Kung Pao Chicken
This is a popular Chinese restaurant dish of stir-fried chicken, peanuts and vegetables. It’s traditionally made with specialty ingredients, like Sichuan peppercorns, Chinese black vinegar, Chinese rice wine, and whole dried red chilies. This Americanized version replaces those hard-to-find-ingredients with staples from your neighborhood supermarket. It has all the same spicy, sweet, and sour appeal of traditional Kung Pao chicken, and makes it a really nice weeknight dinner with a side of rice.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE MARINADE
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 teaspoons corn starch
1½ lb chicken tenderloins, cut into 1-in pieces
FOR THE SAUCE
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon Asian/toasted sesame oil
1½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (use half the amount for a milder sauce)
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
⅓ cup water
FOR THE STIR-FRY
2½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped
5 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
⅓ cup whole roasted unsalted peanuts or cashews
INSTRUCTIONS
Marinade the chicken: In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, dry sherry, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved.
Add the chicken and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the sauce: In another medium bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until the cornstarch is dissolved (it can stick to the bottom of the bowl so be sure to scrape it up).
Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot.
Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat.
Add the bell pepper, celery, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and set aside.
Add an additional ½ tablespoon of oil to the pan and set over high heat.
Add half of the chicken (it’s important not to crowd the pan) and brown on one side, about 1½ minutes.
Turn the chicken pieces and continue cooking for about 1½ minutes more, or until the chicken is just cooked through.
Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the peppers and celery.
Add another ½ tablespoon of oil to the pan.
Add the remaining chicken and cook until golden on one side, about 1½ minutes.
Turn the chicken pieces over and cook for 1 minute.
Add ½ tablespoon more oil to the pan, along with the garlic and scallions, and cook, stirring with the chicken, for about 30 seconds more.
Add the reserved vegetables and reserved chicken to the pan, along with the sauce.
Reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken and vegetables are warmed through and the sauce is thickened, about 30 seconds. Stir in the nuts. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve.
Enjoy!
Note: I took the liberty of adding peas.
Thank you for trying this recipe. Please let me know how you liked it.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please take a look at other recipes on my fast, simple and good chicken page.
Kung Pao Chicken