Kung Pao Chicken for Two
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 17, 2013
Yield
Serves 2
Ingredients
½ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces1 ½ teaspoons dry sherry or Shaoxing wine1 teaspoon soy sauce 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 teaspoons)¼ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil, plus an additional 1 teaspoon¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, or cashews2 small whole dried red chiles (each about 1 ¾ to 2 inches long), roughly crumbled, or ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes⅓ cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 ½ teaspoons oyster sauce 1 ½ teaspoons hoisin sauce ¾ teaspoon cornstarch 1 small red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice2 medium scallions, sliced thin
Before You Begin
While we prefer this dish made with chicken thighs rather than breasts because the dark meat has richer flavor and is less prone to drying out, if you prefer, you can replace the thighs with chicken breasts. You can substitute unseasoned rice vinegar for the Chinkiang (or Zhenjiang) black vinegar (available in stores that stock Chinese ingredients), but we prefer the latter for its fruity, salty complexity.
Instructions
- Toss chicken with sherry and soy sauce in medium bowl; marinate until thighs have absorbed flavors, about 10 minutes. Mix garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon oil in small bowl; set aside. Combine peanuts and chiles in small bowl; set aside. Mix chicken broth, vinegar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch in small bowl or measuring cup; set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 10-inch skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add chicken and cook without stirring for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, allowing chicken to brown on one side; stir and cook 1 to 1 1/2 minutes more, until no longer pink; stir peanuts and chiles into chicken and continue cooking until peanuts have darkened slightly, 30 to 40 seconds longer. Transfer chicken, peanuts, and chiles to bowl; set aside.
- Return skillet to burner and reheat briefly, 15 to 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, swirl to coat pan, and add red bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 45 seconds. Clear center of pan, add garlic-ginger mixture, mash into pan with spoon or spatula, and cook until fragrant, 10 to 15 seconds; stir into peppers until combined. Stir broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet along with reserved chicken, peanuts, and chiles; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan, until sauce has thickened to syrupy consistency, about 15 to 20 seconds. Stir in scallions and serve.
Yield
Serves 2Ingredients
½ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 ½ teaspoons dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 teaspoons)
¼ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil, plus an additional 1 teaspoon
¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, or cashews
2 small whole dried red chiles (each about 1 ¾ to 2 inches long), roughly crumbled, or ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
⅓ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 ½ teaspoons oyster sauce
1 ½ teaspoons hoisin sauce
¾ teaspoon cornstarch
1 small red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
2 medium scallions, sliced thin
Ingredients
½ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 ½ teaspoons dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 teaspoons)
¼ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil, plus an additional 1 teaspoon
¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, or cashews
2 small whole dried red chiles (each about 1 ¾ to 2 inches long), roughly crumbled, or ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
⅓ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 ½ teaspoons oyster sauce
1 ½ teaspoons hoisin sauce
¾ teaspoon cornstarch
1 small red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
2 medium scallions, sliced thin
Ingredients
½ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 ½ teaspoons dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 teaspoons)
¼ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil, plus an additional 1 teaspoon
¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, or cashews
2 small whole dried red chiles (each about 1 ¾ to 2 inches long), roughly crumbled, or ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
⅓ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 ½ teaspoons oyster sauce
1 ½ teaspoons hoisin sauce
¾ teaspoon cornstarch
1 small red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
2 medium scallions, sliced thin
Why This Recipe Works
Inspired by the traditional Sichuan dish, we wanted a recipe for kung pao chicken that would deliver savory heat and perfectly cooked chicken. We stir-fried marinated chicken and then added small whole red chiles and peanuts. The chiles gave our dish some fire, and toasting the peanuts deepened their flavor. Finding other vegetables to be superfluous, we added diced red pepper. For a deeply flavored, syrupy sauce for our kung pao chicken recipe, we used a mixture of chicken broth, black vinegar, toasted sesame oil, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch.
Before You Begin
While we prefer this dish made with chicken thighs rather than breasts because the dark meat has richer flavor and is less prone to drying out, if you prefer, you can replace the thighs with chicken breasts. You can substitute unseasoned rice vinegar for the Chinkiang (or Zhenjiang) black vinegar (available in stores that stock Chinese ingredients), but we prefer the latter for its fruity, salty complexity.
Instructions
- Toss chicken with sherry and soy sauce in medium bowl; marinate until thighs have absorbed flavors, about 10 minutes. Mix garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon oil in small bowl; set aside. Combine peanuts and chiles in small bowl; set aside. Mix chicken broth, vinegar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch in small bowl or measuring cup; set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 10-inch skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add chicken and cook without stirring for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, allowing chicken to brown on one side; stir and cook 1 to 1 1/2 minutes more, until no longer pink; stir peanuts and chiles into chicken and continue cooking until peanuts have darkened slightly, 30 to 40 seconds longer. Transfer chicken, peanuts, and chiles to bowl; set aside.
- Return skillet to burner and reheat briefly, 15 to 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, swirl to coat pan, and add red bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 45 seconds. Clear center of pan, add garlic-ginger mixture, mash into pan with spoon or spatula, and cook until fragrant, 10 to 15 seconds; stir into peppers until combined. Stir broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet along with reserved chicken, peanuts, and chiles; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan, until sauce has thickened to syrupy consistency, about 15 to 20 seconds. Stir in scallions and serve.
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