Name: Easy Kung Pao Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into cubes); 2 garlic cloves (minced); 1/4 tsp ground ginger; 1/2 green bell pepper (chopped); 4 green onions (chopped); 1/4 cup peanuts (roasted); 1/2 red bell pepper (chopped); 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar ((good quality)); 2 teaspoons corn starch; 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar; 1 Tablespoon soy sauce; 1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 2 teaspoons corn starch; 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes ((optional)); 2 tbsp Peanut or vegetable oil

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This Easy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe is a quick and easy Chinese inspired recipe that can be ready in less than 30 minutes and makes a great weeknight meal to celebrate Chinese New Year or for any time of year.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients For Kung Pao Chicken
How To Make Easy Kung Pao Chicken
Tips for Perfect Kung Pao Chicken
Recipe
Other Chinese Chicken Recipes
Reviews

Why You’ll Love Kung Pao Chicken

Easy – A quick and easy complete meal with chicken, vegetables, kung pao sauce, and rice in under 30 minutes;
Flavor – A restaurant quality Chinese dinner that tastes better than take-out, and is made using mostly pantry ingredients;
Sauce – An ahhhh-mazing sweet, spicy, and savory Kung Pao sauce.

Our favorite place for Kung Pao Chicken was a little family-owned restaurant near our house. We ate there for a number of years until the restaurant closed.

We tried several other restaurants afterward but their Kung Pao was not the same. We gave up trying to find another restaurant, and instead, now I make the Kung Pao Chicken at home.

Ingredients For Kung Pao Chicken

Below, I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions if you don’t have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.

Sesame Oil – Can usually be found in the international aisle of most grocery stores.
Hoisin Sauce – This can also usually be found in the same aisle as sesame oil.
Balsamic Vinegar – A good quality balsamic vinegar makes a huge difference in taste and will not be too vinegary.
Soy Sauce – I like to use a low sodium version. However, you could also use coconut aminos, or Bragg liquid aminos, or teriyaki sauce.
Chicken – You’ll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces.
Cornstarch – This is to coat the pieces of chicken.
Bell Peppers – I like to use a combination of red, green, and yellow bell peppers to add more color to the recipe.
Minced Garlic – Mince fresh garlic, or use pre-minced garlic.
Peanuts – Omit if you are allergic to peanuts.
Green Onions – Optional as garnish.

I understand that you may not want to buy an ingredient just for one recipe, which is why I also recommend checking out some of my other favorite Asian dishes that use either Hoisin sauce or Sesame Oil:

Pepper Steak in Wonton Cups – a wonderful Asian-inspired bite-sized appetizer
Sticky Asian Chicken Wings – a sweet and spicy Asian-inspired chicken wings.
Spicy Orange Chicken – a chicken dish in a sweet and spicy orange sauce similar to a popular restaurant chain.
Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry – a quick and easy Asian stir fry that can be on the table in 20 minutes.

How To Make Easy Kung Pao Chicken

Here are the basic steps to make this Easy Kung Pao Chicken. For more detailed instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card.

Heat oil in wok or cast iron skillet.
Dredge chicken cubes in cornstarch.
Add chicken cubes to hot cast iron skillet and cook until the chicken is no longer pink.
Add red and green bell peppers and cook until they are just tender.
To make the sauce, in a bowl stir together hoisin, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables in the pan. Cook until the sauce is thickened.

Tips for Perfect Kung Pao Chicken

Use good quality ingredients for the best results.
Don’t skip the cornstarch. Dredging the chicken in cornstarch makes it crispy.
Use a good quality balsamic vinegar, one that is sweeter than regular vinegar. If you have one that is more vinegary, you may need to add some sugar to the sauce to offset the additional vinegar taste.
I recommend using a lite soy sauce or one that is reduced-sodium because regular soy sauce is extremely salty and could cause the dish to be too salty.
If you add more vegetables or like to pour sauce over rice, then you may want to consider doubling the sauce.

Don’t wait until Chinese New Year to make this recipe! It is so quick and easy and delicious that you can make it all year round and skip the Chinese takeout.

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4.59 from 29 votes