Tantalize Your Taste Buds With Kung Pao Chicken, The Spicy Chinese Delight

Whether you are looking for a Chinese delight or you are in love with chicken, today's dish serves both interests in a pretty good manner. It is kung pao chicken, this is a Chinese Chicken dish which is sure to tantalize your taste buds. You can enjoy this Chinese chicken kung pao with noodles or boiled rice as per your preferences. Satisfy your craving for something spicy and your appetite together with this Chinese delight.

What is kung pao chicken?

Kung pao chicken is a spicy Chinese dish, made with chicken chunks, peanuts, vegetables, chilli peppers and peppercorns — all coated with sweet, tangy and spicy sauce.
It boasts a perfect blend of flavours, versatility, and ability to cater to different palates which has contributed to its worldwide popularity. If you are looking for a Chinese dish,  loved worldwide, then you can easily find kung pao chicken at the top of the list. The contrast between the juicy chicken cubes and crunchy peanuts made kung pao chicken a perfect dish to cherish during the New Year season.

Is there any difference between kung pao chicken and Szechuan chicken?

In spite of having the same origin i.e. China,kung pao chicken and  Szechuan chicken are totally two different dishes. Talking about spiciness, kung pao chicken is less spicy as compared to Szechuan chicken. Szechuan chicken is deep-fried first and then stir-fried with other ingredients whereas the kung pao chicken is directly stir-fried with veggies and peanuts.

Before switching to the kung pao chicken recipe, it's important to know about the kung pao recipe sauce first. This special kung pao recipe sauce is going to bring life to our traditional kung pao chicken recipe.

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Ingredients for kung pao chicken sauce

Have a look at the ingredients required to make kung pao recipe sauce. The best part is that you can use this same sauce recipe for other Chinese dishes other than kung pao chicken like kung pao shrimp, or simple stir-fries.

1. Sesame oil (you can also use peanut oil or vegetable oil in place of sesame oil)
2. Dried hot chillies or you can also use milder chillies for a less spicy version
3. Sichuan peppercorns (aka Szechuan peppercorns) are also known as mountain peppers
4. Ginger
5. Fresh garlic
6. Light soy sauce. This is the common soy sauce you find in most stores
7. Dark soy sauce. This soy sauce is thicker, aged longer, and less salty. It adds a deeper flavour to your taste
8. Chilli garlic sauce
9. Chinese black vinegar. You can also use balsamic vinegar as an alternative
10. Honey or brown for a sweet element
11. Chicken broth
12. Corn starch. It would be used to get a thicker consistency

Kung pao sauce recipe

1. Heat the oil in a pan or a wok to medium-high heat. Add dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns, and stir fry it for about 1 to 2 minutes or until they achieve a darker tint.
2. Now add ginger and garlic. Stir fry it for about 3 to 4 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
3. Now it's time to add all the sauces, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, black vinegar, honey and chicken broth. Bring it to boil then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Add cornstarch slurry, and stir it until you get the desired consistency. It's done. Your kung pao chicken sauce is ready to be cherished.

Note: This kung pao chicken sauce will last for a week, if packed in a sealed tight container and refrigerated.

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Ingredients for kung pao chicken

Before moving to the traditional kung pao chicken recipe, have a look at the chicken kung pao ingredients, that you would need to prepare this authentic Chinese dish —

1. 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast - cut into bite-size pieces 
2. 1 tablespoon of cornstarch 
3. 1 tablespoons of light soy sauce
4. 1 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
5. 2 tablespoons of Chinese black vinegar
6. 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
7. 2 tablespoons of peanut oil
8. 3 garlic cloves ( minced)
9. 1 tablespoon of ginger finely chopped
10. 3 green onions
11. ½ cup halved peanuts ( roasted)
12. 1 can water chestnuts

Kung pao chicken recipe

Kung pao chicken is one of the easiest dishes you can try at home. If Chinese kung pao chicken is what you crave, then this authentic kung pao chicken recipe is what you need

1. Take a large bowl, add 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce,1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce,2 tablespoons of Chinese vinegar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and  2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and stir it all well.
2. Add chicken pieces ( cut into bite-size pieces) and toss to coat. Now, refrigerate the dish for about 30 mins.
3. Take another medium-sized bowl and pour 5 to 6 tablespoons of kung pao chicken sauce ( prepared before), add garlic, ginger green onions and chestnuts, and mix all the ingredients well.
4. Now transfer the mixture into a medium-sized wok or a pan. Heat it on medium flame and stir it for about 5 minutes.
5. Take out the chicken from the refrigerator, put it into a pan and cook over medium heat. Stir it continuously until the juices run clear.
6. As soon as you get the drier chicken, add the water chestnut mixture and cook it for about the next 5 minutes. Yupp, your mouth-watering kung pao chicken is ready to be relished.

This authentic Chinese dish pairs best with boiled white rice and noodles. Serve hot!