Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken for Two for an early supper.

Kung Pao Chicken is my #2 favorite Chinese dish (Sesame Chicken being #1, although I can’t usually justify ordering it since it’s basically syrup covered, donut battered chicken.)

Kung Pao Chicken is much lighter, not usually battered, and is only slightly sweet. Gingery and spicy too!

I found a recipe for a really simple looking Kung Pao Chicken online from BlogChef.net and had high hopes for the dish.

Chicken breast is lightly coated in cornstarch, to give it a faux-battered texture, then sautéed in sesame oil before bold flavors like green onion, garlic, red pepper and ginger are added in.

A 3-ingredient sauce (!) made up of soy sauce, rice vinegar and a wee bit of sugar brought the whole thing together,

while yummy steamed broccoli and roasted peanuts finished ‘er off.

And it was GOOD.

SOOOOO good. I think this was the best stir fry I have ever made!

Kung Pao Chicken for Two

Print this recipe!

Serves 2

Adapted from BlogChef.net

Ingredients:

1 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

salt & pepper

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 Tablespoons green onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

2 cups broccoli, steamed

2 Tablespoons peanuts

Directions:

1. Lightly season chicken with salt & pepper. Dredge in the cornstarch and shake off excess in a colander.

2. Combine green onions, garlic cloves, red pepper flakes and powdered ginger in a small bowl, then set aside. Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds to dissolve sugar, then set aside.

2. Heat a wok or large skillet on med-high (~325 degrees on an electric wok.) Add sesame oil and, when hot, add chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, ~5 minutes. Remove to a plate.

3. Add green onion mixture to the wok and cook, stirring constantly for 15 seconds. Add soy sauce mixture to the wok and let bubble for 10-15 seconds, or until it begins to thicken slightly. Add chicken back into the wok, along with broccoli and peanuts. Stir to combine. Turn off heat and serve over rice.

The ginger and sesame flavors really popped, and the rice vinegar, soy sauce and hint of sweetness from the sugar mimicked any restaurant’s Kung Pao perfectly. You should really, really give this a try!