If you’ve ever been to a Chinese restaurant, you’ve probably ordered Kung Pao chicken. It’s a very popular dish and often associated with being very spicy. These days, you can make it mild or spicy, but the original is known to have a hot sauce. The culprit is the Sichuan peppers and spicy dry chilies called Tien Tsin. We love Chinese food but we don’t order it here. I usually make it at home. Truth is the Chinese takeout food here has never impressed me much.
Step-by-step: Easy Kung Pao chicken recipe
Marinate chicken – Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar and soy sauce. Cover and leave to marinate for 30 mins to an hour.Pro tip – use less salt in your seasoning because some of the premade sauces have salt added to them.
Sauce – In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients – set aside.Pro tip – the cornstarch tends to settle at the bottom so make sure to stir it before adding it to the pan. Saute – In a wok or cast-iron skillet, heat the oil. Add sliced onions, and saute for a minute. Then, add the ginger, garlic, and dry chilies – saute for 30 seconds. Chicken – Add the chicken and stir-fry on high for 2 minutes. Then, add the stalks of the bok choy and saute for two minutes more.Pro tip – the stalks take longer to cook than the leaves so we add them first.
Combine – Then, add the prepared sauce and stir-fry for another minute. Next, add the bok choy leaves and stir-fry some more. Sprinkle the nuts and stir fry and stir a minute more. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Frequently asked questions
Thank you for sharing - Save for later
