Kung Pao Chicken
Kung pao chicken (gong bao in Mandarin) is a spicy Sichuan recipe made with diced chicken, chili peppers and peanuts, named after a court official. It is a popular dish served at Chinese restaurants throughout the United States and the UK.
Ingredients
Chicken/Marinade
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp sherry or rice wine
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Spices
- 4 tbsp cooking oil
- ½ cup shelled peanuts
- 5–10 small dried red chile peppers
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
Vegetables
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
- 1 can (5 oz) sliced bamboo shoots (optional), drained
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 green onions, cut into ½-inch pieces, including green tops
Sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 4 tbsp chicken broth
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp Hoisin sauce
Steps
- Measure and prepare all ingredients.
- Mix chicken and marinade ingredients in bowl. Marinate ½ hour.
- Mix sauce ingredients in another bowl; stir out lumps. Set aside.
- Heat wok or large frying pan until water drops bead up and dance on surface.
- Add cooking oil. Wait a few seconds.
- Add remaining spice ingredients. Stir fry 30 seconds.
- Add chicken mixture. Stir fry about 4 min until chicken is cooked through.
- Add vegetables. Stir fry about 2–3 min.
- Stir sauce and add to wok. After it boils, cook about 1 min until thickened.
- Stir to coat ingredients with sauce.
- Pour onto large platter. Serve immediately.
Notes from the original
- Serve with steamed or fried rice.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Kung Pao Chicken” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-06-21, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.






