KungPao Chicken Recipe (Chinese Stir Fry Recipe for GongBaoJiDing)
This KungPao Chicken Recipe is authentic and all you need for a delicious dinner. Called GongBaoJiDing in Mandarin, this Chinese stir fry recipe is a classic on Chinese tables and in American Chinese buffets.
TOURISTS’ AND EXPATS’ FAVORITE CHINESE FOOD DISH
Travel to China and you will see marvelous sites, while your mouth meets some exquisite flavors.
Chinese cuisine varies widely by region of the country. However, some dishes are available in every province. These are the time-tested classics, the ones usually loved by natives and tourists alike.
Among them, you will find GongBaoJiDing (or, as Americans like to call it, “Kungpao chicken”). The combination of crunchy and tender, savory and spicy, juicy and chewy make this dish a truly amazing feat.
And today’s post is all about sharing a Kungpao chicken recipe that I and my family love.
China is a large country (just behind Russia and Canada and just before the USA in landmass), and that vast size means that food varies significantly throughout the nation. However, most Chinese meals center around rice or noodles (grain), cooked vegetables, fresh fruit, and meat. Thus, they hit four of the main food groups on a daily basis: grains, meat, vegetables, and fruit. Milk-based products are not as popular in China as they are in the West, due to the commonality of lactose intolerance. So cheeses are not in Chinese foods. However, yogurt is a very popular snack, and it is usually of quite thin consistency. Soymilk and tofu are also very common in Chinese food. All of this taken together means that Chinese food is one of the healthiest in the world.
FAQS ABOUT THIS KUNGPAO CHICKEN RECIPE
You bet! In China, this dish is one of the favorites for both foreigners and Chinese natives alike. Restaurants serve their Kungpao Chicken recipe with spicy Sichuan peppercorns, which have a signature flavor similar to the sweetness of star anise and leave your mouth feeling numb. Dried red peppers also make their appearance in Kungpao Chicken recipes, and crunchy vegetables and tender chicken make the texture amazing.
The KungPao Chicken recipe originated in China and is called “GongBaoJiDing” in Mandarin. This Chinese dish is as authentic as they come, and it is truly Chinese to the core. In the USA, Chinese buffets might adjust the recipe to make it more friendly to ingredients available in the USA (and to American palates). However, this doesn’t change the fact that the Kungpao chicken recipe is truly Chinese.
The ingredients of Kungpao chicken are savory and spicy, crunchy and tender, juicy and chewy. Chopped bits of chicken mingle among peanuts, minced green onion (scallions), crunchy vegetables, and loads of garlic and ginger. All of this is smothered in a delicious sauce composed of wine, oil, vinegar, and spices. The secret ingredient for Kungpao chicken is a special spice from one of China’s famed food provinces: Sichuan peppercorn.
Chinese Kungpao chicken (gongbaojiding) has a variety of spices that enhance the flavors of the dish. One of the most obvious spices (especially when you bite into it) is Sichuan peppercorn (huajiao). This spice leaves your mouth numb and has a slightly sweet flavor. Another spice in Kungpao chicken recipes is dried red chilis, which are a bit more visible in the dish than the Sichuan peppercorn.
HOW TO MAKE AN AUTHENTIC KUNGPAO CHICKEN RECIPE
What make a Kungpao chicken recipe truly authentic?
Well, first of all, it needs to have the proper spices. Sichuan peppercorn and dried red chili peppers are non-negotiable. If you don’t have them, then you can substitute red chili flakes (as I sometimes have done under necessity), but the flavor will not be the same–and most certainly not as authentic.
The other important ingredients for authentic Kungpao chicken recipes are wine (or wine vinegar), green onion (scallions), and a crisp, green vegetable (crisp celery or chayote squash are great options).
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED TO MAKE KUNGPAO CHICKEN?
To make a delicious Kungpao chicken recipe, you need these ingredients:
2 small, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
a 1-inch knob of ginger, minced
3/4 cup roasted peanuts
6 small, dried red chilis
6 green onion stalks, cut into small pieces
1 cup crunchy vegetable (chayote squash or crisp celery), cut into small bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorns
Sauce:
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp honey
4 tsp light soy sauce (low-sodium is best)
2 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 large pinch of salt + more, to taste
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp white sugar
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE KUNGPAO CHICKEN?
A Kungpao chicken recipe is super simple when it comes to tools and equipment. All you need is a great wok, a cutting board, a knife, and a spoon. Chinese serve Kungpao chicken with rice (the best way to eat it!), so you will also need whatever equipment you usually use to cook rice.
My recommendations:
a carbon steel wok (This is safe for cooking, is just like cast iron, and is basically indestructible. Just take the time to season it correctly)
organic bamboo cutting board
WHAT IS THE SECRET TO A GOOD KUNGPAO CHICKEN RECIPE?
As with most Chinese stir fry dishes, using a very hot wok and cooking the food quickly is one key to cooking delicious Kungpao chicken. Another secret is to use proper spices. The spices in Chinese cooking are extremely important! And Chinese spices are often very unique to China itself, which means that you need to seek them out in import stores or special natural shops if you live outside of the Middle Kingdom.
TIPS FOR HOW TO COOK GOOD CHINESE FOOD
How do you cook good Chinese food? Here are a few tips:
- Pre-cut and prepare all vegetables, meat, and sauces before beginning any cooking.
- Pre-heat your wok. It should be almost smoking hot before you start cooking anything.
- Maintain a high heat for much of the recipe (if not all).
- Sir constantly (especially because of the high heat).
- Use lots of garlic and ginger (unless, of course, a recipe would not call for these ingredients).
CLOSING THOUGHTS ON KUNGPAO CHICKEN RECIPE
This Kungpao chicken recipe is a long time coming, especially considering how much my husband and I adore this Chinese food dish! I’m so happy that I finally settled on an authentic recipe that packs all the flavors I remember from my years spent living in the Middle Kingdom.
When you try it, don’t forget to tag me (@myhome.yourhome.ourhome) on Instagram because I’d love to see!
If you’re looking for other recipes to try, check out these for starters:
Brazilian beef sirloin tip roast in the instant pot
The perfect mixed berry smoothie
The BEST make-ahead potato bread
Mocha sugar cookie holiday pie
KungPao Chicken Recipe (Chinese stir fry recipe for GongBaoJiDing)
Ingredients
- 2 small, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
- a 1-inch knob of ginger, minced
- 3/4 cup roasted peanuts
- 6 small, dried red chilis
- 6 green onion stalks, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup crunchy vegetable (chayote squash or crisp celery), cut into small bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorns
- Sauce:
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 4 tsp light soy sauce (low-sodium is best)
- 2 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 large pinch of salt + more, to taste
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp white sugar
Instructions
- Pre-cut all meat and vegetables and mix up the sauce before starting anything else in this recipe. To make the sauce, stir together about 2 Tbsp of chicken broth with the cornstarch, until no lumps remain. Then mix in the remaining ingredients.
- Heat up 2 Tbsp of a light oil (olive oil, canola oil) in a wok over high heat.
- When the wok is smoking, add the chopped ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorn, dried red chilis, chicken, and about 1/4 tsp salt. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, stirring constantly. (Slice a thick piece of chicken open and inspect to see whether it is still pink inside or not. If the meat is white all the way through, then it is done.)
- Add the green vegetable, peanuts, green onion, and sauce. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and serve hot over freshly cooked rice.
Notes
Sichuan peppercorns are increasingly available, and many import markets carry them. If you are unable to find real peppercorns, however, you can also substitute black peppercorns, though they will not add the same flavor to the dish. Note that Chinese Five Spice blend is not the same and will not yield the proper flavor in this dish.
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This sounds so delicious, even more so because it is authentic. We used to live in a large city before we moved to the mountains. You could find every type of cuisine imaginable! But now I have to try to recreate these dishes at home. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Looks super nutritious and delicious!