Ever crave some good Chinese takeout, but want a healthier option? I love this semi authentic Kung Pao Chicken recipe. It’s quick, easy, and comes together in 30 minutes which is ideal for a weeknight dinner.
What does Kung Pao Chicken taste like? Kung Pao Chicken it a mixture of sauted chicken, bell peppers, onions, carrots, and green onion tossed in a spicy sauce topped with peanuts. You can serve it over white or brown rice, noodles, or even cauliflower rice if you want something low carb.
Kung Pao Chicken is spicy, but you can modify the level of spiciness by leaving out the chili sauce or adding more!
What is Kung Pao sauce made of?
This Kung Pao sauce is a mixture of chicken broth, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, chili garlic sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch. If you don’t have chili garlic paste you can use sriracha and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder or minced garlic instead. You can use this spicy sauce for any stir fry.
How do you make Kung Pao Chicken?
- Cut up one pound of chicken into 1″ cubes. You can use white or dark meat or a combination.
- Mix together 1 cup of white rice, 2 cups chicken broth, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a medium size pot, turn the heat to high to bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes. If you are using brown rice you will need to simmer the mixture for 45-50 minutes.
- Heat up some sesame oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and brown the chicken for 10 minutes.
- Add the onions, bell peppers, carrots and cook an additional 10 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
- Mix in the Kung Pao sauce and peanuts, and cook another 10 minutes.
- Serve over the prepared rice and sliced green onions!
If you love this recipe please rate it and leave a comment below. If you take a picture tag me on Instagram @hungrywaitress! Here’s the recipe:
PrintKung Pao Chicken
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- Kung Pao Chicken sauce (below)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup white rice*
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound chicken, cut into 1” pieces
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, sliced thin
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 2 green onions, sliced
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar, sub seasoned rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chili sauces, sub 2 tablespoons sriracha and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Mix together all of the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Mix together the 2 cups of broth, 1 cup rice, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium pot, turn the heat to high to bring it to a boil, cover with a lid, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Brown the pieces of chicken over medium high heat for 10 minutes in a large skillet.
- Add the bell peppers, onions, and carrots to the chicken and cook another 6-8 minutes.
- Pour in the the Kung Pao sauce and peanuts, and simmer another 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve over the white rice, and top with sliced green onions.
Notes
You can use white or dark meat chicken or a combination of both for this recipe. If you are using brown rice, you will need to simmer it for 45-50 minutes total.
Every recipe we have made from The Hungry Waitress has been excellent and easy. This one is no exception.
★★★★★
Thank you so much!