Kung Pao Chicken

The first time I had Kung Pao Chicken was at my Mom’s house decades ago. At first I thought the idea of peanuts in a Chinese dish, especially spicy, was gross, but when I took the plunge and tried it, I found that it worked, and I was in love with that flavor. So of course I had to make it at home. ;)

This recipe is one from a copycat recipe site, listed as P.F. Chang’s Kung Pao Chicken, and I tweaked it considerably. The original recipe only had scallions and minced garlic, and you know me--I had to add on. Besides, every Kung Pao Chicken I had ever eaten had more than that in it. So, I added celery, carrots, and baby corns, and I used fresh ginger root instead of powdered ginger, and switched the white sugar out for brown. I hope you like how it turned out as much as I do.

So, let’s get cooking!

First off, prepare the vegetables. Slice the scallions, the celery into about ¼” thick slices, dice the carrots, and mince the garlic and ginger. Set all aside.

Now cut the chicken breast into chunks about 1” each.

Place in a bowl and toss with the corn starch to coat.

Heat 2 tsp of the sesame oil in a skillet and sauté the chicken pieces until no longer pink inside, stirring frequently. Set aside.

Add 1 tsp of sesame oil to the skillet and sauté the carrots, celery, scallions, garlic, and ginger for about a minute, stirring.

In a small bowl, mix together the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add to the skillet with the veggies.

Drain and rinse the baby corns and add to the skillet, along with the previously cooked chicken and the crushed red pepper. Cook for about 2 or 3 minutes, until sauce is thickened.

Add the roasted peanuts and heat through, maybe a minute or so.

Serve over rice if you’d like. Enjoy! ~TMMF




Kung Pao Chicken

1 to 1 ½ lb skinless boneless chicken breast                    
1 Tbl corn starch                                                              
3 tsp sesame oil                                                                
2 scallions                                                                        
1 large stalk celery                                                            
1 large carrot
4-5 cloves garlic
1” fresh ginger root
1 can baby corns
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 Tbl rice wine vinegar
2 Tbl soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
½ c dry roasted peanuts