This Kung Pao Chicken Recipe is AWESOME! Guaranteed to be 1 family favorite
Kung Pao chicken or Gong Bao jin ding is on of my favorite Chinese dishes. I made Kung Pao Chicken, but it can be made with shrimp or any other protein of your choice. I attempted to make this after watching Yan Can Cook on PBS in the 80’s. I tend to like hot and spicy dishes. My friend’s father was from Burma now Myanmar and he got me started on hot food. I make on specific change to adding heat to most of my Chinese recipes. Instead of adding hot peppers, because I hate the taste when you bite into one, I use Chili Crisp. The one I use, I buy at an Asian Market and it is completely in Chinese. Anyway, this adds the same heat, but tastes much better. I understand that everyone does not have access to Asian Markets. I will let you know in the recipe which ingredients can be omitted from Kung Pao Chicken. Secondly, I used carrots, water chestnuts, green peppers, zucchini, and green onions in this recipe, but feel free to use what you like.
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Kung Pao Chicken Marinade
I believe that a good marinade is essential for a tasty and moist chicken. I usually try to let mine rest over the night, but six hours is about the minimum. I know other recipes will say 30 minutes, but it’s definitely not long enough to work its magic. It usually only takes me 5 minutes to prepare the day before.
My other suggestion is make sure you use dark soy sauce, not regular. Some brands my say premium or dark premium soy sauce.
Joke of the Day!
“Why did the carrot break up with the potato? It could not handle the couch-potato lifestyle!”
Wash your rice!
Yes , you need to wash rice before you cook it. Washing rice will remove starch, and reduce the level of arsenic. I usually soak and wash my rice for 20 minutes. You will need to change the water 7-10 times or until the water is clear. If you use basmati rice definitely make sure you soak your rice for 20-25 minutes. Basmati is a long grain rice which if different that most Chinese medium and short grain rice. Basmati is a light and fluffy rice vs a more sticky rice. I usually use Nishiki Premium Medium Grade Rice for Chinese Food. I use Zebra Brand Basmati Rice for Thai and Indian dishes. Short grain rice is very stick and is usually used for sushi or sticky rice. Always refer to the directions.
What is the history of Kung pao chicken
Kung Pao chicken, also known as Kung Po or Kung Po chicken, is a spicy stir-fry dish that originated in the Sichuan province of China. It is said to have been created by a Qing Dynasty official named Ding Baozhen, who served as governor of Sichuan in the late 1800s. The dish is named after him, with “Kung Pao” being the title of his official position. The dish became popular in the United States in the 20th century and has since become a staple in Chinese-American cuisine.
Ingredient of the Day-soy sauces
Light soy sauce is a clear, thin soy sauce that is saltier and less intense in flavor than other types of soy sauce. It is commonly used in Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisine as a seasoning or marinade.
Regular soy sauce is also a thin soy sauce, but it is darker in color and has a stronger, more complex flavor than light soy sauce. It is used as a dipping sauce and as an ingredient in cooking.
Dark soy sauce is thicker and sweeter than regular soy sauce. It is also more flavorful and has a richer color. It is often used as a condiment or as an ingredient in sauces and marinades.
Kung Pao Chicken
Equipment
- 1 small bowl for marinade
- 1 small bowl for sauce
- 1 pot or rice steamer for rice
- 1 Wok or saute pan for main dish
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1 large chicken breast cubbed or 430 grams
- 1 tsp dark soy use dark not regular
- 1 tsp sesame oil that nutty flavor
- 1 tsp mirin or rice wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic clove chopped
- 1 tsp chili crisp optional
- 1 1/2 tsp corn starch
Kung Pao Sauce
- 1 tbsp Black Vinegar
- 1 tsp shaoxing wine optional
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp raw sugar or light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce or
- 1 tsp oyster sauce or can be optional
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp chili crisp or 4 dried hot peppers option or add more for heat
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 1/4 tsp white pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp corn starch-do not leave in clumps mix in sauce you can also use a corn starch slurry
- salt to taste
Kung pao Ingredients
- 1/2 cup carrots or 73 grams
- 3/4 cup water chestnuts or 15oz or 160 grams
- 1/2 cup green peppers chopped 75 grams
- 1 cup zucchini or 170 grams
- 1/2-1/3 cup dry unsalted peanuts
- 1/2 cup green onions 28 grams
Rice
- 1-2 Cups medium grain rice
- water as per directions
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
- add chicken and all marinade ingredients to bowl and mix1 large chicken breast cubbed or 430 grams, 1 tsp dark soy, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp mirin or rice wine vinegar, 1 clove garlic clove chopped, 1 tsp chili crisp, 1 1/2 tsp corn starch
- refrigerate for 6 hours to overnight
Kung Pao Chicken
- heat wok
- toast peanuts on low heat for about 30 seconds while tossing1/2-1/3 cup dry unsalted peanuts
- add about 1-2 tbsp of oil
- stir fry chicken until 75 percent done
- remove chicken from pan
- add vegetables except green onions and stir fry for 2-3 minutes depending wok heat You can add a tbsp of water to help steam1/2 cup carrots or 73 grams, 3/4 cup water chestnuts or 15oz or 160 grams, 1 cup zucchini or 170 grams, 1/2 cup green peppers chopped 75 grams
- add chicken back into pan and mix
- add kung pao sauce. It must heat to a simmer to thicken. Add more cornstarch slurry if you need to thicken it more1 tbsp Black Vinegar, 1 tsp shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp raw sugar or light brown sugar, 2 tbsp hoisin sauce or, 1 tsp oyster sauce or, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp chili crisp or 4 dried hot peppers, 1 clove garlic chopped, 1/4 tsp white pepper to taste, 1 1/2 tsp corn starch-do not leave in clumps mix in sauce, salt to taste
- once thick and done add green onions and peanuts
- remove from heat and serve Enjoy
Rice
- wash rice with cold water1-2 Cups medium grain rice, water as per directions
- cook as per directions
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