Kung Pao Chicken

Name: Kung Pao Chicken
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: Chicken breast, diced into 2cm cubes, 600g; Roasted peanuts, 100g; Dried red chillies, 10; Sichuan peppercorns, 1 tsp; Garlic cloves, sliced, 4; Fresh ginger, sliced, 3cm piece; Soy sauce, 3 tbsp; Shaoxing wine, 2 tbsp; Sugar, 2 tsp; Egg white and cornstarch, for velveting

宫保鸡丁/gōng bǎo jī dīng/

Also known as: Gong Bao Chicken, Kung Po Chicken, Gongbao Jiding

About this dish

A Sichuan classic — diced chicken stir-fried with peanuts, dried chillies and the signature mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorn.

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History & Origin

Kung pao chicken (gong bao ji ding) is named after Ding Baozhen, a Qing dynasty official who served as governor of Sichuan province in the late 19th century. Ding held the title Gong Bao (palatial guardian) and was fond of a spicy chicken dish with peanuts. During the Cultural Revolution the dish was banned as a symbol of feudalism and renamed hong bao ji ding. After the Cultural Revolution ended it was rehabilitated. The Sichuan peppercorn is what makes this dish unique — it contains hydroxy-alpha-sanshool, which creates a numbing, tingling sensation (ma) unlike any other spice on earth.

Ingredients

🍗Chicken breast, diced into 2cm cubes, 600g

🌰Roasted peanuts, 100g

🌶️Dried red chillies, 10

🌿Sichuan peppercorns, 1 tsp

🧄Garlic cloves, sliced, 4

🫚Fresh ginger, sliced, 3cm piece

🫙Soy sauce, 3 tbsp

🍶Shaoxing wine, 2 tbsp

🍬Sugar, 2 tsp

🥚Egg white and cornstarch, for velveting

Method

Serves 4

Velvet the chicken by coating in egg white and cornstarch. Let rest for 15 minutes. This keeps the meat silky and tender.

Mix the sauce: soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, black vinegar and a cornstarch slurry. Set aside.

Heat the wok over highest heat until smoking. Add oil and the velveted chicken. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until just cooked. Remove.

In the same wok, add more oil. Fry the dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns for 30 seconds until fragrant and the chillies darken.

Add garlic and ginger, stir-fry for 20 seconds. Return the chicken to the wok.

Pour over the sauce and toss everything together until glossy and coating. Add the roasted peanuts at the very end. Serve immediately over steamed rice.

✓ What Makes it Authentic

Use Sichuan peppercorns — not black pepper. The numbing sensation (ma) is essential to the dish. Velveting the chicken in egg white and cornstarch keeps it tender.

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