My Copycat Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken is a deliciously spicy stir fry with lots of chunky veggies and chicken, coated in a rich, tasty homemade sauce!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Marinating time30 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Chinese Stir Fry Recipe, How to make Kung Pao Chicken, Panda Express Kung Pao, stir fry
2 tbsp rice wine, ¼ tsp white pepper, 5 tbsp dark soy sauce, 4 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 garlic cloves, 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, ½ tsp ground sechuan peppers
Place the chopped chicken in a separate bowl and mix with the cornflour/cornstarch.
3 chicken breasts, 1 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
Stir in 1/3 of the marinade ingredients into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 12 hours). NOTE: Reserve the remaining 2/3rds of the marinade for the sauce.
Heat your wok or frying pan over a medium heat and add the whole chilli peppers. Dry cook for a couple of minutes – turning regularly until the chillies go darker in colour. NOTE: They burn quite quickly, so keep a close eye on them. Remove from the pan when they’ve darkened and gone a little softer.
8 dry whole chilli peppers
Add the oil to your work, heat on a high heat and then add the chicken (using a slotted spoon to remove from the marinade). Fry until cooked through – about 7-8 minutes.
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Add in the red peppers, courgette/zucchini, and spring onions/scallions. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until heated through, but still crunchy.
2 red bell pepper, 1 medium-sized courgette/zucchini, 12 spring onions/scallions
Add in the reserved 2/3rds of the marinade and the chillies and cook until the sauce thickens slightly – about 2 minutes.
If you’d prefer the sauce to thicken even more, you can mix a tbsp. of cornflour/cornstarch with a couple of tbsp. of cold water, then pour this mix in whilst stirring. The sauce will thicken very quickly.
Add in the peanuts (or cashews) just before serving, and give them a quick stir. Serve over boiled rice (with a large glass of water if you intend to eat those chillies!)
70 g (1/2 cup) unsalted peanuts, boiled rice
Video
Notes
Can I make it gluten free?
Yes, swap the soy sauce for tamari and the rice wine for a splash of sherry. Also, use gluten free hoisin sauce. <--affiliate link. Always check the label to ensure it's gluten free!>.
Can I make it ahead?
I find it tastes better when made fresh, as the vegetables retain a nice crunch. However, if you have leftovers, you can quickly cool, cover and freeze. Then defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave until piping hot throughout (give it a good stir a couple of times when reheating)..
Alternatives to chicken?
Thinly sliced steak, prawns (shrimp) and pork work great.You could use quorn, mushrooms or tofu for a vegetarian alternative. Check that your hoisin sauce brand is vegetarian too (most are, but it's best to be sure)..
Meal prep:
I love to make extra kung pao chicken that i'll quickly cool, cover and refrigerate. It tastes great served cold with some couscous/quinoa/bulgur wheat and salad and should last 2 days in the fridge - which makes it a great option for meal prep..Nutritional Information is per serving without rice.