Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁)

宫保鸡丁

Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁) — SichuanSichuan home cooking.

Ingredients

• boneless chicken thigh (or breast), diced 2 cm
• cornstarch
• light soy sauce (for marinade)
• Shaoxing wine
• dried chilies, halved
• Sichuan peppercorn
• scallions, cut into 2 cm sections
• garlic, sliced
• ginger, sliced
• roasted peanuts (or cashews)
• Chinkiang vinegar (or rice vinegar)
• sugar
• light soy sauce (for sauce)
• cornstarch slurry (1 tsp starch + 1 tbsp water)
• neutral oil

Instructions

1. Marinate chicken: mix with soy, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch. Rest 10 minutes (velveting — keeps it silky). (Chicken pieces are evenly coated in a thin starchy glaze)
2. Mix the sauce in a small bowl: vinegar, sugar, soy, and cornstarch slurry. Set aside. (Sugar and starch fully dissolved, no lumps)
3. Heat oil in a wok over medium. Add Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies; fry 30 seconds until fragrant but NOT burned. (Oil lightly ripples; chilies turn deep red and glossy)
4. Turn heat to high. Add chicken in a single layer and sear 1 minute without stirring, then stir-fry until mostly cooked. (Chicken edges sear golden, pieces separate easily)
5. Add garlic, ginger, and scallion sections. Stir-fry 30 seconds until fragrant. (Aromatics glisten and release scent)
6. Pour in the sauce. Stir rapidly 20-30 seconds until it thickens and coats everything. (Sauce turns glossy and clings to chicken)
7. Off heat: fold in the peanuts. Serve immediately. (Peanuts coated in glossy sauce, still whole)