Traditional Chinese Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao chicken (gōng bǎo jī dīng) at its best balances three flavors at once — deeply savory, gently sweet, and warmly spicy from dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Twenty minutes of cooking, big payoff.

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in ½-inch cubes
• 1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
• 8 dried red chilies, broken in half (seeds removed for less heat)
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, sliced
• 4 scallions, white parts cut in 1-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• Cooked Kokuho Rose jasmine rice for serving

Marinade

• 1 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Sauce

• 1 tbsp Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar (or rice vinegar)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce (for color)
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Method

1. Marinate

Toss chicken with marinade ingredients. Let stand 15 minutes while you prep everything else.

2. Whisk the sauce

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. The cornstarch will make it cling beautifully.

3. Bloom the aromatics

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high. Add chilies and Sichuan peppercorns, stirring just until fragrant — about 30 seconds. Don’t let them burn.

4. Sear the chicken

Crank heat to high. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil and the chicken in a single layer. Don’t move it for 60 seconds — let it brown. Stir-fry until just cooked through, about 3 minutes.

5. Add aromatics

Toss in garlic, ginger, and scallion whites. Stir-fry 45 seconds until fragrant.

6. Sauce and finish

Give the sauce a final whisk and pour it in. Cook, stirring constantly, until glossy and thickened — 30 seconds. Add the peanuts and toss once more.

7. Serve

Spoon over hot rice. Garnish with scallion greens.

Heat control: Sichuan peppercorns bring tingly numbness (málà), not capsaicin heat. The dried chilies bring the heat. Adjust both to taste — and remove the chilies before eating if you don’t want surprise mouthfuls.