Kung Pao chicken, originating from the Sichuan province of China, is a timeless dish that tantalizes taste buds with its sweet, savory, and slightly spicy flavors. This popular dish is a symphony of textures, combining crispy chicken, tender vegetables, and crunchy peanuts, all coated in a glossy, aromatic sauce. With its vibrant colors and bold flavors, Kung Pao chicken has captured the hearts and palates of food enthusiasts worldwide. In this article, we will delve into the art of creating the perfect Kung Pao chicken, exploring the essential ingredients, cooking techniques, and tips to elevate this dish to culinary greatness.
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KUNG PAO CHICKEN
Spicy chicken with peanuts, similar to what is served in Chinese restaurants. It is easy to make, and you can be as sloppy with the measurements as you want. They reduce to a nice, thick sauce. Substitute cashews for peanuts, or bamboo shoots for the water chestnuts. You can't go wrong! Enjoy!
Provided by Arlena
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian Chinese
Time 1h30m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- To Make Marinade: Combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture and mix together. Place chicken pieces in a glass dish or bowl and add marinade. Toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- To Make Sauce: In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture, chili paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add green onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. In a medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic.
- Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and saute in a large skillet until meat is white and juices run clear. When sauce is aromatic, add sauteed chicken to it and let simmer together until sauce thickens.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 436.5 calories, Carbohydrate 25.3 g, Cholesterol 65.9 mg, Fat 23.3 g, Fiber 4.2 g, Protein 34.4 g, SaturatedFat 3.8 g, Sodium 595.6 mg, Sugar 6.8 g
KUNG WOW CHICKEN
This highly simplified, yet quite Americanized version of kung pao chicken is much more flavorful than your simple stir-fry.
Provided by Chef John
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian
Time 1h35m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 24
Steps:
- Whisk together 1 tablespoon white wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and finely chopped green onion.
- Stir in chicken pieces to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Combine white vinegar, rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sambal chile paste, sesame oil, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ketchup, 2 tablespoon white wine, and garlic in a bowl. Whisk thoroughly; set aside.
- Mix cornstarch with cold water in a small bowl.
- Heat peanut oil in a heavy duty, nonstick skillet over high heat. Stir in chicken; cook and stir until chicken begins to brown, about 2 minutes
- Stir in zucchini and red bell pepper; cook for 2 more minutes. Add chicken broth and stir.
- Stir in vinegar mixture; cook and stir until vegetables are tender and chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 2 minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture until sauce is thickened, about 30 seconds; remove from heat.
- Toss in peanuts; season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in green onion tops. Serve over white rice.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 568.3 calories, Carbohydrate 66.4 g, Cholesterol 64.6 mg, Fat 18.1 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 32.2 g, SaturatedFat 3.2 g, Sodium 696.3 mg, Sugar 12.7 g
KUNG PAO CHICKEN
Provided by Ree Drummond : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 25m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Begin by mixing the sauce ingredients together: Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, sherry, sriracha, cornstarch slurry, rice wine vinegar and garlic in a bowl.
- Heat the peanut oil over high heat in a large skillet. Drop in the chiles and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to release the heat. Add the chicken and fry until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Add the celery and red pepper and cook for 1 minute, then return the chicken to the skillet. Pour in the sauce mixture and cook until the sauce has thickened, a couple of minutes. Add the peanuts and toss together.
- Serve over noodles and garnish with sliced green onions.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 376, Fat 21 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Cholesterol 157 milligrams, Sodium 814 milligrams, Carbohydrate 16 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 32 grams, Sugar 6 grams
KUNG WOW CHICKEN
"This highly simplified, yet quite Americanized version of kung pao chicken is much more flavorful than your simple stir-fry." Prep time does not include 1 hour marinating time.
Provided by Lavender Lynn
Categories Chicken Breast
Time 35m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 24
Steps:
- Whisk together 1 tablespoon white wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and finely chopped green onion.
- Stir in chicken pieces to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Combine white vinegar, rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sambal chile paste, sesame oil, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ketchup, 2 tablespoon white wine, and garlic in a bowl. Whisk thoroughly; set aside.
- Mix cornstarch with cold water in a small bowl.
- Heat peanut oil in a heavy duty, nonstick skillet over high heat. Stir in chicken; cook and stir until chicken begins to brown, about 2 minutes
- Stir in zucchini and red bell pepper; cook for 2 more minutes. Add chicken broth and stir.
- Stir in vinegar mixture; cook and stir until vegetables are tender and chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 2 minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture until sauce is thickened, about 30 seconds; remove from heat.
- Toss in peanuts; season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in green onion tops. Serve over white rice.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 636.7, Fat 21.1, SaturatedFat 3.5, Cholesterol 72.6, Sodium 883.8, Carbohydrate 74, Fiber 3.7, Sugar 12.9, Protein 35.1
KUNG PAO CHICKEN
Steps:
- Marinade: In a non-reactive bowl, prepare the marinade. Combine the rice wine, peanut oil, soy sauce, salt and cornstarch. Stir in the chicken pieces and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
- Over high heat, in a wok, bring the peanut oil to almost smoking temperature. Stir-fry the chilies, ginger, garlic and white part of the green onions for 30 to 40 seconds, or until the chilies turn dark. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden in color.
- Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the peanuts. Thicken with the slurry and continue to cook until glossy. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with julienne green onions.
EASY KUNG PAO CHICKEN
Sweet, sour and a little spicy, this meal tastes like home - specifically the home of Pearl Han, a talented Taiwanese American cook who naturally streamlined dishes while raising three kids and managing a busy career. Her younger daughter, Grace Han, shared this recipe: "quick, easy and my mom's favorite." Dried chiles sizzle in oil first to impart heat to the whole dish, then chicken browns in a single layer - no high-heat stir-frying necessary - to create a tasty caramelized crust before the pieces are flipped together. Coated in a dead-simple kung pao sauce that delivers the dish's signature salty tang, the chicken begs to be spooned over steamed rice. Serve with stir-fried vegetables as well for a complete meal.
Provided by Genevieve Ko
Categories dinner, weeknight, poultry, main course
Time 15m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Mix the chicken, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and a big pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl until evenly coated. Let sit while you prepare the sauce.
- Stir the vinegar, sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Combine the oil and chiles in a wok or large nonstick skillet, and set over medium heat. When the chiles start to sizzle and brown, about 15 seconds, push them to one side of the pan. Add the chicken to the other side all at once and spread in a single, even layer. Cook, without moving the pieces, until the bottoms are dark golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. If the chiles start to blacken, put them on top of the chicken so that they don't burn.
- Using a large spatula, flip the chicken in portions. Cook just until the meat almost loses all of its pinkness, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir the sauce and pour it into the pan. Stir until the sauce thickens and slicks the chicken evenly. Immediately transfer to a plate and serve hot.
KUNG PAO CHICKEN
My family loves the kung pao chicken from our favorite Chinese restaurant. But in less time than it takes for the delivery guy to arrive, we can be digging into a steaming platter of this copycat recipe! -Jennifer Beckman, Falls Church, Virginia
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 40m
Yield 4 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, salt and pepper; set aside., Place remaining cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir in the stock, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce and chili sauce until smooth; set aside., In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken in batches in 1 tablespoon oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm., Stir-fry onion and red pepper in remaining oil for 2-5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add garlic and ginger; cook 1 minute longer., Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken; heat through. Stir in cilantro and peanuts.
Nutrition Facts :
Tips:
- Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for a leaner dish.
- If you don't have Shaoxing wine, you can substitute dry sherry or white wine.
- Be careful not to overcook the chicken, or it will become tough.
- Serve Kung Pao chicken over rice or noodles for a complete meal.
- Garnish the dish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds for extra flavor and color.
Conclusion:
Kung Pao chicken is a classic Chinese dish that is easy to make at home. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create a delicious and flavorful meal that the whole family will enjoy. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner, give Kung Pao chicken a try. You won't be disappointed!
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