My Copycat Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken is a deliciously spicy stir fry with lots of chunky veggies and chicken, coated in a rich, tasty homemade sauce! Check out my video to see how easy it is to make!
Believe it or not, Panda Express hasn’t really made it over to the UK, but I’ve paid the place a fair few visits on holidays to the US, and love their Kung Pao chicken.
My version involves making a marinade – a third of which is used to marinade the chicken. The remaining two-thirds is added at the end along with the vegetables and reduced down to get a thick sauce with loads of flavour.
I love to make extra kung pao chicken that i’ll quickly cool, cover and refrigerate. It tastes great served cold with some couscous/quinoa/bulgur wheat and salad and should last 2 days in the fridge – which makes it a great option for meal prep.
How to make Kung Pao Chicken:
First mix up rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, white pepper, garlic, ginger, sugar and sechuan peppers:
Then pour a third of this mixture over chopped chicken that’s been coated in a little cornflour/cornstarch. Place in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile dry-fry some chilli peppers over a high heat until lightly charred. You can use whole sichuan peppers, arbol chillies or even Bird’s Eye/Thai chillies to get the good kick of heat. Once cooked, remove them from the wok.
Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon (discard any leftover chicken marinade) and fry the chicken in a little hot oil in a hot wok for about 7-8 minutes until cooked. Then add in chopped bell peppers and courgette (zucchini).
After the veggies have cooked for a couple of minutes, add the reserved marinade and bring to the boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken, then add in some peanuts (or in my cash cashews) and those whole chillies right at the end.
Serve with a big pile of boiled rice, or Fried Rice.
Can you eat the whole chillis in Kung Pao Chicken? 🌶️
This meal contains the whole red hot chillies, as you find in the Panda Express version, but these can easily be added at the very end with the nuts – so you can dish out a portion for the kids before adding the chillies. I often do this for my homemade beef rendang and crispy chilli beef too.
The question from me to you is – do you eat the chillies? Or leave them on the side of your plate? Let us know in the comments below.
The last time I made this I left them, because they just looked so hot and scary!
Chris took a large bite of one, and I’ve never seen him down a pint of water so fast! Ha ha – and he generally likes his spicy food.
If you like, you can snip the chillies a couple of times when they’re in the pan – so they release a bit of the heat into the dish, without you having to lose the functionality of your taste buds for the next 24 hours….
Can I make Kung Pao Chicken gluten free?
Yes, swap the soy sauce for tamari and the rice wine for a splash of sherry. Also, use gluten free hoisin sauce. <–affiliate link. Always check the label to ensure it’s gluten free!
Can I make it ahead?
I find it tastes better when made fresh, as the vegetables retain a nice crunch. However, if you have leftovers, you can quickly cool, cover and freeze. Then defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave until piping hot throughout (give it a good stir a couple of times when reheating).
Can you make a Vegetarian version of Kung Pao Chicken?
You could use quorn, mushrooms or tofu for a vegetarian alternative. Check that your hoisin sauce brand is vegetarian too (most are, but it’s best to be sure).
Other Chinese Takeaway Favorites
- Sesame Chicken <consistently one of the most popular recipes on the blog
- Sweet and Sour Chicken. My kids devour this EVERY TIME!
- Sticky Chinese Pork Belly < This is soooo adictive!
- Orange Chicken, Ooo ooo and my Plum Chicken thats super tasty tooo!
- Ginger Beef Stir Fry
I have too many. Be sure to check out all of my Asian Recipes.
Kung Pao Chicken Video
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The Kung Pao Chicken Recipe:
Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 2 tbsp rice wine
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 5 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger peeled and grated
- ½ tsp ground sechuan peppers optional – for those of you who like it hotter
Remaining Ingredients:
- 3 chicken breasts chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 8 dry whole chilli peppers
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 red bell pepper chopped into squares
- 1 medium-sized courgette/zucchini chopped into chunks
- 12 spring onions/scallions chopped roughly
- 70 g (1/2 cup) unsalted peanuts or cashews if you prefer
To Serve:
Instructions
- Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl.2 tbsp rice wine, ¼ tsp white pepper, 5 tbsp dark soy sauce, 4 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 garlic cloves, 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, ½ tsp ground sechuan peppers
- Place the chopped chicken in a separate bowl and mix with the cornflour/cornstarch.3 chicken breasts, 1 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
- Stir in 1/3 of the marinade ingredients into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 12 hours). NOTE: Reserve the remaining 2/3rds of the marinade for the sauce.
- Heat your wok or frying pan over a medium heat and add the whole chilli peppers. Dry cook for a couple of minutes – turning regularly until the chillies go darker in colour. NOTE: They burn quite quickly, so keep a close eye on them. Remove from the pan when they’ve darkened and gone a little softer.8 dry whole chilli peppers
- Add the oil to your work, heat on a high heat and then add the chicken (using a slotted spoon to remove from the marinade). Fry until cooked through – about 7-8 minutes.1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Add in the red peppers, courgette/zucchini, and spring onions/scallions. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until heated through, but still crunchy.2 red bell pepper, 1 medium-sized courgette/zucchini, 12 spring onions/scallions
- Add in the reserved 2/3rds of the marinade and the chillies and cook until the sauce thickens slightly – about 2 minutes.
- If you’d prefer the sauce to thicken even more, you can mix a tbsp. of cornflour/cornstarch with a couple of tbsp. of cold water, then pour this mix in whilst stirring. The sauce will thicken very quickly.
- Add in the peanuts (or cashews) just before serving, and give them a quick stir. Serve over boiled rice (with a large glass of water if you intend to eat those chillies!)70 g (1/2 cup) unsalted peanuts, boiled rice
Video
Notes
Can I make it gluten free?
Yes, swap the soy sauce for tamari and the rice wine for a splash of sherry. Also, use gluten free hoisin sauce. <--affiliate link. Always check the label to ensure it's gluten free!> .Can I make it ahead?
I find it tastes better when made fresh, as the vegetables retain a nice crunch. However, if you have leftovers, you can quickly cool, cover and freeze. Then defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave until piping hot throughout (give it a good stir a couple of times when reheating). .Alternatives to chicken?
Thinly sliced steak, prawns (shrimp) and pork work great. You could use quorn, mushrooms or tofu for a vegetarian alternative. Check that your hoisin sauce brand is vegetarian too (most are, but it's best to be sure). .Meal prep:
I love to make extra kung pao chicken that i'll quickly cool, cover and refrigerate. It tastes great served cold with some couscous/quinoa/bulgur wheat and salad and should last 2 days in the fridge - which makes it a great option for meal prep. . Nutritional Information is per serving without rice.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was first posted in May 2015. Updated in November 2018 with new photos, process photos, recipe video and recipe tips. Updated in Oct 2019 for housekeeping and with additional tips.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Really looking forward to trying this. Can you just clarify, it’s rice wine, not rice wine vinegar?
Hi Lesley,
Yes, it’s rice wine – I use Shaoxing rice wine.
Thanks, Nicky
So good I’ve made it multiple times! Better than Panda Express
I’m confused on the dry chiles. Do you buy them dry and then you “dry cook” them? Or are you saying you buy fresh chiles and you make them dry by “dry cooking” them? If you buy dry chiles, where do you get those?
Hi, you buy them dry and then dry fry them. It just ‘toasts’ them really as you would whole spices. It helps to release fragrance and flavour.
Very tasty, I leave the dried chilli’s out as I’m not too keen on spice. I’ve also added bean sprouts before which go very nicely
Hi you guy’s what can I say,cooked this dish on a Sunday for my wife and I, oh my god amazing amazing thank you am now working my way through more of your recipes will rate as I go thank you Chris & Nicky