This Kung Pao Chicken is spicy, sour, sweet and salty and everything we love about Indo-Chinese food! It’s easy, comes together quickly, has the same takeout style flavor, and makes for the best weeknight meal.
If there’s one takeaway dish I never get tired of, it’s Kung Pao Chicken. I love how it comes together in under an hour with simple pantry ingredients, yet tastes like something you’d order from your favourite Chinese restaurant. It’s saucy, packed with flavour, and one of those recipes that disappears from the dinner table every single time. We are talking BIG flavours here!
In the authentic Chinese version, Kung Pao or Kung Bo is usually a dry stir fry served as an appetiser or accompaniment. But we made an Indianised version, so it’s got more sauce, mushrooms and peanuts. I promise, it’s just as good!
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Kung Pao Chicken Ingredients
- Red Chilli Paste: Dry red chilli paste is just what this kung pao stir fry needs for a hit of spice. It’s a simple blend of soaked dry red chillies and water. I’ve used the seeds of the chillies in the sauce for extra heat. If you want to reduce the heat level, just remove the seeds of the chillies before blending.
- Kung Pao Sauce: This Chinese spicy chicken has a spicy sweet salty gravy which is dangerously addictive. The sauce is a perfect balance of soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, ketchup, sesame oil and lemon juice.
- Dried Red Chillies – For an extra spicy, smoky hit.
- Sichuan Peppercorns: These keep you coming back for more!
- Chicken: Boneless thigh pieces stay juicy and tender through the high cooking temperatures of Indo-Chinese cooking.
- Corn flour: Used in the marinade as well as the sauce. It helps to make crisp up the chicken pieces as well thicken the sauce and lend a glossy sheen.
- Veggies: Mushrooms and onions for texture and flavor
- Aromatics: Finely chopped ginger and garlic
- Peanuts: Roasted for extra texture and a lovely nutty flavor. You can replace peanuts with cashews for a slightly different flavor.
- Spring onion greens: Used as garnish for freshness
Frequently Asked Questions
Kung pao chicken is mildly sweet, sour, savory, and has a signature spicy kick from Sichuan peppercorns. Basically, it’s like a party in your mouth and totally addictive!
Yes. Chicken breast works well, but it cooks faster and can dry out more easily. Keep an eye on the cooking time and avoid overcooking.
A small amount of baking soda helps tenderise the chicken, giving it the soft, velvety texture that’s common in restaurant-style stir-fries.
Yes. Bell peppers, broccoli, baby corn, zucchini and snap peas all work well. Stir-fry them on high heat so they stay crisp.
Richa’s Top Tips
- Adjust the spice to suit your tolerance. I’ve made this kung pow chicken extra spicy coz that’s how I roll, but you can adjust spice levels according to your preference!
- Don’t skip the marinade. Even 30 minutes makes a noticeable difference. The baking soda helps tenderise the chicken, while the cornflour creates a light coating that gives the sauce something to cling to.
- Cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces. This ensures everything cooks at the same rate, which is very important for the quick cook times of Indo-Chinese cuisine.
- Fry the chicken in batches. If you’re making a large batch, then it’s best to cook the chicken in smaller batches. Overcrowding the wok lowers the oil temperature, causing the chicken to steam instead of turning golden.
- Keep the heat high while stir-frying. High heat cooks the vegetables quickly so they stay crisp and helps the sauce reduce into a glossy coating instead of becoming watery.
- Have everything prepped before you start. Everything moves really quickly once you start cooking. So keeping everything ready before you start ensures a smoother cooking process.
- Make it vegetarian or vegan by swapping chicken with paneer or tofu respectively. You can check out my kung pao tofu recipe here.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Warm in a hot pan for a few minutes until heated through. Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much. You can also microwave it in short bursts, stirring halfway through.
- Freeze: Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The mushrooms will soften slightly after freezing, but the flavour will still be great.
- Make ahead: You can marinate the chicken and prepare the sauce a day in advance. Store both separately in the refrigerator and stir-fry just before serving.
Serving Ideas for Kung Pao Chicken
- Steamed jasmine rice: The classic pairing. The fluffy rice soaks up all the delicious sauce and balances the bold flavours of the stir-fry. You can also serve with plain steamed rice for an equally delicious meal.
- Fried rice or noodles: Egg fried rice, hakka noodles, chilli garlic noodles, basil fried rice are some classic Indo-Chinese sides that really complement the sweet, savory spicy notes of kung pao chicken.
- Stir-fried greens: Serve alongside bok choy, Chinese greens, broccoli or green beans for an easy way to add more vegetables to the meal.
- Asian-inspired sides: Pair it with spring rolls, momos, bao, or a light cucumber salad for a complete takeout-style spread.
- Lettuce wraps: Spoon the chicken into crisp iceberg or butter lettuce leaves for a lighter meal or appetiser.
Garnish Kung Pao Chicken with chopped spring onions and serve with steamed rice or noodles!
This kung pao chicken recipe is so easy, delicious, and addictive that I’ll be you won’t be able to stop making it. We make it nearly every other week, and we’re still not bored. It’s quick, flavour-packed, and one of the BEST Indo-Chinese dishes you can make at home.
If you try this recipe, DM me pictures over on my IG or tag me in your stories at @my_foodstory.
Watch Kung Pao Chicken Recipe Video
Saucy Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients
For marinade
- 500 gms boneless chicken thighs cut into ½ inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons cornflour cornstarch
- 3-4 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon crushed pepper
For sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornflour
- ¾ + ⅛ cup water
For stir-fry
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil or any neutral flavoured oil divided
- 10 dried red chillies whole
- 1 large onion cut into petals, approx. 1 cup
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
- 10 mushrooms halved
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts
- ¾ teaspoon white pepper powder
- ¼ cup cut spring onion greens 1 inch pieces
Instructions
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In a large bowl add all the ingredients listed under marinade, mix well to combine all the ingredients. Set aside for 30 minutes to an hour.500 gms boneless chicken thighs, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 3 tablespoons cornflour, 3-4 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon crushed pepper
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Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.1 ½ tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 ½ tablespoons dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 ½ teaspoons cornflour, ¾ + ⅛ cup water
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Heat oil in a wok or kadai. Once the oil is hot, add chicken pieces and fry for 3 – 4 minutes, turning once or twice till golden brown. Do not over crowd the wok as the chicken pieces tend to stick together. Fry them in batches and set aside.3 tablespoons sunflower oil or any neutral flavoured oil
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To the same wok, add onion petals, red chillies and saute on high for a few seconds till fragrant. Add garlic, ginger and saute on high for a few seconds, add mushrooms and stir fry on high heat for 1-2 minutes and add the fried chicken. Toss for 2 minutes till the chicken absorbs the flavours. Add the sauce, white pepper and toss well on high heat till the sauce coats the chicken. Stir fry for a minute or two and take off the heat. Top with spring onions and serve.10 dried red chillies, 1 large onion, 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger, 10 mushrooms, ¼ cup roasted peanuts, ¾ teaspoon white pepper powder, ¼ cup cut spring onion greens
Video
Notes
- Keep all ingredients chopped and ready before starting the stir fry process as it has to happen quickly and on high heat.
- To make onion petals cut onions into 3/4 inch wide slices, separate each layer of onion to form petals.
- Boneless chicken thighs are used in the recipe as they are juicy and tender
Nutrition
This article was researched and written by Urvi Dalal.
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