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Sichuan · Chinese

Kung pao chicken

Non-vegetarian

宫保鸡丁 · gōngbǎo jīdīng

Diced chicken stir-fried with dried chillies, Sichuan pepper and peanuts in a sauce that is gently sweet, sour and savoury.

Kung pao chicken is a Sichuan main course from China, ready in about 35 minutes and made with chicken thigh, dried whole chillies and roasted peanuts. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
A serving of Kung Pao chicken
Photo: Steven G. Johnson / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-3.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Rest
10 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
341

Ingredients

4 servings

Marinade

Sauce

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toss the chicken with the marinade soy sauce (opens in a new tab), wine and cornstarch (opens in a new tab) and leave for 10 minutes. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

    • 10 min

    Food safety: Wash hands, boards and knives after handling raw chicken.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil in a wok (opens in a new tab) over medium heat, add the chillies and Sichuan pepper and stir until the chillies darken slightly — do not let them blacken.

    Ingredients tossed in a hot wok
    How it looks · Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Turn the heat to high, add the chicken and stir-fry until it turns opaque, then add garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger and spring onion (opens in a new tab) and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through.

    • 5 min
    • high heat

    Food safety: Cook chicken until no pink remains (74 °C in the centre).

  4. Step 4

    Stir the sauce, pour it in and toss until it thickens and turns glossy. Stir in the peanuts and serve.

    • 1 min
    • high heat

About this dish

Origin
Sichuan, China · Commonly attributedUsually linked to Sichuan and Guizhou; the name is popularly tied to a Qing-dynasty official's title.Also popular in United States, United KingdomMore food from China
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses
Cooking method
Stir-fried, Marinated / cured
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), sweet & sour, nutty, savoury
Diet
Dairy-free · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · DASH-style · Calorie-conscious
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Lacto-vegetarian, Ovo-vegetarian, Pescatarian, Flexitarian-friendlyWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · One-pan
Cook more with
Chicken thigh · Dried whole chillies · Roasted peanuts · Soy sauce · Shaoxing wine · Cornstarch
Techniques
Stir-frying · Marinating · Curing

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Peanutsfrom roasted peanuts
  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce, shaoxing wine, chinese black vinegar
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce, shaoxing wine, chinese black vinegar
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

341 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 191 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 32%
  • Carbohydrate 17%
  • Fat 51%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy341 kcal179 kcal
Protein27.6 g14.4 g
Carbohydrate14.3 g7.5 g
Net carbohydrate11.4 g6 g
Sugars4.9 g2.6 g
Added sugars3.1 g1.6 g
Fibre2.9 g1.5 g
Fat19.4 g10.2 g
Saturated fat3 g1.5 g
Trans fat0.1 g0 g
Cholesterol106 mg55 mg
Sodium581 mg304 mg
Salt equivalent1.5 g0.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
590 mg
Calcium
41 mg
Iron
2.1 mg
Magnesium
70 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
66 µg
Vitamin C
4 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0.7 µg
Folate (DFE)
34 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): sichuan peppercorns.
  • Shaoxing wine: Sake (FDC 167723) used as a stand-in for Chinese rice cooking wine.
  • Chinese black vinegar: Balsamic vinegar (FDC 172241) used as a stand-in for Chinkiang/Zhenjiang black rice vinegar; both are dark, aged and slightly sweet.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Add the peanuts at the very end so they stay crunchy.

Common mistakes

  • Burning the dried chillies makes the oil bitter — keep the heat moderate for that step.

Serve with

  • Serve with steamed rice.

Storage

  • Refrigerate for up to 2 days; the peanuts soften.

Reheating

  • Stir-fry briefly in a hot pan.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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