Tender, juicy chicken bites get tossed in a deeply savory and slightly spicy sauce in this 30 minute Kung Pao chicken stir fry recipe that's guaranteed to take your taste buds on a ride.
Just like my Teriyaki chicken recipe, this one's a must-try whenever you're craving Asian takeout. It's really easy to make- perfect for weeknight dinners, and you can prep it ahead of time too!
There’s something incredibly comforting about a good chicken stir fry, especially on busy weeknights. I’ve always loved recreating restaurant-style Asian recipes at home, and this one instantly became a family favorite right alongside my Korean Buldak chicken.
Best of all- just like my scallion oil chicken recipe, you'll need just 1 pan and a bowl to put it together.
Quick Look: Kung Pao Chicken Bites
- 🔪Prep time: 10 min
- ⏲️Cook time: 15 min.
- 👪 Servings: 2
- 📋Main ingredients: Chicken, soy sauce, cornstarch, vinegar, garlic, ginger, peanuts, dried red chilies, scallion, sugar, oil.
- ♨️Cooking method: Coat chicken 🡢 prepare Kung Pao sauce 🡢 cook chicken 🡢 sauté aromatics 🡢 combine chicken, peanuts and chilies 🡢 add sauce 🡢 cook until saucy!
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Team up with some pan-tossed noodles or steamed rice and top with some Air Fryer crispy noodles for an extra crunchy texture.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Just like my crispy chili chicken, this comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
- It has the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, savory and tangy flavors, and the peanuts add the most incredible crunch and texture.
- It tastes exactly like your favorite Chinese takeout, but fresher and more customizable.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken, cut into cubes. You can use chicken breast or thighs- whatever you prefer.
- Aromatics: Fresh ginger, garlic and scallions. I like using my homemade ginger garlic paste when I have it at hand.
- Peanuts: For that crunchy and nutty deliciousness. Use roasted peanuts- or try my hot honey roasted peanuts.
- Sauces: The classic Asian sauces- soy sauce (I used both light and dark soy sauce) and vinegar.
- Seasonings: I used a bit of sugar to balance the other flavors, some red pepper flakes for the color and heat, and salt and pepper. Sometimes, I like to use a flavored salt like my Sriracha infused salt to add a spicy kick to the stir fry.
- Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce and create a nice coating around the chicken.
- Oil: Any regular cooking oil works.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- For a spicy kick, add a splash of homemade habanero hot sauce, Sriracha or any other hot sauce of your choice into the mix once the sauce thickens.
- Swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos or tamari if you want to keep the dish gluten free.
- Use tofu instead of chicken to make a vegan version of the recipe.
- If you don't want to use sugar, honey is a great choice. Use infused honey like jalapeno honey or habanero honey for a deeper flavor.
How to Kung Pao Chicken Stir Fry
Step 1: In a bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch.
Step 2: Add to the chicken and massage to coat each chicken piece well.
Step 3: In another bowl, combine both the soy sauces, vinegar, sugar and cornstarch.
Step 4: Heat oil in a pan and cook the chicken over medium heat until almost done. Remove and set aside.
Step 5: Add a little more oil to the same pan and sauté minced ginger and garlic along with the red chilies.
Step 6: Add chicken and peanuts into the pan. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Step 7: Pour the prepare Kung Pao sauce into the pan and turn down the heat.
Step 8: Keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Taste and season again if required.
💭Top Tip
Turn down the heat once you add the Kung Pao sauce and keep stirring until it gets nice and thick.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Chop the chicken into cubes that are roughly the same size. This will ensure even cooking.
- Pat the chicken dry and remove all moisture before you coat it in the cornstarch and soy sauce mixture.
- If you want the chicken to have a nice coating on the outside, crack an egg and add it to the mix along with the cornstarch and soy sauce. Then, deep fry the chicken instead of pan-frying it, and follow the rest of the recipe as-is. This is actually what I did when I made my spicy orange chicken too.
- To bulk up the dish, you can dice veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, zucchini and onions and add them in too. You'll need to stir fry them with the aromatics first, and also increase the amount of sauce you're using.
- You can also coarsely crush Sichuan peppercorns and add them into the sauce for a more intense flavor. I like to spoon some of my homemade Sichuan oil over the dish right before serving, for some extra yumminess.
- I also like to use my hot pepper vinegar instead of regular vinegar here for an extra bit of heat.
How to Serve Kung Pao Chicken Stir Fry
Serve this delicious Kung Pao chicken straight off the pan, along with some steamed Jasmine rice or tossed noodles to make it a filling meal. You can also team it up with a simple spicy Asian cucumber salad or a veggie side like air fried Teriyaki cauliflower.
Sometimes, I like to team it up with my spicy Schezwan potatoes or my Air Fryer bang bang cauliflower.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Transfer the leftover Kung Pao chicken to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
You can marinate the chicken in the soy sauce mix and prepare the sauce up to 2 days ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to make it.
Reheat the Kung Pao chicken in a pan over medium-low heat with a splash of water to get it to the right consistency.
More Asian Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Kung Pao chicken stir fry or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Kung Pao Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 200 g chicken cubed
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2-3 dried red chilies
- ½ cup roasted peanuts
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 green onion
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch.
- Add to the chicken and massage to coat each chicken piece well.
- In another bowl, combine both the soy sauces, vinegar, sugar and cornstarch.
- Heat oil in a pan and cook the chicken over medium heat until almost done. Remove and set aside.
- Add a little more oil to the same pan and sauté minced ginger and garlic along with the red chilies.
- Add chicken and peanuts into the pan. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Pour the prepare Kung Pao sauce into the pan and turn down the heat.
- Keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Taste and season again if required.
Notes
- Chop the chicken into cubes that are roughly the same size. This will ensure even cooking.
- Pat the chicken dry and remove all moisture before you coat it in the cornstarch and soy sauce mixture.
- To bulk up the dish, you can dice veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, zucchini and onions and add them in too. You'll need to stir fry them with the aromatics first, and also increase the amount of sauce you're using.
- Turn down the heat once you add the Kung Pao sauce and keep stirring until it gets nice and thick.
