Dinner · 30 min · chinese

Kung Pao Chicken

This is the kind of Chinese dinner you’ll make on repeat — chicken thighs and roasted peanuts, 30 minutes, big payoff. The macros do the talking: 44g protein, 16g carbs, and 30g fat in every 520-calorie serving. It scales cleanly if you are cooking for more than one.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb Chicken thighs
• 0.5 cup Roasted peanuts
• 10 Dried red chiles
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Black vinegar
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 3 Scallions
• 1 tbsp Fresh ginger
• 4 cloves Garlic

Steps

1. Toss the chicken with wine, 1 tablespoon of soy, and the cornstarch; rest 15 minutes. Velveted chicken stays juicy in the fierce heat to come.
2. Stir the remaining soy, vinegar, and sugar into a sauce. Kung pao is assembled fast — have everything within reach before the wok gets hot.
3. Bloom the chiles and peppercorns in oil until the chiles darken and the air turns fragrant. Do not burn them; bitter chiles ruin the dish.
4. Sear the chicken 3 minutes until golden, then add the ginger, garlic, and scallion whites 30 seconds.
5. Pour in the sauce and toss until it reduces to a glaze, then fold in the peanuts. Serve over rice — the peanuts must stay crunchy, so serve immediately.

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