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Kung Pao Chicken with peppers and peanuts
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5 from 2 votes

Kung Pao Chicken

Kung pao chicken is a fun to say and full of flavor dish that is often overlooked on menus. Kung pao is a sweet meets spicy dish that is filled with tender chicken, peppers, peanuts, and more!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: asian recipe, chicken dinner, chinese cuisine, easy dinner idea
Servings: 6
Calories: 440kcal
Author: Julie Clark

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (cubed)
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 5 tablespoons soy sauce (divided)
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch (divided)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (or peanut oil)
  • 4 ounces unsalted peanuts
  • 3 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 ounce roasted chili pepper paste (or as desired)
  • 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 4 green onions (chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon water
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large bowl coat chicken with pepper, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Toss together and set aside.
  • Warm oil over medium high heat in a large wok. Add in peanuts. Cook until they a nice golden color, about 2 minutes.  Remove the peanuts, but reserve the oil.
  • Add in chicken to the wok with the reserved oil.  Cook and stir for 5-6 minutes until it is a beautiful brown color on the outside.
  • Next, add remaining ingredients, including the peanuts. Don't yet add the remaining cornstarch and teaspoon of water).
  • Cook until sauce reduces and chicken is well done. (Adjust heat if necessary so the sauce and chicken do not burn.)
  • Once sauce has reduced and chicken has cooked through, make a slurry in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon of water and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Add mixed slurry to the wok and gently stir. Allow to cook an additional minute before shutting off the heat.
  • Serve over white rice.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 6, no rice included. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**

Nutrition

Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 991mg | Potassium: 658mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4300IU | Vitamin C: 28.4mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2.3mg