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Authentic Kung Pao Chicken

A bold, spicy-sour stir-fry with juicy chicken, dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, and crunchy peanuts — the real deal Kung Pao Chicken!
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Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:10 minutes
Servings: 2

Equipment

  • 1 Wok or pan or non-stick pan

Ingredients

  • 350 g chicken thigh or breast cut into ½-inch cubes
  • ½ stalk white part of Chinese scallion 大葱, about 50g, cut vertically into 4 strips then into short segments
  • ⅔ tbsp ginger sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic sliced
  • 30 g dried bird’s eye chilies cut into segments, seeds shaken out
  • 4 g Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1.5 tbsp oil for cooking
  • 70 g roasted peanuts peeled

Marinade:

  • 2 tsp Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp salt about 2g
  • 1 egg white from 1 small or ½ large egg
  • 1 tsp cornstarch 6g
  • 1 tbsp oil to seal in moisture

Sauce:

  • 40 g Chinese black vinegar
  • 30 g sugar
  • 20 g light soy sauce
  • 5 g dark soy sauce
  • 1 g salt about ⅛ tsp, adjust to taste
  • 1 tsp cornstarch 6g

Instructions

  • Cut the chicken into ½-inch cubes.
  • In a bowl, mix with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, salt, egg white, and cornstarch. Gently massage everything in until well-coated. Then add 1 tbsp oil to lock in moisture. Let it marinate for 10 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients: black vinegar, sugar, light and dark soy sauce, salt to taste, and cornstarch. Stir well and set aside.
  • Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok or pan over high heat. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until it changes color and is mostly cooked. Remove and set aside.
  • Lower the heat to medium. In the same pan, add the Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn them!
  • Add the sliced ginger, garlic, and Chinese scallion. Stir until aromatic and softened.
  • Return the chicken to the pan. Give the sauce another stir and pour it in. Quickly toss everything together for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, allowing the sauce to thicken and coat the chicken evenly.
  • Finally, toss in the roasted peanuts. Give it a final stir, then turn off the heat. Serve with a bowl of hot steamed rice.