Easy Kung Pao Chicken (30 Minutes)
Tender, juicy chicken stir-fried with crunchy peanuts and crisp bell peppers in a sweet, savory, and spicy sauce. This easy Kung Pao chicken recipe is ready in just 30 minutes. I velvet the chicken with baking soda, cornstarch, and oil to keep it tender and juicy during stir-frying.
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
- ½ cup red bell pepper diced into 1-inch pieces
- 5 green onions sliced into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts unsalted
- 10 whole dried Sichuan red chilies
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Chicken Marinade
- 3 tablespoon water cold
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Sauce
- 2 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon water cold
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground sichuan peppercorn
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger thinly sliced
Instructions
- Dice the chicken thighs into uniform 1.5-inch pieces and transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
- Add all the marinade ingredients to the diced chicken and mix thoroughly. Set aside to marinate for 15-20 minutes.
- Whisk all the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken in a single layer, working in batches if needed, for about 5-6 minutes per batch, flipping halfway through, until golden on both sides and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the residual oil in the pan. Set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium if needed, then stir-fry the dried chilis, green onions, and peanuts in the residual oil for about 15 seconds. Add the bell peppers and stir-fry for about 30 seconds.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Whisk the sauce again, then pour it in and stir-fry constantly for about 30 seconds until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy, evenly coating the chicken. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
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Nutrition
Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 877mg | Potassium: 824mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1840IU | Vitamin C: 189mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 3mg