Easy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe
This kung pao chicken recipe is quick, easy, and delicious! It’s the perfect weeknight meal. Kung pao chicken is a popular Chinese dish made with chicken, vegetables, and nuts in a spicy sauce. The dish is typically stir-fried and served with rice.
This kung pao chicken recipe is easy to make at home and just as delicious as takeout! The chicken is stir-fried with vegetables and nuts in a homemade spicy kung pao sauce. Serve it with white rice, brown rice, or noodles for a complete meal.
Let’s take a quick look at how to make this Americanized version of the classic Chinese chicken dish at home.
Ingredients
You should be able to find all of these staple ingredients at your local grocery store.
Kung Pao Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce or tamari
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons red chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon corn starch
Chicken Marinade
- 1 ¾ pounds skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or peanut oil
Stir Fry Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or peanut oil
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into cubes
- 1 large green bell pepper, cut into cubes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup cashews or roasted peanuts
- ¼ cup sliced green onions
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Start by making the Kung Pao Sauce. Whisk together soy sauce, chicken broth, honey, garlic, chili flakes, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Marinate the chicken. In a medium bowl, coat the chicken with soy sauce, baking soda, cornstarch, and oil. Set the chicken mixture aside for 5 minutes. Once the time is up, heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat and cook the chicken until it is no longer pink and cooked all the way through.
3. Add the bell peppers and garlic to the skillet and cook for another 2 minutes. Add nuts and green onions and combine it all together. Stir in the Kung Pao Sauce. Cook until the sauce has thickened.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat and serve over a bed of rice or along with noodles.
Kitchen Notes
Feel free to add other veggies to the stir-fry. Others that work well are:
- Broccoli
- Carrot
- Bok choy
- Onion
- Sweet corn
To add more depth to the flavor of the dish, substitute sesame oil for vegetable oil.
If you are on a low-carb or keto diet, serve this dish with cauliflower rice. This Kung Pao Chicken has only 18 grams of carbs + 3 grams of fiber per serving!
If you like Asian food, be sure to check out my Thai chicken stir-fry recipe and Kung Pao Shrimp recipe.
Kung Pao Chicken
Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
Kung Pao Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce or tamari
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons red chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon corn starch
Chicken Marinade
- 1 ¾ pounds skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or peanut oil
Stir Fry Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or peanut oil
- 1 large red bell pepper cut into cubes
- 1 large green bell pepper cut into cubes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup cashews or roasted peanuts
- ¼ cup green onions sliced
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by making the Kung Pao Sauce. Whisk together soy sauce, chicken broth, honey, garlic, chili flakes, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Marinate the chicken. In a medium bowl, coat the chicken with soy sauce, baking soda, cornstarch, and oil. Set the chicken mixture aside for 5 minutes. Once the time is up, heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat and cook the chicken until it is no longer pink and cooked all the way through.
- Add the bell peppers and garlic to the skillet and cook for another 2 minutes. Add nuts and the green onions and combine it all together. Stir in the Kung Pao Sauce. Cook until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and serve over a bed of rice or along with noodles.
Nutrition
How to Store Leftovers
Allow the dish to cool completely. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Be sure to come back and tell us how your Kung Pao Chicken turned out!
