Kung Pao Chicken
Kung pao is a Sichuan classic where everything comes down to minutes and a fierce flame. We bloom dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns in the oil first so it turns fragrant and faintly tingly, then add the chicken. The sauce — a balance of black vinegar, soy and sugar — should just cling to each piece in a glossy glaze.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Rest
- 15 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 445 kcal
Ingredients
For the chicken
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What to use instead
Swap the Shaoxing wine for dry sherry. Instead of black vinegar, use 1 tbsp rice vinegar plus ½ tbsp balsamic — it gets you close.
For the sauce
For the stir-fry
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Marinate the chicken
Cut the thighs into 1.5–2 cm cubes. Mix with the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and cornflour and leave for 15 minutes. The starch keeps the juices in and helps the sauce cling.
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Step 2: Mix the sauce
Stir together the black vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornflour and water. Keep it by the stove — from here, everything moves fast.
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Step 3: Prep the aromatics
Snip the chillies into 2–3 pieces and shake out most of the seeds if you don’t want it very hot. Cut the green onions into 2 cm lengths. Line everything up by the wok.
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Step 4: Bloom the spices
Heat the wok until it just smokes, add the oil and immediately turn the heat to medium. Add the chillies and Sichuan pepper and stir for 20–30 seconds until the chillies darken to deep red. Blackened chillies turn bitter — if that happens, start again.
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Step 5: Sear the chicken
Turn the heat to high, add the chicken, spread it out and leave it alone for 1 minute. Then stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until white all the way through and at 74°C (165°F).
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Step 6: Add the sauce
Add the garlic, ginger and green onion and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Stir the sauce again, as the starch settles, pour it in and toss for 30–60 seconds until thick and glossy.
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Step 7: Fold in the peanuts
Turn off the heat, fold in the peanuts and serve straight away with hot rice. The peanuts go in last so they stay crunchy.
Tips & variations
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Swap
Swap the Shaoxing wine for dry sherry. Instead of black vinegar, use 1 tbsp rice vinegar plus ½ tbsp balsamic — it gets you close.
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Tip
Sichuan pepper isn’t hot — it tingles and numbs slightly. Look for it in spice shops and Asian grocers. Black pepper is no substitute, so if you can’t find it, just leave it out.
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Tip
On a weak burner, sear the chicken in two batches. An overcrowded, cooling wok stews the meat, which weeps juice instead of browning.
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Storage
Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat in a pan. The peanuts will soften a little.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 445 kcal | 1,780 kcal |
| Protein | 33 g | 132 g |
| Fat | 29 g | 116 g |
| Carbohydrates | 13 g | 52 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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