Kung Pao Chicken (宮保雞丁) - Oh My Food Recipes

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Colorful and flavorful Chinese kung pao chicken or gong bao chicken (宮保雞丁) is one of the popular dishes like orange chicken, sweet & sour pork, zucchini mushroom chicken and mapo tofu among American Chinese restaurants. This kung pao chicken recipe is easy, quick and has simple ingredients. Also, it can be done in 20 minutes and great to serve with jasmine rice. Let's learn how to make Chinese kung pao chicken for your meals or gatherings with step by step photos and a video!

Love Chinese cuisine? Check out these Chinese eggplant & pork, beef broccoli, pan fried buns, salt & pepper squid, cashew shrimp, steamed minced pork, mushrooms chicken and sweet potato leaves stir fry recipes!

Chinese Kung pao chicken dish with a spoon

What is kung pao chicken (宮保雞丁)?

Kung pao chicken or gong bao chicken (宮保雞丁) is a popular Chinese dish that originated from the Sichuan province of China like mapo tofu and mouth watering chicken. This dish is known for its combination of tender chicken pieces, crunchy peanuts, flavorful and slightly spicy taste.

Kung pao chicken is a stir fry dish. It allows the flavors to meld together with the chicken and vegetables. Often, it is served with steamed rice. Different regions and area people make gong bao chicken slightly different because of the ingredients available and taste preferences. Some like it very spicy and some just like mild spicy.

What does kung pao chicken flavor or taste like?

Kung pao chicken is a flavorful and savory dish with a well-balanced taste. The chicken marinated stir fry until it's tender and juicy. Then, it absorbs the flavors from the sauce and other ingredients and provides a savory and meaty taste.

Also, gong bao chicken is mild to moderate spicy. The heat comes from the dried red chili peppers. It depends on personal preference and the amount of chili peppers used. Besides, roasted peanuts add a pleasant crunch and a rich nutty flavor that goes well with the other ingredients.

What are the ingredients for gong bao chicken?

In this Chinese kung pao chicken recipe, I keep it simple and the main ingredients are zucchini, chicken, peanuts, chili peppers and green onion.

Kung pao chicken or Gong bao chicken ingredients

Kung pao sauce:

In this kung pao chicken recipe, I used soy sauce, oyster sauce, water, sugar and cornstarch for the sauce. If you want a darker color, you can add some dark soy sauce.

How spicy is this Chinese kung pao chicken recipe?

This kung pao chicken recipe is medium hot because I only use 4 dried chili peppers. I don't want the spiciness to overpower the taste. However, I like to have some spicy kick for this dish. You can add more and less dried chili peppers according to your taste and spicy level. When you cut up the chili peppers, it's a little spicy. Therefore, try to soak it or remove as many seeds as possible. I suggest using 1-2 pieces of dried red chili peppers, if you can't handle spicy.

You will love this easy kung pao chicken recipe:

Panda Express is a popular American Chinese fast-food restaurant chain in America. Their Kung Pao Chicken is one of their signature dishes besides orange chicken and has become a favorite among many customers. This homemade Chinese kung pao chicken recipe is just like the Panda Express one because zucchini squash is used.

What kind of red peppers do you use?

I used dried red chili peppers. You can use dried szechuan chili peppers or japones. Try to soak it and remove the seeds, so it won’t be so spicy. Also, you can adjust the amount of chili peppers according to your taste.

What should I serve with gong bao chicken?

Delicious and flavorful kung pao chicken dish pairs well with a variety of side dishes. Steamed white rice is a classic and popular choice because the plain rice helps balance the spiciness of the chicken and soaks up the flavorful sauce. Also, you can serve with fried rice, noodles, stir fry vegetables and hot and sour soup.

Cooking tips for how to cook gong bao chicken:

Marinated chicken thighs for at least 15 minutes before cooking.
Cut 4 dried red chili peppers depending how spicy you want. Remember to remove as many seeds as possible. If you can't handle spicy, try to use 1-2 pieces of dried red chili peppers.
Stir the sauce mixture very well before pouring into the pan with chicken and zucchini.

FAQs:

Can I use other nuts to substitute for peanuts?

Traditionally this dish uses peanuts. If you have peanut allergies, you can use pine nuts or cashews instead.

Can I use chicken breast instead?

Yes, you can use chicken breast. But, the texture will not taste as good as thighs. Also, it cooks faster than thighs, so don’t over cook it.

How long will leftovers keep well?

You can refrigerate the leftovers and it can last for 3 to 4 days.

Instructions for how to make Chinese kung pao chicken (宮保雞丁):

Preparation:

Cut and dice 1 medium small sized zucchini.

2. Mince 4 cloves of garlic and set it aside.

3. Cut 2 sticks of green onion and set it aside.

4. The following, cut 4 pieces of dried red chili peppers. (You can use 2-3 pieces of chili pepper if you can't handle spicy food. Also, try to remove as many seeds as possible.)

5. After that, cut 2 pieces of boneless and skinless chicken thighs into dice.

Marinade chicken:

6. To marinate the chicken, add ½ tablespoon of sesame oil, ⅛ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of cooking rice wine. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes before cooking.

Sauce:

7. At the same time, in a small container, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons of water, ½ teaspoon of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. Then, mix it well.