🌶️ Kung pao chicken

Name: Kung pao chicken
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: China · Sichuan
Ingredients: 400 g chicken thigh or breast, diced; 40 g roasted peanuts; 8 dried chillies, cut into pieces; 3 garlic cloves, sliced; 1 thumb of ginger, sliced; 4 scallions, cut into short lengths; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch; 2 tbsp oil

Origin: China · Sichuan

570kcal

per serving · 300 g

190kcal

per 100 g

51 gProtein17 g / 100 g

30 gFat10 g / 100 g

21 gCarbs7 g / 100 g

Kung pao chicken is a Sichuan stir-fry of diced chicken tossed in a hot wok with dried chillies, garlic, ginger, scallions and roasted peanuts. A glossy sauce based on soy sauce, with a touch of sugar and vinegar, coats everything, balancing spicy, savoury, slightly sweet and tangy notes. The chicken stays tender while the peanuts add crunch, and it is served with steamed rice.

Diets

✓

No porkfor halal, the meat must be halal-slaughtered

✓

Dairy-freeno milk, cheese, butter or yogurt in a typical recipe

✓

Low-carb7 g carbs per 100 g

✓

High protein17 g protein per 100 g — 36% of the calories

Not vegetarianbecause of: chicken

Not veganbecause of: chicken

Contains glutenbecause of: soy sauce

Allergens

Contains (in a typical recipe):

⚠ Gluten ⚠ Peanuts ⚠ Soy

What it is made of

chickenpeanutschili peppersoy saucegarlicgingerscallions

Recipe

3 servings30 min

Ingredients

400 g chicken thigh or breast, diced
40 g roasted peanuts
8 dried chillies, cut into pieces
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 thumb of ginger, sliced
4 scallions, cut into short lengths
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp oil

Method

Toss the chicken with 1 tbsp of the soy sauce and half the cornstarch.
Mix the remaining soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch and 3 tbsp water for the sauce.
Heat the oil in a wok, fry the chillies for a few seconds, then add the chicken and stir-fry until it turns white.
Add the garlic, ginger and scallions and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Pour in the sauce, toss until glossy, stir in the peanuts and serve with rice.

How to make it lighter

Use chicken breast and 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick wok — each tablespoon of oil is about 120 kcal.
Halve the peanuts and add extra vegetables such as peppers or celery for volume.
Watch the rice: a small bowl keeps the meal in a reasonable range.

History

The dish is usually credited to Ding Baozhen, a 19th-century official of the Qing dynasty who served as governor of Sichuan; 'gong bao' was his official title. It is now one of the best-known Chinese dishes worldwide, with milder versions common outside China.

Count it in one photo

Point your camera at the table — Me Nutrition recognises Kung pao chicken and every other dish, with calories and macros for each. Ate only half? Slide it.

Download on the App Store

Similar dishes

Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →