- 20 Min. Prep
- 15 Min. Cook
- 2 Servings
- 173 Calories
Originally from the Sichuan province, Kung Pao Chicken has long been a staple on Chinese restaurant menus both in China and abroad. Our easy to create at home version combines tender, juicy chicken marinated in Knorr Chicken Powder with crunchy peanuts and a hint of spice. It’s sure to become a family favorite in your weekly dinner rotation.
- For the chicken and marinade:
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Dash of soy sauce
- Pinch of white pepper
- Pinch of Knorr Chicken Powder
- 1/2 egg white
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow wine (Huang Jiu)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar (Xiang Cu)
- 1 tablespoon red chili oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Knorr Chicken Powder
- Pinch of white pepper
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- For the sides:
- 4 tablespoons extra light olive oil, for stir-frying, separated
- 1/4 cup peanuts
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 10 pieces dried red chili peppers, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 sliced ginger, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 3 stalk scallions, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces, white part
To marinate the chicken, place the chicken in a large bowl. Then add in the soy sauce, white pepper, Knorr Chicken Powder, egg white, cornstarch, and water. Mix well. Marinate for 10 minutes.
To make the sauce, in a bowl, add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, yellow wine,
Chinkiang vinegar, red chili oil, sugar, Knorr Chicken Powder, white pepper, and cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water). Whisk.
In a wok, over medium-low heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra light olive oil and peanuts. Stir-fry until lightly brown, 5 minutes. Remove the peanuts and set them aside.
With the remaining oil in the wok, over low heat, add the Sichuan peppercorns and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Remove the Sichuan peppercorns.
Again, with the remaining oil in the wok, over medium heat, place in the dried red chili peppers, ginger, garlic, and scallions. Stir-fry until aromatic, 30 seconds. Take out the aromatics, but leave the oil inside the wok.
In the same wok, over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra light olive oil and the chicken. Let it pan-fry without touching it for 30 seconds. Stir-fry the chicken until cooked, about 3 minutes.
Then return the side ingredients and sauce. Stir-fry. Lastly, return the peanuts. Mix until combined.
Serve!
