Mandopop superstar David Tao once wrote a song named Kung Pao Chicken. In it, he described Kung Pao chicken two ways. Tell me which one you agree with more.
“快樂像一盤 hot and spicy 宮保雞丁” (Happiness is like a platter of hot and spicy Kung Pao chicken)
“愛就像是宮保雞丁” (Love is like Kung Pao chicken)
I know: you’re probably thinking they’re just song lyrics. We can’t take his similes seriously. But let’s do a silly, shallow analysis of these two lines, shall we? They assume that there’s a standard for Kung Pao chicken. I’ve never been to mainland China but according to my brief Internet research, that version is spicy and slightly numbing. This must be what David’s referring to.
But here in America, our version (and the only version I know from eating takeout) while delicious, is oftentimes only mildly spicy.
David Tao should have known better. He spent many years of his youth in Southern California. He could have been more specific! Now the question that has you burning deep down inside: we know love can be spicy but can happiness be described that way?
This recipe includes everything I love about our Americanized version of Kung Pao chicken with a little bit more heat. We do that with a drizzle of chili oil. And to get a little bit of numbness like the mainland version, instead of using Sichuan peppercorns, a smidge of peppercorn oil will do.
If you like this Kung Pao Chicken recipe, try my:
Teriyaki Chicken
Orange Chicken
General Tso’s Chicken (左宗棠雞)
Adapted from Serious Eats’ Takeout-Style Kung Pao Chicken recipe
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Kung Pao Chicken (宮保雞丁)
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stir Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
This recipe includes everything I love about our Americanized version of Kung Pao chicken with a little bit more heat. We incorporate a smidge of numbness like the mainland version as well.
Ingredients
CHICKEN MARINADE
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of Chinese cooking wine
- 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper
SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
OTHER INGREDIENTS
- 1/3 cup of roasted, unsalted peanuts
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 sprigs of green onion, white and light green parts minced, green parts chopped into 2-inch long batons
- A small handful of dried red Chinese chilies, tops and seeds removed, cut into 1/4-inch tall rings
- Neutral-flavored cooking oil
- Salt
- Chili oil
- Peppercorn oil
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Add all of the marinade ingredients other than the chicken in a large bowl. Mix well to combine. Add the chicken into the bowl. Coat the chicken with the marinade. Set aside at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Assemble the sauce. In a small bowl, add all of the sauce ingredients. Mix well to combine. Set aside.
- Toast the peanuts. Heat a pan on medium high. Add the peanuts and mix and toss constantly until the peanuts are browned but not burnt, 5 to 9 minutes. Dish up and set aside.
- Cook the chicken. Add 2 tablespoons of oil into the same pan. Add the chicken, separate the pieces and allow them to cook in a single layer undisturbed for around 1 minute. Give the chicken a thorough toss and allow the chicken to cook undisturbed for 1 minute. Repeat the tossing and cooking process for 3 more minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a clean bowl. Leave any excess oil in the pan. The chicken may not be cooked all the way through but they will as they rest and during the final step.
- Cook the vegetables. Add 1 tablespoon of oil into the pan. Add the green bell pepper and celery and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the red bell pepper and stir fry for another minute. Season the vegetables lightly with salt and toss to combine. Dish up and set aside.
- Wake up the aromatics. Turn down the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon of oil into the pan. Add the garlic, white and light green parts of the green onions and chilies. Stir fry the aromatics until fragrant and the green onions have softened, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Put it all together. Return the chicken and vegetables to the pan. Give the sauce a mix to make sure it’s homogenous. Add it to the pan along with the peanuts. Toss quickly and coat everything with the sauce while the sauce thickens. Drizzle your desired amount of chili oil and peppercorn oil (a little goes a long way) and add the green onion batons. Turn off the heat and toss thoroughly one last time before serving.
