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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.

Kung Pao Chicken in a bowl with a side of white rice with chopsticks
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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 Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe 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:

Kung Pao Chicken ingredients - chicken breasts, olive oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, water, rice vinegar, honey, onion, bell peppers, zucchini, garlic, ginger, pepper, salt, chili peppers, peanuts, cornstarch
  • 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:

Combining the marinade in a bowl

Step 1 – First, combine the cornstarch,  Soy Sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and back pepper in a small bowl.

Marinating diced chicken in a bowl

Step 2 – Place chicken in the bowl with these ingredients and allow it to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.

Chopping veggies on a cutting board

Step 3 – Dice the veggies while the chicken pieces is marinading.

Cooking chicken and onions in a skillet

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.

Cooking the diced veggies in a skillet topped with seasoning

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.

Cooked diced chicken and roasted vegetables in a skillet

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.
Kung Pao Chicken in a bowl with a side of white rice and chopsticks

Frequently Asked Questions:

What Does Kung Pao Chicken taste like?

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.

Is Kung Pow Chicken the same as Kung Pao Chicken?

Yes, it is. Don’t get confused as it is the same recipe.

How to Store Leftovers:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last about 4 days if stored properly.

Kung Pao Chicken in a cast iron skillet topped with peanuts

More Asian Easy Recipes: 

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

5 from 1 vote
Enjoy one of your favorite Chinese takeout dishes when you make Kung Pao Chicken Recipe at home. Save time and money and make this sweet and salty meal.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6
Cuisine Chinese
Course Main Course
Calories 429

Ingredients

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Instructions

  • In a small bowl combined the cornstarch, Soy Sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and back pepper. Place chicken in the bowl with these ingredients and allow it to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
  • Dice up the vegetables while the chicken is marinading.
  • Then heat the vegetable oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken and the onions to the pan.
  • Then brown the chicken on all the sides, stirring occasionally for approximately 5-6 minutes.
  • Move the chicken to a separate dish.
  • Turn down the heat on the sauce pan to medium and add the bell peppers, garlic, ginger and chili peppers. Allow them to cook for approximately 1 minutes.
  • 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 over white rice and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories 429kcal, Carbohydrates 21g, Protein 30g, Fat 26g, Saturated Fat 4g, Cholesterol 72mg, Sodium 1280mg, Potassium 978mg, Fiber 4g, Sugar 13g, Vitamin A 1978IU, Vitamin C 151mg, Calcium 40mg, Iron 2mg

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families!

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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Comments

  1. Jay says:

    Very delicious and easy to make. Tons of flavor. Tip…. get everything ready and cut/measured/mixed before cooking. Makes it so much easier.