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Kung Pao Chicken - Homemade Gourmet Takeaway

Kung Pao Chicken, a takeout favorite, is far better when made at home with love and care and actually far easier to make than you would think.
Course Main
Cuisine Chinese
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 3 -4
Author Johan Johansen

Ingredients

  • 500 grams chicken thighs cut into chunks
  • 8-10 dried red chilies
  • 50 grams unsalted peanuts
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 3 spring onions
  • 1 large red bell pepper

Marinade:

  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Rice Wine
  • 3 grinds of black pepper

Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar can substitute rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons flavorful chicken stock
  • 2 teaspoons cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch

Instructions

Marinate chicken:

  1. Mix all ingredients for marinade and pour over chicken chunks, toss thoroughly to coat.
  2. Let marinate at room temperature for 20-30 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

Prep ingredients:

  1. Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a suitable bowl and stir vigorously to combine.
  2. Core the bell pepper and cut into large chunks, roughly 1 x 1 centimeter.
  3. Chop the whites of the spring onions finely, cut the greens into roughly half centimeter strips.
  4. Grate ginger finely on a microplane grater.
  5. Mince garlic finely.

Fry it up:

  1. Heat a wok or large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add two tablespoons of peanut or sunflower oil.
  3. Add peanuts and fry for about 2 minutes tossing constantly. Be careful as they will burn quite easily.
  4. Remove the peanuts from the wok with a slotted spoon, keeping as much of the oil in the wok as you can.
  5. Turn heat to high and add the dried chilies.
  6. Stir fry chilies for about a minute, making sure to keep them moving constantly. Chilies may scorch a little during the process, this is okay as it adds an enjoyable scorched note to the dish.
  7. After about a minute, remove the chilies from the pot using a slotted spoon, taking care again to reserve the now very flavorful oil in the wok.
  8. Now add the chicken and stir fry for a few minutes on high heat, until well caramelized.
  9. Remove chicken from wok using slotted spoon, add a little more oil if needed and turn heat down to medium.
  10. Add bell pepper and stir fry for a minute, keeping them moving as always.
  11. Add spring onion whites and fry for another minute.
  12. Add garlic and ginger and fry for 3o seconds.
  13. Add chicken, chilies and peanuts back into the pot.
  14. Stir thoroughly to combine.
  15. Add the sauce along with any reserved marinade and stir vigorously to combine.
  16. Fry for about a minute until heated through and sauce has slightly thickened.
  17. Remove wok from the heat and serve immediately over rice.