Kung Pao Chicken

This homemade version of Kung Pao Chicken is inspired by the classic Asian restaurant dish made to taste tangy and sweet all in one dish. My Kung Pao Chicken recipe is better than any restaurant recipe you’ve ever tried before! It’s so easy to make and can be ready in 35 minutes! Made with fresh ingredients in a delicious sticky sauce that will quickly become a weeknight staple.

Our family loves Kung Pao Chicken because it’s a dish that is packed full of Asian inspired flavors that we always crave.  I always opt to make my homemade sauce recipe because any store-bought Kung Pao Sauce doesn’t compare to the flavors I use. The combination of flavors I use is authentic to Kung Pao Chicken but the flavor is outstanding compared to any Asian restaurant.  This recipe features a variety of easy to find grocery store ingredients so that anyone can make it at home.

Make from Scratch

Kung Pao Chicken is served with a variety of fresh vegetables and nuts. Over the years, I’ve had it served a number of ways but when I make homemade Kung Pao Chicken, I make it with red and green bell peppers, chili peppers, zucchini, Salad Ready Tomato Wedges, garlic, cashews, and green onions. Some versions include carrots and other vegetables but I really like to stick to this list of ingredients.

Kung Pao Ingredients

■ Chicken: I like to use chicken breasts for this recipe. Simply cut the chicken into bite size chunks. The chicken will cook much quicker.

■ Vegetables: Bell peppers, zucchini, red chili peppers, tomatoes, garlic, green onions. These classic vegetables add flavor and crunch.

■ Soy Sauce: Soy sauce adds a deep flavor to the dish. Tastes great sweetened with honey.

■ Honey: Sweetens the sauce and adds a nice flavor.

■ Cashews: Crush up cashews and garnish the dish with it.

■ Cornstarch: Turns the liquid into a thick sauce that coats the vegetables and chicken.

Better than Takeout!

Dinner doesn’t have to be complicated.  Some of my favorite meals are made in under 35-minutes and right now I can’t get enough of Kung Pao Chicken recipe. I made this as a healthy alternative to Chinese takeout that we normally get. At the start of the New Year, I decided I wanted to focus on healthier homemade recipes by recreating some of my favorite Asian restaurants inspired recipes and this Asian chicken recipe is currently our favorite. We love it so much that it’s part of our meal rotation calendar.

What makes Kung Pao Chicken different than other Chinese recipes is that it uses fresh vegetables and chili peppers. The combination of fresh bell peppers with Salad Ready Tomato Wedges makes this traditional Chinese dish hearty and flavorful.

Grown in California, Salad Ready Tomato Wedges in Olive Oil and Italian Spices are unpeeled, gently cooked and come in two varieties – classic red and vibrant tri-color featuring red, orange and yellow tomatoes. The tomatoes are marinated in olive oil and Italian spice blend that gives them a great hint of flavor. From field to sealed in just five hours – a process that locks in freshness, flavor and nutrition – these delicious canned tomatoes are available for you and your family to enjoy any time of the year. 

Using canned Salad Ready Tomato Wedges cuts down on added moisture in the sauce. This is important because the sauce needs to thicken to coat the entire dish before serving. I start by draining the can of tomatoes and add them to a hot pan with oil to stir-fry them with other vegetables.

Now available under your store-labeled products in the canned tomato section of grocery stores nationwide, including Walmart, Salad Ready Tomato Wedges in Olive Oil and Italian Spices are perfect for any season. That means that Walmart’s Great Value brand carries Salad Ready Tomato Wedges – just look for the red embossed 10 oz. cans. They are perfect when you’re craving fresh tomatoes out of the summer season.

The key to creating Kung Pao Chicken is to use fresh vegetables. A homemade sweet and tangy Chinese stir-fry sauce takes this recipe to the next level.

By creating a quick marinade then coating the chicken in cornstarch before adding it to a hot skillet allows the chicken to crisp. Once the Kung Pao Sauce and stir-fried vegetables get added to the skillet with the chicken, everything remains crisp without becoming soft or soggy.

Asian Inspired Recipes

For more Asian inspired recipes, try this Garlic Sesame Chicken. It’s a 5-star rated recipe that the whole family will love. For a healthy Asian recipe, try these Asian Garlic Sesame Chicken Lettuce Cups. You’ll love this Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe with a delicious honey garlic sesame soy sauce. Finally, serve this Kung Pao Chicken with Vegetable Fried Rice or Vegetable Lo Mein.

Kung Pao Chicken

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Kung Pao Chicken is a Chinese classic made with chili peppers and fresh vegetables in a spicy sweet sauce with nuts. Serve with cooked rice for a quick homemade Chinese dinner.

5 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Servings 5

Calories 400 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2.5 pounds chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• ▢ 1 zucchini, diced
• ▢ 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
• ▢ 12 small red chili peppers OR 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ 10 ounces Salad Ready Tomato Wedges, can drained
• ▢ 5 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 7 green onion stalks, diced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Marinade

• ▢ 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1 teaspoons soy sauce
• ▢ 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Kung Pao Sauce

• ▢ 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
• ▢ 1/4 cup soy sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ▢ 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
• ▢ dash of sesame oil
• ▢ 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 1/4 cup cashews or roasted peanuts

Instructions

 

• Dice zucchini, bell peppers, garlic, and green onions. Place in a bowl. Drain tomatoes from can then place in vegetable bowl; set aside.

  2. Cut chicken breasts into strips then cut into cubes. Place in large plastic bag or bowl. Add in wet marinade ingredients then toss together. Add cornstarch and shake to coat well. 

  3. Using 2 medium skillets, pour 1.5 tablespoons oil into each. Heat over medium heat. Add chicken to skillets. Be sure to not crowd skillets. It works best to use 2 skillets for this step as you don’t want the chicken to steam and become soft.

  4. Cook chicken until golden brown then flip chicken and repeat. This should take about 10-15 minutes, total.

  5. Meanwhile, make the Kung Pao Sauce. In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients and whisk well to combine. 

  6. Remove chicken to small bowl. 

  7. In skillets, pour 1 tablespoon oil in each. Heat stovetop to high. Pour in vegetables and saute until it picks up color; about 3 minutes. Remove to bowl; set aside. 

  8. In a skillet over medium heat, add cooked chicken and Kung Pao Sauce. Cook sauce down by stirring until thick and just a few tablespoons of sauce remain. Stir in sauteed vegetables and nuts.

  9. Serve with cooked rice, green onions, and sesame seeds. 

Nutrition

Calories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 53gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 1079mgPotassium: 1295mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 1215IUVitamin C: 68.6mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 2.9mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate and it’s accuracy is not guaranteed to be exact.

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This post has been sponsored by Silgan & Pacific Coast Producers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.