Kung pao chicken. Takeout is a favorite that I like to make myself at home. It has all the best flavors in one: sweet, spicy, salty and sour.
The dish is of restaurant quality, and the heat can be adjusted to suit your taste – whether it’s for your enjoyment or your children. All is well.
Don’t worry about the Sichuan Peppercorns. Since 2005, the US import ban on Sichuan peppercorns has been lifted. You can now easily find them in most grocery store chains like Whole Foods. This peppercorn gives this dish a unique flavor, and I would not recommend substituting it for anything else.
Serve with rice and garnish with green onions or sesame seeds. You’ll be surprised at how much better this tastes than takeout.
Ingredients
Cut into bite-sized pieces, 1 1/2 pounds of boneless and skinless chicken thighs
Shaoxing Wine 2 Tbsp
Cornstarch 2 teaspoons
Divided into three tablespoons of reduced sodium soya sauce
Divide two tablespoons of canola oil
Green bell pepper diced 1 cup
Red bell pepper diced 1 cup
Red onion chopped 1 cup
Arbol dried chiles stemmed and seeded, 6-8
Three cloves garlic, minced
Freshly grated Ginger, 1 Tablespoon
Crushed Sichuan Peppercorns: 1/2 teaspoon
Use 1 1/2 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar
One teaspoon of brown sugar
1/3 cup cocktail peanuts
Green onions thinly sliced
Half a teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Combine the chicken, Shaoxing Wine, cornstarch, and one teaspoon of soy sauce in a medium-sized bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in two batches and cook for 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels.
Add the bell peppers and onion. Add the bell peppers, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are just tender (about 2 minutes). Stir in the chiles gar,lic, Ginger, and peppercorns for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Stir in the remaining two tablespoons of soy sauce and vinegar. Add the chicken. Add peanuts.
Garnish with sesame and green onions if you wish.
