Kung Pao Chicken
Quick answer
- Total time
- 30 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Kung pao chicken is one of the defining dishes of Sichuan cuisine, built around diced chicken, roasted peanuts, and dried chilies in a sauce that hits spicy, sweet, sour, and numbing at the same time.
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The chicken is cut into small cubes and given a brief marinade of soy sauce and cornstarch, which seals moisture in and creates a light coating that takes on color quickly in a screaming-hot wok. Dried red chilies and Sichuan peppercorns are fried in oil as the very first step, pulling their heat and the distinctive mala tingling sensation into the fat before anything else goes in. This flavored oil becomes the foundation the entire dish is built on. Soy sauce, black vinegar, and sugar are added at the end and reduced into a glossy glaze that coats every surface. Roasted peanuts go in last so they stay crunchy, and chopped scallion brings a clean, fresh finish. The interplay of sharp chili heat, tongue-numbing peppercorn, tangy vinegar, and toasty peanut in a single bite is what carries this dish beyond Sichuan into kitchens worldwide.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Pat 300g chicken breast dry, then cut it into 2 cm cubes.
Toss with 1 tsp cornstarch and 2 tsp soy sauce, coating every side lightly, and marinate for 10 minutes while the wok and aromatics are prepared.
- 2Season
Shake any loose dust from 8 dried chilies, and mince 3 garlic cloves finely.
Mix 1 tsp vinegar with 1 tsp sugar in a small bowl before cooking, so the sauce can be added quickly without overcooking the chicken.
- 3Control
Heat the wok over high heat until a faint smoke appears, then add oil.
Add the dried chilies and 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn, stir for 20 to 30 seconds, and stop before the chilies turn black or bitter.
- 4Heat
Add the minced garlic and stir for only 10 seconds to perfume the spicy oil.
Spread in the marinated chicken, keep the heat high, and stir-fry for about 2 minutes until the outside turns white.
- 5Season
Pour in the vinegar and sugar mixture, then toss quickly so it coats the chicken instead of pooling.
Cook for 30 to 60 seconds until the glaze looks glossy and no thin liquid remains on the wok bottom.
- 6Finish
Add 50g peanuts at the very end and toss for just 10 seconds so they stay crisp.
Check that the chicken is cooked through, with no raw center, then serve immediately while the glaze is hot.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies bloomed in oil transfer numbing heat to the sauce in Kung Pao Chicken.
- Finish cue
- Check that the chicken is cooked through, with no raw center, then serve immediately while the glaze is hot.
- Avoid this
- Mix 1 tsp vinegar with 1 tsp sugar in a small bowl before cooking, so the sauce can be added quickly without overcooking the chicken.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
30min, 9 ingredients
Category median
25min, 8 ingredients
Based on 220 recipes
Official cooking and safety guidance
-
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat the center to 74°C.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety
Sources checked 2026-08-03
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