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Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao chicken with rice and green onions

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This kung pao chicken is surprisingly easy! Juicy chicken thighs are cooked in a delicious homemade Asian sauce with garlic, scallions, and peanuts.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil or a neutral flavor oil
  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • Dash fine sea salt

For the Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons sugar

For the Stir-Fry

  • 5 large cloves garlic, mashed and coarsely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons grated ginger or ginger paste
  • 2 dried red chilies, such as Tien Tsing or de Arbol, seeded and crumbled, or more
  • 8 scallions, thinly sliced, light green and white parts separated from the dark green tops
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns or black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil or a neutral flavor oil
  • 1 cup roasted peanuts, preferably unsalted

Instructions

  1. Put the chicken pieces in a nonreactive bowl or container.
  2. In a separate small bowl, combine the water with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, 1 tablespoon of oil, wine or sherry, sea salt, and white pepper; whisk to blend the mixture thoroughly and pour it over the chicken. Cover the bowl and let it marinate for 15 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the rice vinegar, light and dark soy sauces, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and the sugar. Whisk to blend and set aside.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, chilies, white and light green parts of the green onions, and the ground black pepper. Set aside.
  5. In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil over high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the marinated chicken. Cook, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes. Remove the chicken to a bowl and set aside.
  6. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok or skillet and lower the heat to medium-low. When the oil is hot, add the bowl of stir-fry ingredients (the garlic, ginger, chilies, light green and white parts of the green onions, and the black pepper). Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
  7. Add the chicken back to the wok or skillet and increase the heat to high. Stir-fry for 2 minutes longer.
  8. Whisk the sauce mixture again to blend and add it to the wok; stir fry until the sauce has thickened, about 1 more minute.
  9. Add the peanuts to the wok and transfer the kung pao chicken to a serving dish. Top with green onion tops, as desired.
  10. Serve the kung pao chicken with hot cooked rice and offer any remaining sliced green onion tops on the side.