Kung Pao Chicken, one of the most representative dishes of Sichuan cuisine, is widely available and loved by people across China and around the world. The main ingredients include chicken breast, roasted peanuts, Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers, and more, resulting in a dish that is sweet, spicy, and savory with rich layers of flavor. The chicken pieces are attractively red, sour and spicy, the chicken meat is tender, and the peanuts are crispy and delicious. No matter how you eat it, you won't get tired of it, making it an excellent dish to pair with rice. However, there are certain techniques to make Kung Pao Chicken taste even better.
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About the Dish: Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken was created by Ding Baozhen, a native of Zijin, Guizhou, who served as the governor of Sichuan. He invented this dish during his tenure as governor, and it has been passed down to this day. According to the county annals of Zijin, when Ding Baozhen was young, he accidentally fell into the water and was rescued by a family near a bridge. After becoming an official, he remembered this incident and went to thank them. The family prepared this dish for him, which he found very tasty, so he promoted it. Kung Pao Chicken spread mainly through Sichuanese restaurants, becoming popular throughout the country and internationally, and thus is classified within the Sichuan cuisine tradition.
How to Make Kung Pao Chicken Deliciously
Ingredients Preparation
Chicken breast, roasted peanuts, scallions, ginger, garlic, dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, vinegar, sugar, dark soy sauce, cornstarch, cooking wine, salt.
Steps
1. First, pound and then cut the chicken breast into small pieces. Add 1 teaspoon of cooking wine and a little salt, mix well, add cornstarch, and marinate for 10 minutes.
2. Chop scallions, ginger, and garlic into slices. Mix vinegar, dark soy sauce, sugar, salt, cooking wine, cornstarch, and water to make a sauce.
3. In hot oil, stir-fry the chicken until just cooked through, then remove and set aside.
4. In the remaining oil, stir-fry the dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns over low heat. Then add the scallions, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry.
5. Add the chicken back into the pan and stir-fry on high heat. Pour the sauce along the edge of the pan.
6. Stir well, then add the peanuts and cook for a moment before serving.
How to Make Delicious Home-Style Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients Preparation
Chicken breast, green bell pepper, roasted peanuts, red bell pepper, salt, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, cooking wine, sesame oil, sugar.
Steps
1. Cut the chicken breast into 1 cm cubes. Add salt, cooking wine, and cornstarch, mix well, and marinate for 5 minutes. Chop scallions slightly smaller than the chicken pieces, and finely chop the ginger and garlic. Cut the green and red bell peppers into small pieces.
2. In a bowl, mix scallions, ginger, and garlic with salt, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, water, and cornstarch to make a sauce.
3. Heat the wok, add oil, and a little sesame oil. While the oil is still cool, add Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add the dried chili peppers and stir-fry until fragrant.
4. Add the chicken and stir-fry until the color changes. Add the green bell peppers and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Pour in the prepared sauce and stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute. Finally, add the roasted peanuts and serve.
Cooking Tips for Kung Pao Chicken
1. You can use chicken breast for the chicken, but using chicken thigh meat is more delicious and tender, and less demanding in terms of cooking time! However, it may not look as neat when cut into cubes compared to chicken breast.
2. This dish should be cooked over high heat throughout. Do not stir-fry the chicken for too long, or it will become tough. If you're not worried about additives, adding some tenderizer might help. Instead of using cooking oil to marinate the chicken, you can use egg white, but egg white can easily separate from the marinade, causing clumps to form.
3. For the Sichuan peppercorns in the recipe, you can choose to use Sichuan peppercorn powder instead. Frying whole Sichuan peppercorns can be dangerous, as they can easily burn and splash when they come into contact with cold water. Using Sichuan peppercorn powder provides a similar flavor.
4. When making Kung Pao Chicken, follow the “4689” rule: add the green and red bell peppers when the chicken is 40% cooked; pour in the sauce when it's 60% cooked; take it off the heat when it's 80% cooked; transfer it to a plate when it's 90% cooked. It will continue to cook with residual heat and reach 100% doneness.
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