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.
🔥 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
❓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
Quick, spicy Kung Pao Chicken with tender chicken, peanuts and a bold, glossy sauce.
Ingredients
- 2-3 skinless chicken breast fillets (depending on their size)
- 6-8 whole dried red chillies - deseeded and cut into strips
- vegetable oil
- ½ green bell (capsicum) pepper - cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 red bell pepper (capsicum) - cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 large brown onion - peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
- fresh ginger - skin removed and chopped finely (enough to make 2 teaspoons)
- 4 cloves garlic - peeled and minced
- 2 spring onions (scallions) - sliced diagonally
- a small handful of roasted peanuts
- 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch in the US)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine)
- 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch in the US)
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- ½ a tablespoon of dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons of granulated (regular) white sugar
- 6 tablespoons of water
Instructions
- If you’re using the velveting technique, skip the marinade step.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes, place them in a small bowl with the marinade ingredients, and mix well. Let it rest for 30 minutes, but no longer, since the alcohol in the Shaoxing wine can start to break down the chicken.
- Meanwhile, mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and let it drain. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok and add the chicken. Stir-fry until it's almost cooked, then remove it from the wok and set it aside.
- Wipe the wok with a paper towel, add a splash of oil, and heat it up. Once hot, add the onion and peppers. Stir for a couple of minutes.
- Add the ginger and garlic, stir for another minute, then add the dried red chillies. Stir-fry until the chillies are fragrant and give off a spicy aroma.
- Return the chicken to the wok and stir for a few minutes, making sure it is thoroughly cooked.
- Stir the sauce well to blend in any cornflour and sugar that may have settled, then pour it into the wok, mixing until the chicken is evenly coated. Toss in the spring onions and peanuts, and give it all one last stir.
- Serve immediately with egg-fried rice.
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