Kung Pao Recipe

Kung Pao Chicken is fast, fiery and packed with flavour — tender chicken, crisp peppers, peanuts and a lip‑tingling chilli kick. This homemade version hits all the salty‑sweet‑spicy notes of your favourite Chinese takeaway.

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🔥 What is kung pao chicken?

Kung Pao Chicken is a fiery Sichuan stir‑fry made with chicken, dried chillies and peanuts in a glossy, savoury sauce. It’s one of those dishes that should come with a warning — once you make it, you’ll crave it again and again.

If you love Chinese takeaway dishes, check out my collection of Chinese recipes.

Chicken & vegetables

• 🍗 Chicken breasts
• 🌶️ Dried red chillies
• 🛢️ Vegetable oil
• 🫑 Green bell pepper
• 🫑 Red bell pepper
• 🧅 Onion
• 🫚 Fresh ginger
• 🧄 Garlic
• 🌱 Spring onions
• 🥜 Peanuts

Kung Pao sauce

• 🌽 Cornflour
• 🟫 Light soy sauce
• ⬛ Dark soy sauce
• 🍚 Sugar
• 💧 Water

The combination of salty soy sauce, sweet sugar and fiery chillies creates that signature tongue‑tingling Kung Pao flavour.

🍶 Don’t skip the Shaoxing wine

Shaoxing (also spelt Shaohsing) is a traditional Chinese rice wine used in countless stir‑fries. It adds depth and restaurant‑style flavour. You can find it at Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. If you really need a substitute, pale dry sherry will do — but honestly, I’ve never swapped it out before. 

🥢 What is velveting?

Velveting is a Chinese cooking technique that keeps chicken tender and juicy. If you want restaurant‑quality chicken, it’s worth learning.

I explain how to velvet chicken in my Chinese Chicken Curry recipe — but if you use velveting here, skip the marinade in this Kung Pao recipe.

🛒 Where to buy ingredients

You can find everything you need in any good Chinese or Oriental supermarket. Dried chillies, Shaoxing wine, and dark soy sauce are all easy to get.

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• Tastes just like your favourite takeaway
• Quick and easy
• Lip‑tingling spicy
• Full of bold Chinese flavours
• Perfect for weeknights
• Naturally low‑calorie

🥡 More spicy recipes you’ll love

• Sweet and Sour Chicken
• Chilli Beef Lettuce Wraps

❓FAQs

What is Kung Pao Chicken?

Gong Bao (Kung Pao) Chicken is a classic Chinese stir‑fry made with tender chicken, peppers, peanuts and a spicy, savoury sauce. It’s famous for its bold, lip‑tingling flavour.

Is this the same as takeaway Kung Pao Chicken?

Yes — this homemade version tastes just like a UK Chinese takeaway, but fresher and with better texture thanks to velveting the chicken.

How spicy is Kung Pao Chicken?

Whole dried red chillies are extremely hot. I use eight in my recipe, but some versions use twelve with the seeds left in — honestly, that’s mental. Even die‑hard chilli lovers might struggle with that level of heat.

If you’re not a fan of spice, this recipe might not be for you. But if you love fiery food, such as Mapo Tofu, then you’re in for a treat!

Do I have to velvet the chicken?

Velveting gives you that silky, tender takeaway‑style chicken. It only takes a minute and makes a big difference, but you can skip it if you’re short on time.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breast?

Absolutely — thighs stay juicy and work brilliantly in this recipe. Just slice them into bite‑sized pieces.

Can I make Kung Pao Chicken ahead?

You can prep the sauce and velvet the chicken ahead of time, but the stir‑fry is best cooked fresh for the perfect texture.

Can I freeze it? 

Personally, I would not freeze this. Why? Because the peppers and onions would lose their texture.

What should I serve it with?

Egg fried rice, boiled rice, noodles or even stir‑fried vegetables. It’s a versatile dish that pairs well with almost anything.

Have you tried this recipe?
Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below!

kung pao chicken recipe, gong bao chicken, how to make kung pao chicken

Asian, Main

Chinese

Yield: 3-4

Author: Jan Bennett

Kung Pao Chicken

Quick, spicy Kung Pao Chicken with tender chicken, peanuts and a bold, glossy sauce.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 8 MinTotal time: 18 Min

Ingredients

Chicken and vegetables

• 2–3 skinless chicken breast fillets
• 6–8 whole dried red chillies
• Vegetable oil
• ½ green bell (capsicum) pepper
• 1 red bell (capsicum) pepper
• 1 large brown onion
• Fresh ginger
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 spring onions (scallions)
• A small handful of roasted peanuts

Marinade

• 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine)

Sauce

• 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 6 tbsp water

Instructions

Prep the ingredients

1. Cut the chicken into bite‑sized cubes. De-seed and slice the dried chillies. Cut the peppers and onion into bite‑sized cubes. Peel and finely chop the ginger (2 tsp). Peel and mince the garlic. Slice the spring onions diagonally.
2. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Cook

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok, stir‑fry the chicken until nearly cooked, then remove and set aside.
2. Wipe the wok, add a splash of oil, then stir‑fry the onion and peppers for a couple of minutes.
3. Add ginger and garlic for 1 minute, then add the dried chillies and cook until fragrant.
4. Return the chicken to the wok and stir until fully cooked. Stir the sauce again, pour it in, and cook until everything is coated and glossy.
5. Add spring onions and peanuts, toss together and serve immediately with egg‑fried rice.

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