Enjoy one of your favorite Chinese Restaurant takeout dishes when you make Kung Pao Chicken Recipe at home. Save time and money and make this delicious meal any day of the week. Sweet and spicy come together to give the chicken and veggies a great flavor.
Save your money and skip take out all together. You can easily make this meal in minutes. It sounds fancy but it is so easy to make even during crazy busy weeks.
This Asian Recipe is one of our favorites to cook. If you love this recipe, make this General Tso Chicken, Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe, Hoisin Chicken or Easy Black Pepper Chicken Recipe.
What is Easy Kung Pao Chicken?
This chicken has a sweet and sour sauce that is syrup like and loaded with hints of garlic, ginger, vinegar and honey. Lots of veggies such as onion, bell peppers and zucchini make this dish complete and the sauce brings it all together.
Ingredients:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Olive Oil
- Dark Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Water
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Honey
- Onion
- Red Bell Peppers
- Zucchini
- Cloves Garlic
- Ground Ginger
- Black Pepper
- Salt
- Red Chili Peppers, dried with seeds removed
- Roasted Peanuts
- Cornstarch to thicken
For the full list of ingredients and recipe, scroll to the bottom of the post to see the recipe card.
Variations Ideas:
- Kung Pao Sauce Ingredients – Feel free to change the ingredients for the sauce. Add in sichuan peppercorns, dry sherry, balsamic vinegar, or red pepper flakes.
- Veggies – You can also add in different veggies. Green bell pepper is always a great option.
- Chicken – Switch the chicken to Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs.
Step by Step Instructions:
Step 1 – First, combine the cornstarch, Soy Sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and back pepper in a small bowl.
Step 2 – Place chicken in the bowl with these ingredients and allow it to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
Step 3 – Dice the veggies while the chicken pieces is marinading.
Step 4 – Next, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken and the onions to the pan. You want to make sure the stir-fried chicken is browned on all the side, stirring occasionally for several minutes. Move the chicken to a separate dish.
Step 5 – Turn down the heat on the sauce pan to medium and toss in the bell peppers, garlic, ginger and chili peppers. Allow them to cook for approximately 1 minutes being careful not to overcook.
Step 6 – Next add the chicken back to the pan and allow to heat for 1-2 minutes. Once all the ingredients are thoroughly combined, topped with the roasted peanut. Serve this easy kung pao chicken recipe over rice with peanuts and green onions and enjoy.
Recipe Tips:
- Marinate Chicken – For best results allow the chicken to marinate for about 30 minutes.
- Cook Chicken – Cook the chicken first before cooking the veggies tender.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Some people get this confused with General Tso chicken but it is not the same. Kung Pao chicken tastes different as it is marinated and sauteed. General Tso chicken is deep fried.
Yes, it is. Don’t get confused as it is the same recipe.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last about 4 days if stored properly.
More Asian Easy Recipes:
- Asian Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Easy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe
- Instant Pot Mongolian Beef Recipe
- Crock Pot Chicken Lo Mein Recipe
- Easy Crock Pot Pepper steak Recipe
- Crock Pot Sesame Beef Recipe
We love hearing from you. If you make this Kung Pao Chicken Recipe, please leave a comment or a star review.
Kung Pao Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Chicken breast boneless Diced
- 3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- â…“ cup soy sauce
- â…“ cup sesame oil
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 onion diced
- 2 red peppers large diced
- 2 zucchini large diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 red chili peppers dried with seeds removed
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts chopped to pieces
- 1 tbsp cornstarch to thicken
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, water, rice vinegar, honey, cornstarch, black pepper, and salt until smooth.
- Add the diced chicken and toss to coat. Let the chicken marinate for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the marinated chicken and diced onion. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and nearly cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the bell peppers, zucchini, garlic, ground ginger, and dried chili peppers. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Return the chicken and any remaining marinade to the skillet. Stir everything together and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove the dried chili peppers if desired. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and serve immediately over cooked white rice.
Another amazing recipe! It was a huge hit at dinner.
A quick, inexpensive recipe that tastes wonderful.
I love all the flavors in this!!
Very delicious and easy to make. Tons of flavor. Tip…. get everything ready and cut/measured/mixed before cooking. Makes it so much easier.