Kung Pao Chicken

3.0
(6)
6 Reviews

At chef Ziqiang Lu's Birds of A Feather in Brooklyn, tingly heat from Szechuan peppercorns teams up with slightly sweet dark soy sauce and Shaoxing wine to build deep flavor into this quick stir-fry. Have all of the ingredients at the ready before heating the wok for best results. Lu recommends browning the dried chile peppers until well toasted. This helps tease out their aroma and leaves you with a warming mouthfeel that lingers.

By Ziqiang Lu
Updated on August 2, 2023
Tested by
Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time.
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Kung Pao Chicken
Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
Total Time:
20 mins
Yield:
4 to 6
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch piece

  • 1 medium scallion, finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon sliced peeled fresh ginger

  • ½ teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, or more to taste

  • 10 dried small red chiles (Tien Tsin or chile de árbol) (about 1/5 ounces)

  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced

  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

  • 2 teaspoon soy sauce, or more to taste

  • 2 teaspoon granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon lao chou soy sauce (dark soy sauce)

  • 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

  • 1 teaspoon potato starch

  • 2 tablespoon crushed roasted peanuts

  • Cooked short-grain rice, for serving

Directions

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large wok or skillet over high until shimmering and very hot. Add chicken; cook, stirring constantly, until chicken pieces have separated from each other and chicken is just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer chicken to a plate lined with paper towels; set aside.

  2. Return wok to heat over high; add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add scallion, ginger, peppercorns, chiles, and garlic; stir-fry until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

  3. Return chicken to wok; stir to combine. Stir in vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce, wine, and potato starch; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and thick, about 1 minute. Add peanuts, and toss to combine. Remove from heat, and serve immediately with rice.

Note

Find Szechuan peppercorns, Shaoxing wine, and dark soy sauce at Chinese grocery stores or online.

Originally appeared: March 2021

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