TBSP
- Light Soy Sauce: 1 TBSP
- Chinese Black Vinegar: 1 1/2 TBSP
- Dark Soy Sauce: 1 1/2 TSP
- Cornstarch: 2 TSP
- Water: 1/2 Cup
- Scallions (Diced)
- Roasted Peanuts: 1/3 Cup
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breast into small cubes and add salt, Chinese cooking wine, cornstarch, and egg white. Mix continuously until the texture becomes smooth and slightly sticky—this is the velveting process that keeps the chicken tender and juicy after cooking.
- Heat your wok until it is smoking hot. Add oil and stir-fry the marinated chicken until it just turns slightly golden. Once cooked, push it to one side of the wok.
- Add garlic, ginger, dried red chilies, Sichuan peppercorn powder, brown sugar, and Sichuan Dou Ban Jiang. Stir everything together until fragrant, and the chili paste has fully bloomed in the oil.
- Add the light soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, and dark soy sauce. Stir to combine, then mix 2 tsp cornstarch with cup of water and add to the wok to lightly thicken the sauce until it becomes glossy and coats the chicken.
- Last, toss in the roasted peanuts and diced scallions. Give everything a final, thorough mix so the sauce evenly coats every piece.
- Serve immediately over hot white rice.
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