Kung Pao Chicken (Gung Bao Chicken) Chicken Stir Fried with Dried Chilies | BIG Bites MY

Kung Pao Chicken (Gung Bao Chicken)

This is a Sichuan style dish that is typically cooked with a lot of chilies. You may add or reduce the amount of chilies used to cater to your own heat level.

With preparation and cook time of under 20 minutes, this is really SO EASY LAH! The recipe shown here feeds one, just double up accordingly if you are cooking for more.

A dish that goes well with rice and will make you sweat as you are eating it!

Watch video for step-by-step method of preparation

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serving: 1 (increase portions accordingly if you are cooking for more)

Ingredients:

• Chicken
• 1 boneless chicken thigh
• 1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon corn flour
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 stalk of spring onions
• 10g ginger
• 8-12 pieces of dried chilies
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon Shao Xing wine
• 1/2 teaspoon corn flour (to thicken gravy, if needed)
• 5 tablespoons water
• Roasted cashew nuts
  
• 1 large onion - cut into wedges (optional)

Method:

1. Chicken:
• Cut chicken thighs into long strips
• Add white pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce and corn flour to chicken and mix well. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Cut the stalks of the dried chilies off. Rub and squeeze to remove the seeds. Then cut into 1-cm lengths.
3. Slice ginger
4. Cut spring onions into 1-inch lengths. Separate the white and green parts. 
5. Heat sesame oil over MEDIUM LOW heat
6. Add ginger and saute until lightly browned and fragrant
7. Add the white parts of the spring onion and dried chilies. Saute until fragrant.
8. Add chicken thigh and allow chicken to brown for a little while
9. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and dark soy sauce
10. Add 4 tablespoons of water and simmer for a while
11. Add Shao Xing wine and continue simmering
12. Taste and flavor to your liking
13. Add another 1 tablespoon of water and simmer for another few minutes
14. Add the green parts of the spring onions. Reserve some for garnishing. If you are using onion wedges, add it in together with the spring onions. 
15. Turn off heat. Stir to mix. The residue heat will soften the spring onions and onion wedges. 
16. To serve, garnish with remaining spring onions and roasted cashew nuts

Notes:

• Adjust the amount of water used using your own judgement - it depends on the cookware used, the heat source and also how much gravy you want in the dish.
• I usually add water bit by bit because it's easier to just add water as the liquid in the pan evaporates during cooking than to add all in one go and try to deal with a soupy concoction.
• If you have a watery gravy, add 1 tablespoon of water to corn flour and add the cornstarch slurry in towards the end of the cook to thicken the gravy to your liking. I did not use any in this cooking session as the gravy was already glossy and thick, just at the consistency I like.