Kung Pao Calamari

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Like it's sister dish, Kung Pao Chicken, this Kung Pao Calamari is studded with crunchy roasted peanuts, spicy chilies, and tongue numbing Sichuan peppercorns in a slightly sweet and savory sauce.

This recipe was originally published in February 2017. It has been updated for content and photos. For a good laugh, scroll down below the recipe card and check out the old photo!

The sauce is thick and velvety, filled with spice and flavor, and the calamari is perfectly tender. 

And the best part is that it's easy. The ingredients are easy to get either at your local grocery store or online. The calamari marinades for a short amount of time, and the dish only takes about 10-15 minutes to cook. It's great for an easy weeknight meal! 

Perfectly spicy and flavorful, Kung Pao Calamari is perfect served with simple steamed white rice (how to make the perfect pot of rice).

Ingredients

Calamari has become popular due to its low calorie and fat content, high protein content, and low mercury content. However, this recipe will easily work with calamari, beef, shrimp, fish, pork, or tofu. 

Calamari has a reputation for being chewy, but if cooked right can be quite tender. The key is to cook it quickly over very high heat to keep it tender.

Marinade Ingredients:

Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) is used in the marinade for the calamari. You can substitute dry sherry if you'd like, or you can buy Shaoxing Wine (affiliate link).

While the toasted chilies add a level of heat to the dish, it is the Sichuan pepper that provides that tongue tingling, numbing sensation we love so much. Buy Sichuan peppercorns (affiliate link).

Sichuan peppercorns are used often in dishes like this Mapo Tofu or this Twice Cooked Pork (these are some of our favorites!!).

The recipe also calls for black vinegar. You can replace it with balsamic vinegar, or you can buy black vinegar (affiliate link). 

The remaining ingredients are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

Step By Step Instructions

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the calamari. Let it marinade for 30-60 minutes. 

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine.

Heat a wok (or large non-stick skillet) over medium high and add the cooking oil. 

Learn how to season a wok!

Add the calamari in 3 batches (this is important to keep the heat up and the calamari tender) and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

**Cooking the calamari for a short time over very high heat will help to keep it tender.

Add the green peppers and stir fry for 1-2 minutes on high heat.

Add the Sichuan peppercorns, peanuts and chilies and stir fry another minute, stirring to ensure they don't burn.

Add the calamari and the sauce to the wok.

Cook until the sauce has thickened (about 1-3 minutes).

Top with green onions and serve with steamed white rice (make the perfect pot of rice). Sprinkle a little extra ground Sichuan peppercorns or some of this homemade Chili Oil on top. 

You can also serve it with this Chinese Fried Rice and alongside this Sauteed Bok Choy. And don't forget to start your meal off with some delicious Wonton Noodle Soup!

How to Toast Sichuan Peppercorns

Place them in a skillet over medium heat and toss every 20-30 seconds. Once they become fragrant (about 2-3 minutes), remove them and grind with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.

Expert Tips

1. If the sauce is too thin, combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and mix well. Slowly pour it into the stir fry, stirring constantly, until the desired consistency is reached.
2. If the sauce is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin it. Only add a little at a time to prevent it from thinning too much.
3. Be sure to make the sauce before you start to stir fry.
4. If you're using whole fresh Sichuan peppercorns, you can either add them whole (perfectly acceptable), or you can use a mortar and pestle to grind them.
5. The calamari should be cooked in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. We want the edges of the calamari to caramelize, and crowding the pan will cause the calamari to steam instead of fry. 
6. Sprinkle the calamari with additional ground Sichuan peppercorns or this homemade Chili Oil.
7. If you're using raw peanuts, toast them in the oven for 5-10 minutes on 400F OR saute them over medium in a pan with a teaspoon of oil for about 5 minutes, until the outsides are lightly browned.
8. Add additional dried chilies for extra spice. 
9. Add vegetables like diced red peppers, onions, green pepper, water chestnuts, zucchini or broccoli. Add the vegetables at the same time as the green peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Remove and continue with the rest of the instructions. Add the vegetables back in with the calamari at the end. 

Did you make this recipe? Rate it and leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out!

Kung Pao Calamari

This Kung Pao Calamari is studded with crunchy roasted peanuts, spicy chilies, and tongue numbing Sichuan peppercorns in a slightly sweet and savory sauce.

5 from 8 votes

Print Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Marinade: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 243kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound calamari cut in 1 inch pieces
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons cooking oil (vegetable, canola, peanut, etc.)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns toasted and ground
• ▢ 2 green bell peppers chopped
• ▢ 8 dried chilis roughly chopped
• ▢ ¾ cup roasted peanuts
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped green onions

For the Marinade:

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the Sauce:

• ▢ 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
• ▢ 1 ½  teaspoons hoisin sauce
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2  teaspoons soy sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black vinegar
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced

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Instructions

• Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add calamari and marinade for 30 minutes.
• Combine the sauce ingredients and mix thoroughly.
• Heat a wok (or large non-stick skillet) over medium high and add the cooking oil. 
• Add the calamari in 3 batches (this is important to keep the heat up and the calamari tender) and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
• Add the green peppers and stir fry for 1-2 minutes on high heat.
• Add Sichuan peppercorns, peanuts and chilies and stir fry another minute, stirring to ensure they don't burn.
• Add the calamari and the sauce to the wok. Cook until the sauce has thickened (about 1-3 minutes).
• Top with green onions and serve with steamed white rice. Sprinkle a little extra ground Sichuan peppercorns or some of this homemade Chili Oil on top. 

Expert Tips:

1. If the sauce is too thin, combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and mix well. Slowly pour it into the stir fry, stirring constantly, until the desired consistency is reached.
2. If the sauce is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin it. Only add a little at a time to prevent it from thinning too much.
3. Be sure to make the sauce before you start to stir fry.
4. To toast Sichuan peppercorns, place them in a skillet over medium heat and toss every 20-30 seconds. Once they become fragrant (about 2-3 minutes), remove them and grind with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
5. The calamari should be cooked in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. We want the edges of the calamari to caramelize, and crowding the pan will cause the calamari to steam instead of fry. 
6. Sprinkle the calamari with additional ground Sichuan peppercorns or this homemade Chili Oil.
7. If you're using raw peanuts, toast them in the oven for 5-10 minutes on 400F OR saute them over medium in a pan with a teaspoon of oil for about 5 minutes, until the outsides are lightly browned.
8. Add additional dried chilies for extra spice. 
9. Add vegetables like diced red peppers, onions, green pepper, water chestnuts, zucchini or broccoli. Add the vegetables at the same time as the green peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Remove and continue with the rest of the instructions. Add the vegetables back in with the calamari at the end. 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cups | Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 176mg | Sodium: 480mg | Potassium: 404mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Vitamin C: 36.4mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1.5mg

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Check out this old photo!