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 kung pao chicken it is a a rather spicy dish. I wanted to make it homemade with the same kung pao chicken taste as the Panda Express version, just not as spicy. So I thought I could accomplish milder flavor by using less red chili peppers. Well, the two grocery stores I shop at only had larger dried red chilies, in the Mexican food section, but no small ones.
Then I researched it further and found that I could buy the chilies on Amazon. I am not sure about you but I am just not going to make a dish if I have to order an ingredient on the internet. So I decided to use crushed red pepper flakes. How easy is that?! It is an inexpensive ingredient that I already have in my spice cabinet.
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 recipe, using ingredients that you can get at the store you shop at regularly. I am not about to run around town looking for ingredients to make dinner, and I don’t think the average person wants to either.
Table of contents
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.
- We have found a good substitute for every ingredient in traditional kung pao chicken that is hard to find.
- It has the perfect balance of spicy and sweet.
Marinade Ingredients
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Sauce Ingredients
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Stir Fry Ingredients
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Ingredient Notes
While this is quite a few ingredients you may have many of them in your cabinet right now. If not you can find all of these in the grocery store you typically shop at. You will not need to run around town looking for ingredients, or shop on the internet, to make this dish.
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 what Panda Express uses, summer squash can be used if you can’t find zucchini.
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 and it is usually the store brand, use your favorite brand. You can also use dark soy sauce.
Chicken Broth – I like low sodium broth and always buy the popular name brand, use your favorite brand or homemade.
Rice Wine Vinegar – I use this instead of hoisin sauce in the sauce 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.
How to make Kung Pao Chicken
Canola Oil – you can use vegetable oil or olive oil.
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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Easy Copycat Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Recipe ↓
Easy Copycat Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 pound chicken breasts 1 very large or 2 small breasts
For the sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 tablespoon 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 pound 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 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons corn starch, 1 teaspoon 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 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon 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 tablespoon 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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