Name: Kung Pao Chicken
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry; 1½ teaspoons cornstarch; 1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes; 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper; 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil; 8 to 10 dried red chiles; 3 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger; ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

A serving bowl of kung pao chicken with bowls of rice.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

Kung pao chicken is a beloved Chinese take-out staple, thanks to its balance of salt, sweet, tang, and heat. Cooking the dish at home allows you to adjust the recipe to suit your pantry: Use cubed chicken thighs or breasts, swap out the peanuts for cashews or walnuts, or use more or fewer chiles to cater to your family’s palates. Like all stir-fries, this one comes together quickly and is best eaten while hot, so be sure to prepare steamed white rice and any vegetables, like stir-fried bok choy, before you heat up your wok or skillet for this kung pao chicken recipe. And don’t forget to turn on your stove’s exhaust fan; dried chiles can let off some smoke as they fry.

You’ll pair those hot chiles with floral, tingle-inducing Sichuan peppercorns to create a numbing flavor sensation known as mala, a signature of Sichuan cooking. The dish is often thought to be from the southwestern province of China, though cookbook author Fuschia Dunlop explains that “its precise origins are hotly contested.” One thing that’s not is that the dish is linked to an “eminent Qing Dynasty official known as Gong Bao (literally Palace Guardian),” who is said to have entertained with variations of this spicy stir-fried chicken in his travels around China.

Get more of our favorite Chinese chicken recipes →

Recipe information

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients

Marinade:

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1½ teaspoons cornstarch

1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes

Sauce:

1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

8 to 10 dried red chiles

3 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger

¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation

Step 1
Marinate the chicken: In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, rice wine, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the chicken and stir gently to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Step 2
Prepare the sauce: In another bowl, combine the black vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, and Sichuan pepper. Stir until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved and set aside.
Step 3
You may need to turn on your stove's exhaust fan, because stir-frying dried chiles on high heat can get a little smoky. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the base. Add the chiles and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, or until the chiles have just begun to blacken and the oil is slightly fragrant. Add the chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 4
Add the scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce and mix to coat the other ingredients. Stir in the peanuts and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle the scallion greens on top, and serve.

Editor's note: This recipe was originally published in ‘The Chinese Takeout Cookbook’ by Diana Kuan and first appeared on Epicurious in July 2013.