Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken
Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Asian
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Marinade
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar or dry sherry
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground Szechuan peppercorns
  • 2 vegetable oil
  • 6 dried red chilies
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced (seperate green and white)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger
  • 1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
Instructions
  1. Marinate the chicken – using a medium sized bowl, mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the chicken and stir gently to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes (while preparing sauce)
  2. In another bowl, mix balsamic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, honey, cornstarch, and Szechuan pepper. Stir until all has dissolved and is mixed well, then set aside.
  3. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat (when a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact). Add vegetable oil and coat the base. Add chilies and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, or until the chilies have just begun to blacken and the oil is slightly fragrant. Add the chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Add green onion whites, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce and mix to coat the other ingredients. Stir in the peanuts and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle green onion greens over top, and serve.