Kung Pao Chicken without Sichuan Peppercorns

Kung Pao Chicken without Sichuan Peppercorns

This easy Kung Pao chicken combines lean chicken, crisp vegetables and crunchy peanuts with a sweet, savoury and peppery sauce. It's made without the hard-to-find Sichuan peppercorns but still done in under 30 minutes. Portion it with rice for four organised lunches or serve it immediately when you need a fast family dinner.

Note - ingredients can be approximate

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 28

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings

Calories 567 kcal

Equipment

wok, optional
Rice Cooker, optional

Ingredients

Kung Pao Sauce

2 teaspoon honey, subs note 1
¼ cup soy sauce, subs note 2
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar, subs note 3
1 tablespoon brown sugar, subs note 4
2 teaspoon ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tablespoon cornflour
½ cup water

Kung Pao Stir Fry

600 g (1 lb) chicken breast, approx.3 large breasts
2 tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon extra olive oil
1 brown onion
4 green onions, sliced, whites removed
1 capsicum / bell pepper
1 zucchini
1 carrot, approx.1, sliced
2 teaspoon coriander seeds, ground
2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Serve with

½ peanuts , chopped
1 ½ cup rice , yields approx.4 cups cooked

Instructions

Prepare

Slice 600 g (1 lb) chicken breast into approx. 1inch cubes. Toss with 2 tbsp cornflour and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Set aside for approx. 10 minutes.
Cook 1 ½ cup rice your way or see my tips for cooking rice.
Thinly slice: 1 brown onion, 4 green onions, 1 capsicum / bell pepper, 1 zucchini, 1 carrot.
Grate/mix: 2 garlic cloves, 2 tsp ginger. Mix together with: 2 tsp honey, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tbsp brown sugar.

Cook stir fry

Heat 1 tbsp extra olive oil in wok or large and deep pan over high heat with a little oil. Add 600 g (1 lb) chicken breast and cook until it turns white (approx. 5 minutes). Remove.
Add sliced 1 brown onion and cook until translucent (approx. 3 minutes) then add in 1 capsicum / bell pepper, 1 zucchini, 1 carrot for a further 2 minutes.
Add sauce and the chicken into the wok and bring the sauce to a simmer (bubbling) (approx. 3-5 minutes). While waiting, mix together 1 tbsp cornflour and ½ cup water to make a cornflour slurry.
Once sauce is bubbling, add cornflour slurry and continue stirring until it begins to thicken. Once thickened, add 2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp coriander seeds, ½ peanuts , 4 green onions. Toss

Serve

Serve with rice.

Video

Notes

Note 1 - Honey

Substitutions - maple syrup, agave nectar, corn syrup, brown rice syrup, date syrup

Note 2 - Soy Sauce

Substitutions - tamari, coconut aminos, liquid aminos, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce

Note 3 - Vinegar

Substitutions - apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, white vinegar, mirin or even a bit of citrus (e.g. lime, lemon)

Note 4 - Brown Sugar

Substitutions - white sugar + molasses, white sugar (but this will lead to a less rich, caramel-like taste that brown sugar offers)

Note 5 - Black pepper and coriander

This is my cheat replacement to the Sichuan pepper. If you do choose to use Sichuan pepper, use about 2 tablespoon but make sure you have a taste of in the sauce before adding more. I found 2 tablespoon to be plenty.

Storing

Allow to cool at room temperature (no more than 2 hours) and store in fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheating

Add a drizzle of water and reheat on 1 minute intervals, stirring each time, until heated through (approx. 3 minutes)

Freezing

Freeze stir fry and rice separately for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 41gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 1326mgPotassium: 1036mgFiber: 4gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 3748IUVitamin C: 55mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 3mg

Keyword chicken meal prep, kung pao chicken, Meal Prep Recipe

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