Easy Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients

• 15 mlpeanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 50 g (⅓ cup)raw peanuts
• 250 gchicken breast, cubed
• 15 mllight soy sauce
• 6 g (2 teaspoons)cornflour
• 15 mllight soy sauce
• 22.5 ml (1½ tablespoons)Chinkiang vinegar
• 25 g (2 tablespoons)sugar
• 60 ml (4 tablespoons; use 30–45 ml for a milder dish)all-purpose chilli garlic sauce
• 3 g (1 teaspoon)cornflour
• 35 g (⅓ cup)Chinese spring onion, chopped (or spring onion)
• 50 g (½ cup)cucumber, cubed

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the peanuts

   Warm the peanut oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the peanuts and reduce the heat to medium. Stir occasionally until browned and nutty-smelling, then transfer them to a plate lined with several layers of kitchen paper to cool. Leave the remaining oil in the pan for later.

2. 2

   Coat the chicken

   Cut the chicken breast into 1–1.5 cm cubes and put it in a bowl. Mix in 15 ml light soy sauce, then add 6 g cornflour and work it through by hand until the chicken has an even, thin coating. Set aside.

3. 3

   Mix the sauce

   In a small bowl, combine the remaining 15 ml light soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, sugar, chilli garlic sauce and 3 g cornflour. Stir until well mixed.

4. 4

   Prepare the vegetables

   Chop the spring onion and cube the cucumber.

5. 5

   Cook the chicken

   Heat the same pan over medium-high heat. Add a little more oil if needed to cover the bottom. Once hot, spread the chicken out in a single layer. Cook without stirring for 20 seconds, turn the pieces and cook for another 20 seconds. Stir a few times until the outsides are cooked and lightly browned while the centres are still raw.

6. 6

   Finish the stir-fry

   Add the spring onion and stir a few times. Stir the sauce again, pour it over the chicken and stir straight away until it thickens, about 20 seconds. Turn off the heat, add the peanuts and cucumber, and stir once more to combine. Transfer to a plate.

7. 7

   Serve warm

   Serve warm over steamed rice.

What is kung pao chicken?

Kung pao chicken is a Sichuan-style stir-fry known for its contrast of tender chicken, chilli heat, savoury sauce and peanuts. Its name and flavours are associated with the Sichuan tradition, where dried chillies and Sichuan pepper are common in versions of the dish.

This quick take uses chilli garlic sauce and Chinkiang vinegar for a punchy, sweet-sour coating. Cucumber goes in at the end, adding a cool, crisp contrast to the hot chicken and toasted nuts.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 413 calories, 33g protein, 20g carbs, 23g fat.

Chicken supplies most of the protein, while the peanuts and cooking oil contribute much of the fat. The sugar and cornflour in the sauce, along with rice if served, add carbohydrates. Serve with steamed rice and an extra portion of vegetables if you want a more balanced plate.

The chicken coating

Even cubes: Cut the chicken into similarly sized 1–1.5 cm pieces so they cook at roughly the same rate.

Thin starch layer: Mixing the chicken first with soy sauce and then cornflour helps give the pieces a lightly coated surface. Keep the coating thin and even rather than letting the chicken sit in a pool of liquid.

Get the sauce ready first

Cornflour settles as the mixture stands, so stir the sauce again just before pouring it into the pan. Have it beside the hob along with the chopped spring onion, cucumber and toasted peanuts.

Once the sauce hits the hot pan, it thickens quickly. Adding it only when the chicken is nearly cooked gives you time to coat everything without leaving the chicken in the pan for too long.

Control the heat

Peanuts: Start them over medium heat after warming the oil, and stir from time to time. Remove them when browned and aromatic; they can darken quickly once toasted.

Chicken: Keep the pan hot and spread the pieces out rather than piling them up. The brief undisturbed cooking helps the surfaces colour before you stir them through.

Look for the right finish

Sauce: Stir continuously after adding it and stop when it thickens enough to cling to the chicken, around 20 seconds.

Cucumber and nuts: Add both after turning off the heat. This keeps the cucumber crisp and the peanuts crunchy rather than softening them in the sauce.

Make the timing work

This recipe moves quickly once the pan is hot, so finish chopping and mixing before you start cooking the chicken. The peanuts can cool on their paper-lined plate while you prepare the other ingredients.

Serve as soon as the sauce has thickened and everything is combined. A bowl of steamed rice is the suggested accompaniment and catches the extra sauce.

Recipe notes & tips

• Pat the pan dry before reheating it if it has water in it after preparing the vegetables.
• Toast the peanuts until fragrant, then move them off the pan promptly so they do not continue browning.
• Keep the chicken pieces small and even to match the brief cooking time.
• Stir the sauce just before pouring so the cornflour is evenly distributed.
• Use 30–45 ml chilli garlic sauce for a milder version.
• Have the rice ready before finishing the stir-fry, as the sauce thickens quickly.

Variations

• Add Sichuan pepper: Finish with a small pinch for a tingling, peppery note.
• Use cashews: Swap the peanuts for cashews and toast them in the same way.
• Add bell pepper: Stir in diced pepper with the spring onion for another crisp vegetable.
• Make it milder: Use 30 ml chilli garlic sauce instead of 60 ml.
• Use chicken thigh: Replace the breast with boneless thigh cut into similarly small cubes.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Crowding the pan: The chicken can steam instead of browning; cook it in batches if it will not fit in one layer.
• Overtoasting the peanuts: They keep cooking briefly after leaving the pan; transfer them as soon as they are browned and fragrant.
• Skipping the second sauce stir: Cornflour can settle at the bottom; mix the sauce again immediately before adding it.
• Cooking the cucumber in the sauce: It loses its fresh crunch; add it after turning off the heat.
• Leaving the chicken in too long: The method calls for the centres to still be raw before the sauce is added; follow the quick cooking sequence and finish the chicken in the hot sauce.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a frying pan until piping hot, adding a splash of water if the sauce has become too thick; the cucumber and peanuts will be softer after storage.

Frequently asked questions