Spicy Kung Pao Chicken

bowl of chicken and chilies with peanuts over rice

5 from 11 votes

This spicy king pao chicken is made with dried chilies, tongue numbing Sichuan peppercorns and crunchy peanuts in a sweet and savory sauce.

Prep Time35

Cook Time10

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: servings

Calories: 269kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut in 1" pieces
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon ground sichuan peppercorns
8 dried chilies roughly chopped
¾ cup roasted peanuts
1 cup chopped green onions

Marinade:

1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)

Sauce:

2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon black vinegar
2 garlic cloves minced

Instructions

Combine the marinade ingredients and add the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour up to 4 hours.
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine.
Drain the excess marinade from the chicken and heat a wok or large cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the cooking oil.
Add the chicken in 3 separate batches (see notes) and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until browned on the outside and cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the pan and cook the next batches the same. Set the chicken aside and turn the heat down to medium.
Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan and add the Sichuan peppercorns, dried chilies and peanuts and fry for 1 minute, tossing regularly.
Add the green onions and chicken back to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the sauce and toss until everything is coated and sauce has thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately with steamed white rice.

Notes

Be sure to make the sauce before you start to stir fry.
If you're using whole fresh Sichuan peppercorns, you can either add them whole (perfectly acceptable), or you can use a mortar and pestle to grind them.
Any high smoke point oil will work. I prefer canola or vegetable oil for this kind of cooking, but peanut oil, avocado oil or coconut oil also work well.
The chicken must be cooked in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. We want the edges of the chicken to caramelize, and crowding the pan will cause the chicken to steam instead of fry.
If the sauce is too thin, stir 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry to the chicken, stirring constantly, until the desired consistency is reached. The sauce should coat the chicken. Add more or less cornstarch slurry as necessary.
Sprinkle the chicken with additional ground Sichuan peppercorns or this homemade Chili Oil.
If you're using raw peanuts, toast them in the oven for 5-10 minutes on 400F OR saute them over medium in a pan with a teaspoon of oil for about 5 minutes, until the outsides are lightly browned.
Add additional dried chilies for extra spice.
Add vegetables like diced red peppers, onions, green pepper, water chestnuts, zucchini or broccoli. Add the vegetables to the wok after the chicken has cooked and cook for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Remove and continue with the rest of the instructions. Add the vegetables back in with the chicken at the end.

Nutrition