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(19)

Kung Pao Chicken

Serves:6 Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 20 min Calories:405

DAIRY-FREE GLUTEN FREE

LOW-CARB 30 MINUTES

KID FRIENDLY ONE POT

JUMP TO RECIPE

Our Kung Pao chicken recipe

swaps in cashews for the
traditional peanuts, and gets extra
balance from some added
veggies. All the spicy Kung Pao
goodness that you crave, no day-
after regrets.

What is Kung Pao

Chicken
Kung Pao chicken is so popular here in the
U.S., it’d be tempting to assume that it’s a
Chinese-American dish, but in fact this
spicy Chinese chicken stir-fry is an
authentic Sichuan dish. Preparations vary
widely, but some version of this dish has
existed since at least the late 19th century.
At its core, Kung Pao chicken is a simple
dish of chicken breast, cut up and stir-fried
in “Kung Pao sauce”, primarily flavored with
soy sauce, vinegar and a bit of sugar.

00:20 / 01:00

What's in Kung Pao

Chicken?
In Sichuan province—and in many Chinese
restaurants here in America—this simple
chicken stir-fry would get its unique and
powerful spicy heat from a handful of
Sichuan (also spelled Szechuan)
peppercorns. We’re calling for dried chilies
instead, because they’re easier to find. Not
only did we want our version of Kung Pao
chicken to be easy, we also wanted to opt
for healthy Kung Pao chicken ingredients
when possible. A little less oil that they’d
use in a restaurant (actually, probably a
LOT less) and a few extra veggies. Here’s
what’s in our Kung Pao chicken recipe:

Boneless skinless chicken breast

Soy sauce (or tamari)

Vinegar (rice vinegar or sherry vinegar)

Cornstarch

Granulated sugar

Toasted sesame oil

Red & green bell peppers

Green onions

Cashews

Dried red chili peppers

Fresh garlic & ginger

How to Make Kung Pao

Chicken
Some Kung Pao chicken recipes require
you to marinate the chicken in the Kung
Pao sauce before stir-frying, but we
wanted this easy Kung Pao chicken recipe
to be one that you can turn to on even the
busiest weeknight, so we skipped that step
and found that the resulting dish was no
less tasty. Here’s how to make our quick,
easy Kung Pao chicken stir-fry:

1. Make the Kung Pao sauce: mix the soy

sauce, vinegar and sugar in a bowl.
(yeah, it’s that simple.)

2. Prep the chicken! Cut the boneless,

skinless chicken breast into uniform
strips. This is a little easier to do if your
chicken is slightly frozen. Then, toss it in
a little soy sauce and cornstarch to coat.

3. Cook the chicken until crispy! Working

in batches so as not to overcrowd the
pan, stir-fry the chicken pieces in
sesame oil until they're cooked through
and gorgeously crispy.

4. Stir-fry! Stir-fry the bell peppers until

they're a little soft. Then add the
scallions, cashews, ginger, garlic, and
dried chili peppers. Stir fry all of that for
a minute or two, and then stir in the
Kung Pao sauce and cooked chicken.

5. Simmer. Let all of the flavors meld over

the heat for a few more minutes. The
Kung Pao sauce will thicken slightly and
really coat the veggies and chicken,
which is what you want.

6. Serve! We love to serve this over

steaming bowls of white or brown rice.

Tools You’ll Need:

A big, sturdy skillet or a wok if you’ve
got it.

A good spoon for stir-frying.

Bowls for mixing.

Cutting board.

Sharp knife.

Other Take-Out Copycat

Recipes!
Yeah, getting take-out is pretty easy. But
staying home and cooking in your PJs is
even easier.

Chinese Dry-Fried Green Beans (P.S.

these could be delicious served with
this Kung Pao chicken).

Indian Butter Chicken

Garlic Shrimp Stir-Fry

Crispy Chicken Stir-Fry

New Favorite?
Quick, easy, and saves time and money—
we hope you’re as into this Kung Pao
recipe as we are! Snap a photo of your stir-
fried Kung Pao chicken and tag us on
Instagram using @themodernproperand
#themodernproper so we can celebrate
your cooking victories! Happy eating!

(19)

Kung Pao Chicken

Originally published: September 22, 2019

Serves:6 Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 20 min Calories:405

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Ingredients

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast,

thinly sliced (about 3 chicken breasts)

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce (or tamari)

2 tbsp cornstarch

3 tbsp sesame oil

1 red bell pepper, cubed

1 green bell pepper, cubed

1 bunch green onions, white and green

parts, cut into 3" pieces

1/2 cup cashews (or peanuts)

10 dried red chili peppers, cut in half to

release their heat

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced or grated

cooked rice for serving, optional

Kung Pao Sauce

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce (or tamari)

1/3 cup rice vinegar (or sherry vinegar)

2 tbsp sugar

Method

1. Make the Kung Pao sauce: combine

1/4 cup of soy sauce, rice or sherry
vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Stir to
combine and set aside.

2. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of soy

sauce or (tamari) with cornstarch in a
large bowl and whisk until the mixture
is smooth and uniform. Toss chicken
breast pieces in the soy sauce-
cornstarch mixture to coat and set
aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil

over high heat. Working in batches so
as not to overcrowd the pan, stir-fry
the chicken pieces until lightly
browned and cooked through—about
3-4 minutes total. Remove the chicken
from the pan and set it aside.

4. Once all of the chicken is cooked, use

the same skillet to finish the dish. Heat
one tablespoon of sesame oil over
medium heat. When the pan is hot,
stir-fry the bell peppers for about four
minutes, until they begin to soften.
Add the green onions, cashews,
ginger, garlic, and dried chili peppers.
Stir-fry the vegetables for 2 minutes
before adding the Kung Pao sauce
and the cooked chicken breast. Bring
the pan to a simmer, and cook until
the sauce has thickened— about 2
minutes. Serve over white or brown
rice. Enjoy!

This recipe is dairy-free, kid-friendly and

comes together in 30 minutes or less!

Nutrition Info
Per Serving Amount

Calories 405
Protein 39 g

Carbohydrates 18 g

Total Fat 16 g

Dietary Fiber 2g

Cholesterol 87 mg

sodium 818 mg

Total Sugars 9g

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Kung Pao Chicken

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QUESTIONS 8 REVIEWS 19 Avg: 4.9

JAMES R DELANEY

Shouldn't this recipe include

Szechuan peppercorns for authentic
Kung Pao?

We don't include them in o ur

recipe but you can definitely add
them in if you prefer! Hope you
enjoy James!

×
ANNA AKOPYAN