🍲 Kung Pao Chicken Recipe | Authentic Chinese Stir-Fry

⭐ About This Recipe

Kung Pao Chicken is a world-famous Chinese stir-fry made with juicy chicken, crunchy peanuts, and dried chilies tossed in a bold, savory-sweet sauce. It’s quick to cook, packed with flavor, and perfect for a weeknight dinner. Serve it with steamed jasmine rice or fried rice for a satisfying restaurant-style meal at home.

🛒 Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinade:

• 500g boneless chicken breast (cut into small cubes)

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)

• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

For the Kung Pao Sauce:

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or white vinegar)

• 1 tsp brown sugar (or honey)

• ¼ cup water + 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch slurry)

For Stir-Fry:

• 2 tbsp oil (sesame oil or cooking oil)

• 8–10 dried red chilies

• 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)

• 1 medium capsicum (cubed)

• 2 tbsp spring onion (white part, chopped)

• ½ cup roasted peanuts

• Spring onion greens for garnish

 

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Marinate the Chicken
   Mix chicken cubes with soy sauce, cornflour, and ginger-garlic paste. Set aside for 20 minutes.

2. Prepare the Sauce
   In a bowl, whisk together soy sauces, oyster sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and cornflour slurry. Keep ready.

3. Stir-Fry the Base
   Heat oil in a wok. Add dried red chilies and garlic. Stir-fry for a few seconds until fragrant.

4. Cook the Chicken
   Add marinated chicken and stir-fry on high heat until golden and almost cooked.

5. Add Veggies & Sauce
   Toss in capsicum and spring onion whites. Pour in the prepared sauce and cook until it thickens and coats the chicken.

6. Finish with Peanuts
   Stir in roasted peanuts. Mix well. Garnish with spring onion greens.

🍴 Serving Suggestions

Serve hot with:
✔ Steamed Jasmine Rice 🍚
✔ Egg Fried Rice 🍳
✔ Garlic Noodles 🍜

💡 Recipe Tips

• For extra flavor, toast the peanuts before adding them.

• Adjust chilies to your spice tolerance.

• You can swap chicken with shrimp, beef, or even tofu for variation.