Spicy Kung Pao Chicken

This spicy king pao chicken recipe is made with spicy dried chilies, tongue numbing Sichuan peppercorns and stir fried peanuts in a lightly sweet and savory sauce.

Salty, sweet, spicy with just a little bit of tanginess, kung pao chicken is on the menu of most Chinese restaurants in the US. If you're excited about these flavors, you'll probably also love this kung pao calamari.

The boyfriend and I are HUGE fans of this classic Chinese dish. Perfectly spicy and flavorful, it's incredible served with simple steamed rice (white or brown rice) or this instant pot jasmine rice.

The sauce is thick and velvety, filled with spice and umami flavor. Tender pieces of diced chicken are perfectly caramelized on the outside - it's as good as this Shanghai chicken or air fryer orange chicken (we LOVE this).

And the best part is that it's easy. The ingredients are easy to get either at your local grocery or online. The chicken marinades for just a little bit, and the dish only takes about 10-15 minutes to cook. You'll love this recipe for an easy weeknight meal!

Why this spicy kung pao chicken recipe works

• Letting the chicken marinade before stir frying it allows it to take on flavor and also using the velveting technique makes it ultra tender and juicy.
• This authentic kung pao chicken recipe comes together very quickly, making it perfect for busy weeknights. It's also a great recipe for leftovers!
• The spice level is adjustable, allowing you to make adjustments to your spice preference.

Ingredients

The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breast to make the marinated chicken, but chicken thighs can be used as well to keep the chicken extra juicy. Chicken pieces should be cut in 1 ½" cubes.

Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) is used in the marinade for the chicken, along with a touch of soy sauce and some ground white pepper for slight heat and floral flavor.

Chicken Marinade Ingredients:

The recipe also calls for black vinegar to be used in the kung pao sauce. The flavor of the black vinegar is incredible. It is commonly used as a dipping sauce for dumplings and adds a great tang to the sauce.

What are Sichuan peppercorns?

The Sichuan peppercorns used offer this delightful spicy, tongue numbing quality that is very common among many Szechuan (Sichuan) style dishes. It’s not traditionally spicy like you would find in other peppers, but has a slight numbing effect that is very common in Sichuan cuisine.

Sichuan peppercorns are used often in dishes like this pork mapo tofu or this twice cooked pork belly (both incredible and some of our favorites!).

The remaining ingredients make the chicken and spicy sauce are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

Variations and substitutions

• Add additional dried red chili or red pepper flakes for extra spice.
• Add vegetables like diced red bell peppers, onions, green pepper, water chestnuts, zucchini or broccoli. Add the vegetables to the wok after the chicken has cooked 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 chicken at the end.
• Substitute chicken thighs for the chicken breast. You can also make this with shrimp (kung pao shrimp), pork or beef.
• Substitute ginger paste for the fresh grated ginger.
• Drizzle a very small amount of sesame oil over chicken before serving.
• Substitute rice vinegar for the black vinegar if needed when making the kung pao chicken sauce.
• Substitute ground black pepper for the white pepper.

Step by step instructions to make kung pao chicken

1. Combine the marinade ingredients and add the chicken in a medium bowl. Mix to coat all the chicken pieces with the marinade. Marinate the chicken in the fridge for at least 1 hour up to 4 hours.

2. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside.

3. Drain the excess marinade from the chicken and heat a wok or large cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the cooking oil.

Learn how to season a wok. 

4. Add the chicken in 3 separate batches (this avoids over crowding the pan) and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until browned on the outside and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and cook the next batches the same.

5. Set the chicken aside and turn the heat down to medium. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan and add the Sichuan peppercorns, dried chilies, green onions and peanuts and fry for 1 minute, stirring regularly.

6. Add the marinated chicken back to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.

7. Pour the sauce in the pan and toss until everything is coated and sauce has thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately with steamed white rice or this Chinese sausage fried rice.

Expert Tips

1. Be sure to make the sauce and gather the rest of the ingredients before you start to stir fry as it will happen fast.
2. 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 (my preferred method).
3. Any high smoke point oil will work. I prefer avocado oil for this kind of cooking, but peanut oil, canola oil or coconut oil also work well.
4. The chicken must be cooked in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. We want the edges of the chicken to caramelize, and crowding the pan will cause the chicken to steam instead of fry.
5. Make sure the wok/pan is smoking hot before adding the chicken so it browns on the outside instead of steaming.
6. If the sauce is too thin, stir 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry to the chicken, stirring constantly, until the desired consistency is reached. The sauce should coat the chicken. Add more or less cornstarch slurry as necessary.
7. If you're using raw peanuts, toast them in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 400°F OR sauté them over medium in a pan with a teaspoon of oil for about 3-5 minutes, until the outsides are lightly browned.

Frequently asked questions

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