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Kung Pao Chicken
Spicy, sweet, and numbing Sichuan stir-fry with peanuts and dried chilies — a wok-tossed classic.
20 mins
10 mins
3 people
Chinese (Sichuan)
Chicken thighs
Cut into 2cm cubes
500g
Dried red chilies
Halved, seeds removed
10-15
Sichuan peppercorns
1 tsp
Roasted peanuts
1/2 cup
Garlic
Minced
4 cloves
Ginger
Minced
1 inch
Spring onions
Cut into 2cm pieces
4
Soy sauce
2 tbsp
Rice vinegar
1 tbsp
Sugar
1.5 tbsp
Cornstarch
For sauce
2 tsp
Sesame oil
1 tsp
Egg white
For velveting
1
Cornstarch
For velveting
1 tbsp
🍽️ Wok on a gas burner
→ Largest cast-iron or stainless pan on highest heat
Maximizes surface heat for stir-frying
🍽️ Sichuan peppercorns
→ Black pepper + tiny drop of lemon
Approximates the numbing sensation
Velvet chicken: mix with egg white, cornstarch, salt, and soy sauce. Marinate 15 mins.
💡 Pro Tip: Velveting is why restaurant chicken is silky-soft. Never skip this step.
Mix sauce: soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch into a bowl. Set aside.
💡 Pro Tip: Pre-mix all sauces before starting — wok cooking is too fast to measure mid-cook.
Heat wok to smoking hot. Add oil, cook chicken in single layer until browned. Remove.
💡 Pro Tip: Don't stir for 60 seconds — let it sear. Stirring early causes steaming.
In same wok, add chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Toss 30 seconds.
💡 Pro Tip: Toasting the chilies unlocks a smoky depth you can't get otherwise.
Add garlic, ginger, then chicken. Pour sauce over, toss until glossy. Add peanuts and spring onions.
💡 Pro Tip: Sauce coats in 30-45 seconds over high heat. Work fast.
- ✓Velveting chicken is mandatory for restaurant-quality texture
- ✓Pre-mix all sauces before the wok goes on
- ✓Smoking hot wok — higher than you think is necessary
- ✓Don't overcrowded the wok — cook in batches
- ✓Sichuan peppercorns give the characteristic numbing, not just heat
- →With steamed jasmine rice
- →With fried rice
- →As part of a shared Chinese banquet