This Kung Pao Chicken is quick and easy to make from scratch at home. This chicken stir fry with peppers and spicy sauce is so much better than takeout!
I serve this dish with my fluffy rice, just like my Hibachi Chicken or the Teriyaki Chicken.
You can tell just by looking at the photos of this dish, that there is a lot of flavor and spice in the pan! This homemade version of Kung Pao Chicken is a must-try recipe for stir fry fans. Easy, quick and packed with flavor, this dish can easily be made ahead of time. If you enjoy cooking Chinese takeout at home, you will love this recipe!
Ingredients:
- chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breast but chicken thighs work great too
- oil: I used vegetable oil
- bell peppers: I used green and red
- dried chili peppers: I used mild; cut the ends off and shake out the seeds if you want the dish less spicy
- garlic: important aromatic
- ginger: highly recommended fresh but you can also use ground ginger; just add it to the sauce mixture
- brown sugar: to sweeten the dish and balance the spiciness; you can use honey too
- soy sauce: there is no Asian sauce without it; I always use reduced-sodium kind
- cornstarch: perfect thickener for sauces
- sambal chili sauce: for spice
- rice vinegar: important in almost every Asian dish
- peanuts: for garnish
Where to find dried chili peppers? Do I need them?
If you can't find these peppers in the Asian section of your grocery store, you can search Amazon. I ordered a big bag of mild peppers. They are delicious! You can add them to any stir fry dish!
I highly recommend them in this dish but if you can't use them, just go with bell peppers and maybe add crushed red pepper flakes.
How to make Kung Pao Chicken?
- Start by cutting the chicken into bite-size pieces. Add vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch. Stir to coat.
- Heat up oil in a large pan.
- Cook chicken until no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside.
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- Add peppers, ginger, and garlic to the pan. Saute until fragrant and softened about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Return chicken to pan. Pour sauce over everything and stir. Cook until thickened. Add water if the sauce is too thick to your likings.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Absolutely! This dish is perfect made ahead and stores well for up to 4 days, in the fridge. It's perfect for meal prep!
How to serve Kung Pao Chicken?
I always serve it with rice but noodles work great too! You can also fill lettuce leaves with the chicken mixture.
Best tips:
- Stir-fries cook very quickly so it is helpful to get all of the ingredients ready and near your cooking space. Chop veggies and the chicken. Stir sauce ingredients and set aside.
- When cooking chicken, the pan has to be hot or the chicken will boil in its juices instead of browning.
- Cut the ends of the dried chili peppers and shake out the seeds, if you want your dish less spicy.
- I like the peppers to still be crisp-tender, so I only cook them for a few minutes. You can cook them longer if you prefer them softer.
More Asian dinner recipes:
- Firecracker Chicken
- Orange Chicken
- P.F. Chang's Copycat Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Korean Chicken
- Black Pepper Chicken
For more recipes like this one, feel free to browse our Asian category.
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment!
Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients
for the chicken:
- 1 ½ lbs chicken breast boneless skinless
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce reduced-sodium
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
for the stir fry:
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 8 to 10 dried chili peppers
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 4 tablespoons chopped peanuts
for the sauce:
- ¼ cup soy sauce I used reduced-sodium
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sambal sauce
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Place it in a bowl and add vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch. Stir to coat.
- Heat up oil in a large pan, over medium heat. The pan has to be hot or otherwise, you will be boiling the chicken in its juices and browning it.
- Add chicken to pan and cook until no longer pink. Stir often. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add peppers, ginger, and garlic to the pan. Saute until fragrant and slightly softened about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Return chicken to pan. Pour sauce over everything and stir. Cook until thickened. Add water if the sauce is too thick to your likings.
- Serve over rice or noodles.
Notes
- Stir-fries cook very quickly so it is helpful to get all of the ingredients ready and near your cooking space. Chop veggies and the chicken. Stir sauce ingredients and set aside.
- I always serve it with rice but noodles work great too! You can also fill lettuce leaves with the chicken mixture.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Jola says
Definitely one of the best recipes for quick chicken. The balance of flavours is perfect.
Matt Taylor says
Gotta love Kung pao chicken! This recipe is amazing and super easy to make. Love it!
Sara Welch says
Tried this for dinner last night and it didn't disappoint! Easily, a new family favorite recipe; it was delicious!
Anna says
That's fantastic! Thank you, Sara!