Name: Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients: ¼ cup neutral cooking oil (such as canola, vegetable, or grapeseed); 2 to 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces; ¼ cup + 1 TBSP cornstarch, divided; 2 TBSP + 3 TBSP soy sauce, divided; 1 TBSP + 2 TBSP sherry, divided (see note; just grab the cooking sherry – it works fine and is much more affordable); ¼ cup hoisin; 1/2 tsp crushed/ground Szechuan peppercorns or red pepper flakes; 1.5 tsp sesame oil; 3 bell peppers, sliced (mix of red and green); 1.5 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely minced; 4 garlic cloves, minced or grated; 3 scallions, chopped/sliced; ⅔ cup peanuts; Rice, for serving

Kung Pao Chicken

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Author: Lauren McDuffie
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

Scale

¼ cup neutral cooking oil (such as canola, vegetable, or grapeseed)
2 to 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
¼ cup + 1 TBSP cornstarch, divided
2 TBSP + 3 TBSP soy sauce, divided
1 TBSP + 2 TBSP sherry, divided (see note; just grab the cooking sherry – it works fine and is much more affordable)
¼ cup hoisin
1/2 tsp crushed/ground Szechuan peppercorns or red pepper flakes
1.5 tsp sesame oil
3 bell peppers, sliced (mix of red and green)
1.5 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely minced
4 garlic cloves, minced or grated
3 scallions, chopped/sliced
⅔ cup peanuts
Rice, for serving

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Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. In a large mixing bowl, toss the chicken with ¼ cup of the cornstarch, 2 TBSP of the soy sauce, and 1 TBSP of the sherry until nice and coated. Fry/cook the chicken in the hot oil (all at once) until browned and crispy on all sides; takes about 4 or 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, make your sauce. Combine ½ cup water with 1 TBSP of the cornstarch, 3 TBSP of the soy sauce, 2 TBSP of the sherry, the sesame oil, Szechuan peppercorns or red pepper flakes, and the hoisin. Stir until well blended.
When the chicken is crispy, add the bell peppers, ginger and garlic, Cook for about a minute, stirring. Add the sauce and stir to mix. The sauce will thicken quickly as it cooks. When it’s bubbly and thick, add the scallions and peanuts, toss to combine, and taste for seasoning (adjust as needed). Serve hot over rice.

Notes

If you can find Chinese Shaoxing wine, use that instead of the sherry. I can never find it – at least not easily – so I use sherry instead. Of course, you can order online if you plan ahead.

Keywords: Kung Pao Chicken

Find it online: https://mykitchenlittle.com/2021/02/05/kung-pao-chicken/