I have simplified this delicious kung pao chicken recipe so it is easy to make with everyday ingredients. While we like all the flavors in this dish it is a rather spicy. I wanted to make it as taste as the Panda Express version, just not as spicy. So I thought I could accomplish milder flavor by using less red chili peppers.
The tagline on this blog is “Making delicious dishes using everyday ingredients” so my mission is to make most of my recipes, especially a copycat like this, using ingredients that are easy to find.
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What you will love about this recipe
- It is a healthy dish.
- Everything is cooked in one pan. You don’t even have to take anything out and put it back in.
- I’ve made easy substitutions for hard to find items so they can be found at any grocery store.
- It has the perfect balance of spicy and sweet.
Marinade Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
Stir Fry Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
While this is quite a few ingredients you may have many of them in your cabinet right now.
Chicken – we use boneless skinless chicken breast, boneless chicken thighs can be used.
Bell Pepper – I like to use red bell peppers because they are sweeter than green bell peppers, any color bell pepper will work here.
Zucchini – this is traditional but summer squash works just as well.
Green Onions – we use the white part only, you can save the green tops as a garnish on the finished dish if you want.
Peanuts – traditional kung pao chicken uses roasted peanuts so you can buy them already roasted or just use regular peanuts.
Soy Sauce – we only buy low sodium soy sauce because it’s a little better for us use your favorite. You can also use dark soy sauce.
Chicken Broth – use your favorite brand or homemade.
Rice Wine Vinegar – I use this instead of hoisin sauce in this recipe and shaoxing wine in the marinade to make this using ingredients you can buy at any store.
Corn Starch – this is in the marinade for the chicken to help it brown and in the sauce to thicken it a bit.
Sesame Oil – this ingredient gives our sauce flavor.
Brown Sugar – I like this in the marinade to help the chicken caramelize and turn a nice golden brown. We also add a little bit in the sauce to give it flavor.
Garlic – fresh chopped garlic or the kind in the jar (the kind in the jar is what I almost always use).
Red Pepper Flakes – this is the “everyday ingredient” we have chosen to make a spicy sauce without having to find dried chili peppers.
Canola Oil – you can use vegetable oil or olive oil.
How to make Kung Pao Chicken
While there are several steps to make this recipe it is still easy and goes very quickly.
- Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.
- In a medium bowl mix the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, corn starch and brown sugar. Stir the chicken pieces into the marinade and let sit while you chop the vegetables and prepare the homemade kung pao sauce.
- Chop the red bell pepper, zucchini and scallions.
- Mix chicken broth, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl or measuring cup. You will add the corn starch right before you put the sauce into the frying pan
- Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (you can use a wok if you have one) saute chicken stirring constantly until it is beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add bell pepper, zucchini, and peanuts; continue to cook stirring very often after 3 1/2 minutes add the green onions and cook another minute or so.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the sauce, add the sauce mixture to the pan and cook until the sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve over white rice, brown rice, fried rice, or lo mein noodles just like you would get at the Chinese restaurants.
Tips
- Cut the chicken first, make the marinade and let the chicken hang out there while you prepare the veggies and sauce.
- Have everything ready before you start cooking – chop the veggies, and make the sauce (don’t add the corn starch until right before you put it in the stir fry) before you start cooking. This recipe goes very quickly and there isn’t time to do too much besides cook.
- Medium high heat works best on my stove, you want everything to cook quickly without burning so find what works best on your stove. Just medium heat usually isn’t hot enough.
Storage & Reheating
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the microwave.
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Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 lb chicken breasts 1 very large or 2 small breasts
For the sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 tbsp corn starch
For the stir fry
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1/4 cup peanuts
- 6 scallions white parts only
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Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.1 lb chicken breasts
- In a medium bowl mix the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, corn starch and brown sugar. Stir the chicken pieces into the marinade and let sit while you chop the vegetables and prepare the homemade kung pao sauce.1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 2 tsp corn starch, 1 tsp brown sugar
- Chop the red bell pepper, zucchini and scallions.1 red bell pepper, 1 medium zucchini, 6 scallions
- Mix chicken broth, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl or measuring cup. You will add the corn starch right before you put the sauce into the frying pan.1/2 cup chicken broth, 6 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken, stirring constantly, until it is beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.1 tablespoon canola oil
- Add bell pepper, zucchini, and peanuts; continue to cook stirring very often after 3 1/2 minutes add the green onions and cook another minute or so.1/4 cup peanuts
- Whisk the cornstarch into the sauce, add the sauce mixture to the pan and cook until the sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes.1 tbsp corn starch
- Serve over white rice, brown rice, fried rice, or lo mein noodles just like you would get at the Chinese restaurants.
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