Kung Pao Chicken

5 from 1 rating

from kristineskitchenblog.com

Kung Pao Chicken is a spicy Chinese stir-fry made with chicken, vegetables and peanuts. This easy recipe uses simple ingredients that you can find in any grocery store. It's packed with flavor, healthy veggies and the most delicious spicy sauce! Serve it with white rice or brown rice.

Prep Time25

Cook Time15

Total Time40

Servings: servings

Calories: 358kcal

Ingredients

Chicken and Marinade

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast chopped into ¾-inch pieces

Sauce

¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Stir Fry

2 tablespoons avocado oil or canola oil divided
1 red bell pepper chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini sliced into ½-inch thick half rounds
6 green onions sliced on the diagonal
¼-½ teaspoon teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes depending on how spicy you want it
½ cup dry roasted peanuts
cooked rice for serving

Instructions

Marinate the chicken: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat. Marinate for 15-20 minutes.
Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil, garlic and cornstarch. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken (discard extra marinade). Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 7-10 minutes. Remove chicken to a clean plate.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the red and green bell pepper and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and stir fry for 1 minute more.
Whisk the sauce again to make sure everything is well combined. Return the cooked chicken to the pan. Add the green onions, red pepper flakes and the sauce. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce starts to thicken, 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the peanuts and serve over rice.

Video

Notes

You can substitute cashews for the peanuts.
Try adding other vegetables, such as thinly sliced carrots, red or yellow onions, celery, snow peas, bok choy or asparagus. Some vegetables cook more quickly than others, so add them to the pan in batches, adding the most firm vegetables first.
To make this recipe gluten-free, replace the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari, gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
Nutrition estimate does not include rice.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is only an estimate.