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Kung Pao Chicken Stir Fry

Here's how you make Kung Pao Chicken Stir Fry
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  • Servings: 4
  • Prep: 30m
  • Cook: 20m
    • The following recipe serves 4 people.

Ingredients

The ingredients are:
  • Chicken and Sauce
  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, kosher
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese black or rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or chile-garlic paste
  • Stir-Fry
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 medium bell peppers, large dice
  • 2 celery stalks, medium, thinly sliced on a slight diagonal
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, fresh, peeled and minced (from a 1-inch piece)
  • 1/2 cup peanuts, roasted
  • 2 scallions, medium, thinly sliced (optional)
  • Steamed rice, for serving (optional)
We recommend you get your ingredients ready before you start cooking. Once you're ready, here are the steps to making this delicious recipe

How to Make

  • Marinate the Chicken

  • Step 1: Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Place the tamari or soy sauce, wine or sherry, cornstarch, sesame oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the mixture over the chicken and toss to combine; set the chicken aside.

  • Make the Sauce

  • Step 2: Add the vinegar, sugar, and sambal to the remaining marinade and whisk until the sugar is dissolved; set this sauce aside.

  • Step 3: Stir-fry the vegetables and aromatics. Heat a flat-bottomed wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat until very hot (a flick of water should sizzle and evaporate right away), about 2 minutes. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the oil, add the bell peppers and celery, and season with salt. Stir-fry with a metal spatula until crisp-tender and browned in spots, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate.

  • Stir-fry the Chicken

  • Step 4: Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil into the pan. Add the chicken and spread into an even layer. Let cook undisturbed until golden-brown and seared on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir-fry until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more.

  • Step 5: Return the vegetables to the pan and stir-fry with the sauce. Add the reserved vegetables and peanuts to the pan. Re-whisk the reserved sauce to dissolve the cornstarch. Pour into the pan and stir-fry until the sauce thickens, is glossy, and evenly coats everything in the pan, about 1 minute more. Sprinkle with the scallions if using and serve immediately with rice.

  • Step 6: Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

We hope you enjoy this recipe!

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