Kung Pao chicken with peanuts
Prep
15 mins
Cook
15 mins
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
This is one of my favorite weeknight dinners because it comes together in just thirty minutes from start to finish. Kung Pao chicken is a classic Chinese takeaway dish, but making it at home is actually simpler and more affordable than you'd think. The beauty of this recipe is that chicken thighs stay wonderfully tender and juicy throughout the quick cooking process, plus they're packed with protein and B vitamins to keep you satisfied. Those roasted peanuts aren't just there for crunch and flavor either, they add healthy fats that help your body absorb all the good nutrients from the fresh ginger and peppers. Trust me, once you've made this a few times, it'll become your go to dish when you want something delicious but don't have hours to spend in the kitchen.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 500 gramsskinless and boneless chicken thighs
- 2 tbspamoy light soy sauce
- 1 tspdried chilli flakes
- 2 tbspcornflour
- 1 tbspvegetable oil
- 20 gramsfresh root ginger(finely chopped)
- 1garlic clove(chopped)
- 1red pepper
- 6salad onion(salad onions, cut into 4cm lengths)
- 50 gramsroasted peanuts(plus extra to serve)
- 1 tspsichuan peppercorns(toasted and crushed)
- 2 tbspdark soy sauce
- 2 tbspshaoxing rice wine
- 1 tbsprice wine vinegar
- 2 tspcaster sugar
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Slice the chicken into 2cm pieces, put in a medium bowl and mix with the soy sauce and chilli flakes. Sprinkle over the cornfl our and stir to coat. In another small bowl, mix all the kung pao sauce ingredients with 1 tbsp water.
- 2
Heat a wok, add 1 tsp oil and fry the ginger and garlic for about 1 minute until golden, then tip into a bowl. Put the remaining 2 tsp oil in the wok and brown the chicken for 6-7 minutes until golden. Add the pepper, salad onions, peanuts, crushed peppercorns and ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then pour in the sauce. Cook for 2 minutes until the sauce is sticky. Serve with the steamed rice and extra peanuts.
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