Who needs takeout when you can make amazing tasting Kung Pao Chicken in your own home? Serve this classic Chinese dish with rice for a great meal!
One of my favorite Chinese food entrees is Kung Pao Chicken. I almost always order it when we get take-out, or when I’m enjoying a meal at our favorite Chinese restaurant. What’s not to love? Chicken, roasted peanuts, and the little kick of heat my taste buds get when eating this dish. I don’t know where this particular recipe originated, but I got it on a 3×5 card from my Dad about 25 years ago.
I recently found the recipe card and was feeling rather nostalgic and missing my Dad (he passed away 8 years ago – I miss him dearly!) He used to love finding new recipes, and always had fun taking a turn at cooking occasionally for my Mom, myself, and my two younger sisters. So I decided to make this dish, in honor of my amazing Dad.
This particular recipe is very easy to prepare and I it tastes GREAT! Who needs take-out when you can just make this recipe (4 servings) for a fraction of the price? Hope you enjoy this recipe for Kung Pao Chicken…I know I sure did… and you can be certain I will be making this again! Here are a few pictures to show you the process:
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
How To Make Kung Pao Chicken
First, measure out the raw peanuts (no skins).
Toast the peanuts in a bit of oil in a skillet, stirring often, until golden brown (just a few minutes).
Cut the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into small chunks.
Mix together the marinade ingredients. Marinate the chicken cubes in this sauce for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. I usually use a large plastic resealable bag and pour sauce over chicken.
Put the dried red chili peppers on a cutting surface.
Snip the stem end off of the peppers. Remove all the seeds (they are the HEAT packers). Cut the red chili peppers into 1/2 ” long pieces. Set aside (discard seeds!).
Mix together ingredients for seasoning sauce. Set aside.
Cooking Kung Pao Chicken
Stir fry chicken in hot oil for a couple of minutes, until light golden brown, and cooked through. Remove chicken to paper towels to drain when done. Wipe skillet clean.
Stir fry the red chili peppers until dark in color and blistered from the heat.
Add fresh grated ginger to the darkened red chili pepper pieces.
Building Layers Of Flavor
Add the cooked chicken back into skillet with the red chili peppers and ginger. Add the seasoning sauce to the skillet, and cook until the sauce thickens.
Add the toasted peanuts to the skillet, and cook until the kung pao chicken is heated through, and then this dish is ready to serve.
Garnish the kung pao chicken with sesame seeds and chopped green onion slices. Serve over rice. Enjoy!
It’s really not too hard at all to make this great kung pao chicken from the comfort of your own kitchen! Hope you will consider making this yummy dish! Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you will come back soon.
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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts (about 2 large)
- 5-6 pieces dry red chili pepper
- 1/2 cup raw peanuts (no skin)
- 1 teaspoon ginger , minced
- 1/4 cup , plus 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- 1 egg white , lightly beaten
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons cooking sherry
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- green onion slices
Prepare marinade. Mix well in medium sized bowl. Cut chicken into 1" cubes. Add to marinade. Marinate chicken for 30 minutes in refrigerator.
- On a cutting board, remove stem top and seeds from the dried red chili peppers. Discard stems and seeds. Use scissors to cut each chili pepper into 1/2" long pieces.
- Heat a large skillet. Add 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil. Stir fry raw peanuts until they are light brown. Remove from heat,, remove from skillet and let cool.
- In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for the Seasoning Sauce. Set aside.
- Heat 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in skillet until very hot (but NOT smoking...). Add the chicken. Stir fry chicken for 2 minutes, then remove. Drain oil from skillet and wipe clean with paper towels.
Add 2 Tablespoons oil back into the skillet. Add the dried red chili peppers and stir fry until they turn dark. Add the minced ginger and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Turn heat to high; add chicken back into skillet. Add the Seasoning Sauce, and cook until sauce has thickened and dish is heated through. Turn off heat. Remove skillet from stove. Add toasted peanuts to skillet. Mix to combine.
Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired. Serve Kung Pao Chicken on a bed of rice. ENJOY!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!
