Authentic Kung Pao Chicken recipe
About This Recipe
🍗 I. Core Ingredients List
| Category | Ingredients/Seasonings | Quantity & Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Main Protein | Boneless chicken thigh | 250g, diced into 1.5cm cubes |
| Crisp Element | Deep-fried peanuts | 50g (cooled completely) |
| Aromatics | Dried chili segments, Sichuan peppercorns, minced ginger/garlic, scallion sections | 6-8 dried chilis (deseeded), 10-15 Sichuan peppercorns, 5g each minced ginger/garlic, 1 scallion (white part, cut into 1.5cm segments) |
| Marinade | Salt, cooking wine, starch, egg white (optional), cooking oil | ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp cooking wine, 1 tsp starch, ½ egg white, 1 tsp oil |
| Sauce Mix | Sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, cooking wine, starch slurry | Sugar 15-20g, vinegar 15-20g, light soy sauce 10g + dark soy sauce 2g, cooking wine 5g, starch slurry 10g (1:1 starch:water) |
Reference Video
👨🍳 II. Step-by-Step Instructions
Preparation:
Marinate chicken: Combine diced chicken with marinade, massage until sticky. Refrigerate 20 mins.
Peanuts: Soak raw peanuts in hot water 10 mins → peel → deep-fry at medium heat until golden → cool completely.
Sauce: Whisk all sauce ingredients until sugar dissolves (sugar/vinegar ≈ 1:1 ratio).
Velveting Chicken:
Heat wok until smoking → add 5 tbsp oil → heat to 120°C/250°F.
Add chicken → stir gently 20-30 sec until whitened → remove immediately.
Infuse "Hu La" Flavor:
Leave 1 tbsp oil in wok → low heat → fry Sichuan peppercorns 10 sec → discard peppercorns (retain aroma).
Add dried chilis → stir until mahogany red (do NOT burn) → add ginger/garlic.
Final Stir-fry:
Maximum heat → return chicken + scallions → stir-fry 10 sec.
Pour sauce over → toss until thickened (5-8 sec).
Off heat → add peanuts → mix once → serve immediately.
🔥 III. Critical Techniques
Tender Chicken:
Thigh > breast meat (more tender).
Velveting control: Oil at 120°C/250°F, remove at 80°C/175°F internal temp.
Signature Flavors:
"Hu La" (numbing-spicy): Chilis fried to reddish-brown (not black).
"Lychee Taste": Sweet-sour balance (1:1 sugar/vinegar), soy sauce for umami → no MSG (causes bitterness).
Peanut Crispness:
Add ice-cold peanuts last → 1 toss only → prevents sogginess.
Fail-Safe Tips:
Prevent starch clumping: Coat marinated chicken with oil before velveting.
Wok temperature test: Drip water → should bead and dance.
Speed is key: Total cooking time ≤ 90 seconds after returning chicken to wok.
🌶️ IV. Common Variations
Milder spice: Reduce chilis to 2-3, add 5g sweet bean paste.
Vegetable add-ins: Blanched bamboo shoots/cucumber cubes (add 60 sec before sauce).
Sauce-dominant version: Reduce sugar/vinegar by 30%, increase soy sauce to 1.5× sugar weight.
💎 Core Philosophy: Kung Pao Chicken is a quick-fire dish → Mise en place (prep everything), pre-mixed sauce, and heat control are non-negotiable. Authentic version uses no bean paste – flavor relies on "Hu La" aroma and lychee-style sweet-sour balance.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
Craft Wok Traditional Hand Hammered Chinese Carbon Steel Wok with Wooden and Steel Helper Handle (14 Inch, Round Bottom Pow Wok Pan) / 731W88
Dry-fried beef noodles, Kung Pao chicken, quick-fried kidney (classic dishes relying on "wok hei"). Pan-fried fish, tofu (hot pan cold oil method prevents skin breaking).
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