Name: Kung Pao Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 300 g Chicken Thigh, boneless, skinless and cut into 2 cm pieces; 1½ tbsp Soy Sauce, divided; 1 tbsp Shaoxing Wine, divided; 2 tsp Cornstarch, divided; 2 tsp Chinese Black Vinegar; 2 tsp Sugar; 2 tbsp Water; 1½ tbsp Neutral Oil; 8 Dried Red Chili Peppers, stems removed and cut into short sections; 1 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns; 3 clove Garlic, thinly sliced; 1 inch Ginger, thinly sliced; 4 Spring Onion Whites, cut into 2 cm sections; ¼ cup Roasted Peanuts, unsalted; ½ tsp Sesame Oil

35 mintotal

Prep 20 min · Cook 15 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Spicy

Add to your week

Method

Combine the chicken with 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Mix until evenly coated.
In a small bowl, stir together the remaining soy sauce, remaining Shaoxing wine, Chinese black vinegar, sugar, water and remaining cornstarch until smooth.
Heat the neutral oil in a wok or wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry for 20 seconds, keeping them from burning.
20 sec
Add the chicken in one layer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and almost cooked through. Add the garlic, ginger and spring onion whites and stir-fry for 45 seconds.
3–4 min45 sec
Stir the sauce again, pour it into the pan and toss for 1 to 2 minutes until it thickly coats the chicken and the pieces are cooked through. Fold in the roasted peanuts and sesame oil, then remove from the heat.
1–2 min

How to tell it's done

The chicken should be tender and cooked through, while the sauce should be glossy and cling to each piece without pooling.

Getting it right

Tip

Have the sauce and aromatics ready before heating the wok; the final cooking stage moves quickly.

What to serve it with

Serve immediately with plain steamed rice and a lightly cooked green vegetable.

Common mistakes

The sauce clumps or burns before the chicken is done.: Stir the cornstarch sauce again right before adding it, and keep the chicken moving once the sauce hits the pan. It should turn glossy quickly, not sit and scorch.

Substitutions

Chicken Thigh — Boneless Chicken Breast may be used, but cook it only until just done so it remains tender.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate Kung Pao chicken in a shallow covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave until hot, adding a splash of water if needed; freezing is possible but the peanuts soften.

Hunan Stir-Fried Pork with Green Peppers

Thin slices of pork belly are stir-fried with fresh green chillies and bell pepper in a direct, savoury Hunan-style seasoning.

30 minnon vegetarian

Jiangsu Red-Braised Lion’s Head Meatballs

Jiangsu Red-Braised Lion’s Head Meatballs feature tender pork and water-chestnut meatballs gently braised with cabbage in a savoury soy-based broth.

1 hr 25 minnon vegetarian

Jiangxi Three-Cup Chicken

Jiangxi Three-Cup Chicken braises tender chicken with sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and basil until coated in a fragrant savoury glaze.

1 hr 5 minnon vegetarian

Mao-Style Red-Braised Pork

Tender Hunan-style pork belly slowly braised with caramelized sugar, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and warm spices.

1 hr 40 minnon vegetarian

Shandong Oil-Braised Prawns

Large shell-on prawns are seared and gently braised in a glossy Shandong-style sweet-savoury sauce with ginger and spring onion.

35 minpescatarian

Twice-Cooked Pork

A Sichuan classic of tender pork belly stir-fried with doubanjiang, green garlic and peppers.

45 minnon vegetarian

Ingredients