Authentic Sichuan Kung Pao Chicken (Better Than Takeout!)
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Author:
Mandy Fu
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Kung Pao Chicken is one of the most iconic dishes from Sichuan cuisine—bold, spicy, slightly sweet, and packed with that signature numbing heat from Sichuan peppercorns. The magic of this dish lies in its balance: tender “velveted” chicken, aromatic chilies, fragrant garlic and ginger, and a rich sauce that clings beautifully to every bite. Serve it over steaming white rice and you’ve got a restaurant-quality meal at home.
Ingredients
To marinate the chicken (velveting)
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into cubes
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1/2 tsp salt
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1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
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1.5 tbsp cornstarch
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1 egg white
To stir-fry
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2–3 tbsp cooking oil
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10-12 dried red chilies, deseeded and cut into short pieces
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4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
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1 inch ginger, thinly sliced
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1/2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn powder
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2 tbsp brown sugar
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1 tbsp light soy sauce
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1.5 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
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1.5 tsp dark soy sauce
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2 tsp cornstarch
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1/2 cup water
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3 scallions, diced
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1/3 cup roasted peanuts
Directions
Cut the chicken breast into small cubes and add salt, Chinese cooking wine, cornstarch, and egg white. Mix continuously until the texture becomes smooth and slightly sticky—this is the velveting process that keeps the chicken tender and juicy after cooking.
Heat your wok until it is smoking hot. Add oil and stir-fry the marinated chicken until it just turns slightly golden. Once cooked, push it to one side of the wok.
Add garlic, ginger, dried red chilies, Sichuan peppercorn powder, brown sugar, and Sichuan Dou Ban Jiang. Stir everything together until fragrant, and the chili paste has fully bloomed in the oil.
Add the light soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, and dark soy sauce. Stir to combine, then mix 2 tsp cornstarch with ½ cup of water and add to the wok to lightly thicken the sauce until it becomes glossy and coats the chicken.
Last, toss in the roasted peanuts and diced scallions. Give everything a final, thorough mix so the sauce evenly coats every piece.
Serve immediately over hot white rice.
