Kung Pao Chicken is the ultimate stir-fry experience. It is loaded with delicious flavor from tender marinated chicken, bell peppers, green onions, and peanuts in a sweet and salty, slightly spicy sauce that will leave you licking your plate. This recipe rivals even your favorite Chinese restaurant.
Learn how to make an authentic and delicious Kung Pao Chicken dish at home with this step-by-step recipe. It includes the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and savory flavors. Veggies taste so much better when they are cooked crisp-tender. You can make stir fry at home for a fraction of the cost of takeout from Chinese Restaurants, and you are in control of the ingredients.
What’s In This Post
What is Kung Pao Chicken?
It consists of tender pieces of chicken, sweet red and green bell peppers, green onion, peanuts, and red chilies in a tasty, salty sauce. Serve over white rice, brown rice, or Chinese noodles.
What You’ll Need
- Shaoxing Wine: or dry sherry
- Soy sauce: preferably low-sodium
- Cornstarch
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Balsamic vinegar: or, if you can get it, Chinese black vinegar
- Hoisin sauce
- Granulated sugar: just a pinch
- Vegetable oil: or canola oil
- Vegetables: red and green bell peppers, garlic, ginger, and green onions
- Dried Red Chiles: they are the spicy ones you see in spicy Asian takeout. They are usually in the produce section with the other dried peppers.
- Peanuts: use dry roasted unsalted or salted
How to make Kung Pao Chicken
This is the nutshell version. The full recipe with ingredient quantities and instructions is in the recipe card below.
Mix the marinade ingredients together. Add the chicken and marinate for about 30 minutes. Whisk the sauce ingredients together and set them aside.
Cook the chicken in a large skillet with a little oil over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Plate it and cover it to keep it warm. Add a little more oil to the skillet. Add the bell peppers and cook over medium-high for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, ginger, dried chilies, green onions, and peanuts, cooking for 1 minute and stirring constantly.
Whisk the sauce ingredients and add them to the skillet with the veggies. Cook until thickened, stirring frequently. Add the cooked chicken to the skillet and toss to coat and warm.
Recipe Tips
- Use oil with a high smoking point, such as canola, peanut, or vegetable oil. Heat the skillet or wok fairly hot.
- Don’t crowd the wok or skillet. Cook in batches and plate the chicken and vegetables. If needed, cook in batches.
- Garlic should not be cooked at high heat as it will burn. Add it to the skillet with a larger group of vegetables that are done or almost done. Turn the heat down for a minute and cook, stirring constantly.
- Substitute 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes for the dried red chiles if your store does not carry them.
Storage and Reheat
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They can be reheated over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave at reduced power.
More Stir Fry Recipes
Kung Pao Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1 ½ tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
Kung Pao Sauce
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Kung Pao Stir Fry
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2-4 dried red chilies seeded and chopped
- 4 green onions cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- ½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Shaoxing Wine, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Add the chicken pieces and marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, balsamic vinegar, hoisin sauce, granulated sugar, water, and cornstarch. Set it aside for a few minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer without crowding. Cook the chicken until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side until golden brown and cooked through. Cook in batches. Plate the chicken and cover it loosely with foil to keep it warm.
- Add 1 tablespoons vegetable oil to the skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, ginger, dried chilies, green onions, and peanuts, cooking for 1 minute and stirring constantly.
- Whisk the sauce ingredients 1 more time and add them to the skillet with the veggies. Cook until thickened, stirring frequently. Add the cooked chicken to the skillet, toss to coat, and warm for a couple of minutes, for best results, serve promptly.
Video
Notes
- Use oil with a high smoking point, such as canola, peanut, or vegetable oil. Heat the skillet or wok fairly hot.
- Don’t crowd the wok or skillet. Cook in batches and plate the chicken and vegetables. If needed, cook in batches.
- Garlic should not be cooked at high heat as it will burn. Add it to the skillet with a larger group of vegetables that are done or almost done. Turn the heat down for a minute and cook, stirring constantly.
- Substitute 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes for the dried red chiles if your store does not carry them.
Nutrition
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Catalina
All these veggies and spices make this Kung Pao Chicken dish irresistible!
Beti
This is such a fantastic dish!! I am so excited to try it!! YUM!
katerina
This kung pao chicken was incredibly delicious and easy to prepare. I will make this again and again.
Monidipa Dutta
Your One Skillet Kung Pao Chicken recipe looks absolutely mouthwatering! The combination of flavors and the simplicity of cooking it all in one skillet make it a must-try dish. I can’t wait to give it a go and savor the deliciousness.
Nadalie
This is delish! Would love to try this out soon! I’m sure everybody will love this!
Karen
Kung Pao Chicken is my favorite but I never thought of cooking it myself thinking it is a bit above my skill set! I can’t wait to make the recipe, thank you soooooo much…
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Karen!
Yeah Lifestyle
This was an absolute hit in my house. The recipe is very tasty. Both the kids and my husband really loved it and want me to make it again.
Beth Pierce
Thank you! I am happy to hear that everyone loved it!
Jupiter Hadley
I love Kung Pao Chicken! It’s so delicious – and having a copycat recipe is so lovely. Thank you for sharing this!
Ben
I think this needs to be called Kung POW because I made this and it punched me in the face with flavor. Fantastic recipe.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Ben!
Sheralyn
Can I leave out the Sherry or what could replace it?
Thank you
Beth Pierce
You can omit it if you want.
Marilyn
What kind of dried peppers do you use in this recipe? I have several kinds as my boyfriend is from El Salvador and we use them alot. This sounds so good I can’t wait to try this!
Beth Pierce
I usually pick up dried arbol chili peppers.
Debbie
I love this and wanted my son to try but he’s allergic to peanuts. Now, I can make it and sub peanuts with sunflower seeds or something similar. Thanks. Can’t wait to try this.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Debbie! Enjoy!
Katie
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this one.
LAUREN KELLY
WOW! This is so much better than takeout. I have made this many times and its always delicious!
Matt Taylor
I love one skillet dishes and I love Chinese food. This Kung Pao chicken is on point, super yummy!
tiphany
hello, you mention garlic cannot be cooked at high heat. However, where is garlic in the recipe? It’s not listed in the ingredients menu and it’s not mentioned in the step-by-step cooking process.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Tiphany for the heads up. I had to pull my notes. There is garlic in it and the recipe has been fixed.