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Home Asian Recipes

Kung Pao Chicken

By:Nagi
Published:15 Oct '18Updated:28 Sep '21
216 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Take out style Kung Pao Chicken with marinated chicken, the signature sweet-sour-salty Kung Pao sauce with the addictive tingling heat from sichuan pepper.

It’s an explosion of big, BIG flavours – and it’s a really quick and easy recipe.

Close up of Kung Pao Chicken with Kung Pao Sauce, fresh off the stove

Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken is a Chinese takeout favourite that is mouthwateringly good and highly addictive – so it’s a good thing it’s easy to make at home so we don’t need to order takeout every time we crave it!! We love the strong flavoured sweet-sour-savoury sauce with the signature tingle of numbing heat from the Sichuan pepper!

If you’re wondering whether Kung Pao Chicken is authentic Chinese, the dish as we know it outside of China is a slightly westernised version of an authentic Chinese Sichuan dish.

Traditionally in China, Kung Pao Chicken is a dry stir fry. Which means, unlike 99% of other Asian stir fries on my site like Chop Suey and Cashew Chicken, it’s not swimming in loads of sauce.

But with Kung Pao Chicken, the sauce is very intense flavoured so you don’t need loads of it. When it mixes in with the rice, just a bit of sauce goes a long way.

Kung Pao Chicken served over rice, ready to be eaten

What goes in Kung Pao Chicken

Most of these ingredients are pretty mainstream Asian cooking ingredients. I’ve provided substitutes for the Chinese cooking wine in the recipe.

The ingredients I describe in a little more detail below are:

  • Sichuan pepper

  • Chinese vinegar

  • Dried chillies

I like to use chicken thigh because it’s juicier than breast and tenderloin. If I make this with chicken breast, I always tenderise it using a Chinese restaurant technique using baking soda (bi-carb). It’s super simple, see directions here: How to Velvet Chicken.

Kung Pao Chicken ingredients

Sichuan Pepper

This is the ingredient in Kung Pao sauce that makes it Kung Pao and not just any type of stir fry sauce. I describe it as a little bit lemony with a numbing spiciness, rather than hot spiciness like almost every other chilli.

I used to use whole peppercorns but nowadays I tend to use pre ground both for the convenience and also because it’s finely ground. In contrast, if you grind your own, there tends to be little gritty bits in it – albeit the flavour is a bit better.

Best substitute for Sichuan pepper is white pepper.

Dried Chillies

Not all dried chillies are created equal and in fact, the same type of chillies can vary in spiciness throughout the year. So for dried chillies, always taste them and make a judgement call on how much you can handle! Most of the heat is in the seeds which are removed.

If you really don’t think you can handle any chilli at all, use them when cooking but don’t eat them. The chillies add flavour to to sauce so don’t skip them.

Dried Chillies for Kung Pao Chicken

What does Kung Pao Sauce taste like?

Kung Pao sauce has a strong flavour that is sweet, sour, savoury and with the signature tingle of heat from Sichuan pepper. It’s glossy and thickened with cornstarch / cornflour, and because it has such a strong flavour, this stir fry has less sauce than other Chinese favourites like Cashew Chicken and Beef and Broccoli.

Here’s what goes in Kung Pao Sauce:

  • Sichuan Pepper – described above

  • Chinese Black Vinegar – described below

  • Cornstarch / cornflour – to thicken the sauce
  •  – subs available
  • Soy sauce, sugar and water

Chinese Black Vinegar

Looks like balsamic vinegar and, surprisingly, tastes vaguely like it. Available in Asian stores and costs only a couple of dollars for a big bottle. Be sure not to get Taiwanese or another Asian black vinegar (some taste completely different), make sure you get Chinese black vinegar (read the label!).

If you can’t find it, don’t worry, you can use rice wine vinegar, plain white vinegar or even balsamic vinegar. I’ve made Kung Pao Sauce so many times and tried it with each of these, and it’s actually quite similar.

Chinese black vinegar used for Kung Pao Chicken

Quick to cook

As with most stir fries, once you start cooking, things move quickly! It takes about 6 minutes to cook. So make sure you have all ingredients prepared and ready to toss in.

Key Tip: Cook the Kung Pao sauce down until it reduces to a syrupy consistency with quite an intense flavour. That’s the Kung Pao way!!

Preparation steps for Kung Pao Chicken

Phew! I don’t usually end up writing so much stuff about ingredients in a post! So I’m signing off here and handing over the recipe. Don’t forget the recipe video below! I think it’s especially useful to see the consistency of the sauce at the end – it should be thick and syrupy, and intense dark brown colour. Enjoy! – Nagi x


More Chinese takeout favourites

  • Chow Mein
  • General Tso’s Chicken

  • Sweet and Sour Pork

  • Crispy Honey Chicken

  • Cashew Chicken
  • Beef & Broccoli
  • Chop Suey (Chicken Stir Fry)
  • Spring Rolls
  • Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu)
  • See all Chinese recipes

Overhead photo of Kung Pao Chicken on a rustic white plate, ready to be served

Close up of Kung Pao Chicken fresh off the stove

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Close up of Kung Pao Chicken with Kung Pao Sauce, fresh off the stove

Kung Pao Chicken

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Dinner
Chinese
4.99 from 67 votes
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 196
Recipe video above. Kung Pao chicken - done right! The flavour of this sauce is very similar to proper restaurant versions, with a great balance of savoury-sweet and sour with the numbing tingle from Sichuan pepper. Use whole Sichuan peppercorns if you have them, otherwise ground is fine (which is what I use).

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 1 lb / 500g chicken thigh , cut into bite size pieces

Sauce

  • 2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 2)
  • 1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce (Note 3)
  • 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (Note 4)
  • 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Note 5)
  • 3 tbsp sugar , any
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/3 cup water

Stir Fry

  • 2 tbsp peanut oil (or other cooking oil)
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 tsp ginger , finely chopped
  • 6 - 10 dried chillies (adjust to taste), cut into 2cm/ 3/4" pieces, most seeds discarded (Note 7)
  • 3 green onions , cut into 2cm/ 3/4" pieces, white parts separated from green
  • 1.5 tsp ground sichuan peppercorns , adjust to taste (Note 6)
  • 3/4 cup whole peanuts (or 1/2 cup halved) , roasted unsalted

Instructions

Sauce & Marinade Chicken:

  • Mix cornflour and soy sauce in a small bowl until cornflour is dissolved. Then mix in remaining Sauce ingredients EXCEPT water.
  • Pour 1.5 tbsp Sauce over chicken. Toss to coat, set aside for 10 - 20 minutes.
  • Add water into remaining Sauce.

Stir Fry:

  • Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add garlic, ginger and chillies. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  • Add chicken, cook until it turns white, then add the white part of the green onions. Cook until chicken is cooked through - about 2 minutes.
  • Add Sauce and Sichuan pepper. Bring to simmer, mixing constantly, until almost all the sauce reduces to a thick syrup.
  • Just before the end, mix through peanuts and green part of the green onions. Also check spiciness - add more Sichuan pepper if you can handle the heat!
  • Serve immediately with rice - or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice!

Recipe Notes:

1. Chicken - I prefer making this with thigh because it's juicier, but it can be made with breast or tenderloin. If using breast, option to tenderise using the Chinese method so it's super tender and juicy like you get at Chinese restaurants - see How to tenderise chicken the Chinese way (Velveting)
2. Light Soy Sauce is saltier and lighter in colour than all purpose soy sauce (like Kikkoman). The bottle will have "light soy sauce" written on it. It's available in large supermarkets - e.g. Coles and Woolworths in Australia. It can be substituted with all purpose soy sauce - like Kikkoman.
3. Dark Soy Sauce is much darker in colour than Light Soy Sauce has has more flavour. The bottle has "dark soy sauce" written on the label. This is mainly to darken the colour of the sauce so if you don't have it, you can substitute with all purpose soy sauce or even with light soy sauce.
4. Chinese black vinegar for the sour is the authentic way of making it. It looks like balsamic vinegar, tastes like it too but with a slight savoury edge. It's available at Asian stores and some large supermarkets. Substitute with 1.5 tbsp of rice wine vinegar, or 1 tbsp white vinegar or even a mild balsamic vinegar (plain one).
Do not use Taiwanese black vinegar (which is also sold at some Asian grocery stores), it tastes like sour Worcestershire sauce and it changes the flavour of this recipe. Bottle label will say "made in Taiwan".
5. Chinese Cooking Wine is also called shaosing / shoaxing wine, see here for more information. It's the ingredient that makes recipes truly taste like what you get at Chinese restaurants.
Substitutions: dry sherry or mirin (if using mirin, skip the sugar) or Japanese cooking sake (rice wine). If you can't consume alcohol, then skip it but use chicken broth in place of water.
6. Sichuan peppercorns are not that spicy, they sort of make your mouth numb. In a pleasant way! I used to grind my own but nowadays I just buy ground. If you grind your own, toast them in a dry pan first then grind - it will have slightly better flavour but you get grittiness. 
Taste first for spiciness as I find that the spiciness varies. Add more at the end if you want more heat.
They can be purchased at Asian grocery stores, fruit & veg stores that stock spices and some supermarkets. In Australia, they can be purchased at Harris Farms. In America, I am told that sichuan pepper is sold at Wholefoods!
7. Dried chillies: I find that the spiciness of dried chillies drastically differs from brand to brand! So adjust this to taste. Cut off a tiny bit of the chilli and check how hot it is, then decide how many to use. I typically use 6 dried chillies that are around 6 - 7cm/ 2.5" long, deseeded.
8. Nutrition per serving, Kung Pao Chicken only assuming chicken thigh is used. 150 calories of this is attributable to the peanuts.
9. Republished recipe - This Kung Pao Chicken recipe was original posted in April 2016. Recipe has been slightly modified so there's a touch more sauce - by reader demand! 🙂

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 195gCalories: 555cal (28%)Carbohydrates: 18g (6%)Protein: 28g (56%)Fat: 41g (63%)Saturated Fat: 8g (50%)Cholesterol: 122mg (41%)Sodium: 604mg (26%)Potassium: 480mg (14%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 10g (11%)Vitamin A: 185IU (4%)Vitamin C: 2.1mg (3%)Calcium: 34mg (3%)Iron: 1.8mg (10%)
Keywords: Kung Pao Chicken
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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216 Comments

  1. alimak says

    February 6, 2023 at 6:41 pm

    5 stars
    What a difference decent Sichuan peppercorns make!!!
    The ‘usual’ stuff available here in NZ is rubbish so I ordered some from the Mala Market – never looking back; I could actually taste the lemony back flavour before my mouth went numb.
    Love it!!

    Reply
  2. Meg says

    October 5, 2022 at 2:08 pm

    5 stars
    I was so worried about this being too spicy – I like heat but my stomach does not. Only used 6 dried chillies with seeds removed, they were very hot when I tasted them so I thought that’d do. Went light on the sichuan (toasted & ground myself) initially also, only to add in the full amount plus more when it came to tasting. Loved that it had the flavour & heat without the burn that ruins the tastebuds. The numbing sensation of the sichuan was definitely there & the overall flavours were perfectly balanced. Served with steamed jasmine rice plus the supreme soy noods at my teens request. Only change to the recipe was I threw in some pink oyster mushrooms that I needed to use up & forgot to add the peanuts. Perfect amount of very tasty sauce!

    Reply
  3. Charles Pascual says

    August 15, 2022 at 9:44 pm

    5 stars
    Easy-to-follow recipe, quick to prepare and cook, easy clean-up, a delicious dish. Checks all the boxes – we’ll be making this again. Thanks, Nagi.

    Reply
  4. WM says

    May 3, 2022 at 9:38 am

    5 stars
    I used substitutions for Chinese Black Vinegar and Chinese Cooking Wine, no peppercorns and Chilli flakes and it came out super tasty and kid-friendly!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 3, 2022 at 10:10 pm

      Woo hoo!! Well done WM! N x

      Reply
  5. Courtney says

    May 2, 2022 at 11:12 pm

    5 stars
    This was great! I’ve never ordered or made this before, and I was so pleased with the result. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  6. Katy says

    February 28, 2022 at 12:14 pm

    Hi Nagi,
    I want to make this this week. What type of dried chilies did you use for this recipe? I want to make sure I get the right kind.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 28, 2022 at 6:04 pm

      Hi Katy – I use the dried red Chinese chillies that you get at Asian stores. Be careful to check the packet for country of origin because the Thai ones look the same but are WAAAAYYYY hotter (found that out when testing cookbook curries!!)🔥☄️🔥🧨 N x

      Reply
      • Katy says

        March 4, 2022 at 2:23 am

        Thanks for the advise! We have an Asian market down the street that I love. I can’t wait to make this. I’m going to do scallops instead of chicken. Any advice on getting scallops crispy?

        Reply
  7. Pea says

    February 14, 2022 at 1:34 am

    Omg I am THRILLED to have a real Asian meal at home. We are huge fans but find most recipes Americanized. Thank you so much. Kung pao delish.
    Now I need to order more ingredients. Thank you

    Reply
  8. Sharon says

    January 2, 2022 at 2:23 am

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe. I’ve been cooking recipetineats recipes everyday over this Christmas/New year break, and it’s been very very good. My partner and I have been enjoying plenty of delicious food thanks to Nagi’s fantastic recipes! Thank you! This Kungpao chicken was great! Loved the numbing spice.

    Reply
  9. Niki says

    November 23, 2021 at 7:14 pm

    5 stars
    Yet another winner. Loved this, my fourth meal of yours in a row Nagi. Sauce was amazing. I served it with white rice and bok choi. I don’t do well with very spicy food so chickened out on the quantity of chilli and only used 2. l regretted it later as l think even l could have managed with the original quantity. I’ve always been reluctant to try cooking Asian food as it all needs to happen so fast once it starts but the way you break down the steps makes it super easy. Thanks Nagi.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 23, 2021 at 10:16 pm

      You’re welcome Niki! Asian food is quick and easy as long as you get the prep done first! N x

      Reply
  10. Lucie says

    November 12, 2021 at 12:10 am

    5 stars
    Added too much ginger, no regrets. I’ve been on a recipe tin eats bender. I told my husband he’ll have to telle when you stop cooking Asian takeout 😂.

    Reply
  11. Emma says

    October 16, 2021 at 10:00 am

    5 stars
    Incredibly tasty!!! I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect. It took me a while to find all the ingredients but it is well worth going the extra mile and finding the szchechuan pepper as it really makes this dish so special. I don’t usually like spicy foods but my partner loves them, this dish is a spicy dish that I can eat happily as it is more an overall warmth than really hot on the tongue spiciness.
    Thank you so much Nagi. Your website and all your hard work is a godsend and has improved my everyday cooking a hundredfold.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 16, 2021 at 2:13 pm

      So glad I could help! N x

      Reply
  12. Xara says

    October 10, 2021 at 11:21 am

    5 stars
    I am an old cook who loves to try new recipes. This one sounded so good that I placed a $32(US) Amazon order for the wine, vinegar, and Sichuan pepper. SO delicious! Thank you.

    Reply
  13. Colette says

    October 8, 2021 at 6:01 pm

    5 stars
    Made this and loved it, but I live in Taipei and could not find the dark soy sauce in any of the seven groceries I tried. Do you have any suggestions/advice on how to find it?

    Reply
    • Romi says

      April 4, 2022 at 5:52 pm

      Always check the parenthesis where she writes “note x”. Like she mentions in the recipe, just substitute the dark so sauce with regular one.

      Reply
  14. LanaP says

    August 28, 2021 at 7:49 am

    5 stars
    This was so good! My husband and I scarfed the entire thing that’s supposed to serve 4. Don’t hesitate to follow Nagi’s substitutes if you don’t have everything – I used 1.5T rice vinegar & 1.5tsp balsamic vinegar for the black vinegar as well as cutting back the sugar to 2T as I used mirin instead of Shaoxing wine. Also added about 1.5 cups matchstick carrots and there was still plenty of sauce. This was amazing and I’ll definitely be making it again soon.

    Reply
    • Niki says

      November 20, 2021 at 10:27 pm

      Brilliant. Thanks for commenting Lana. The balsamic and rice vinegar sub was exactly what l was planning as well as the Mirin sugar variation. Great to know it works well.

      Reply
  15. R says

    August 13, 2021 at 11:31 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is sooo good!

    If we’re feeling like a veggie dinner we substitute the chicken with florets of cauliflower that we’ve tossed with oil, salt and pepper and roasted in the oven.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 14, 2021 at 10:46 am

      Great idea R!!! I love it! N x

      Reply
  16. Anna says

    August 4, 2021 at 12:43 pm

    Made Kung Pau Chicken, my husband went crazy for it, definitely a WINNER

    Reply
  17. Lynette says

    June 10, 2021 at 4:10 am

    5 stars
    Yum yum yum, thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Tania says

      November 7, 2021 at 7:47 pm

      5 stars
      I am always on the hunt for new recipes and this dish just WOW! I made double the recipe and glad I did, we all went back for seconds. Thank you!

      Reply
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