Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Copycat

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This Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken copycat has tender chicken, zucchini, peppers, peanuts & chilis stir fried in a hot, dulcet & savory kung pao sauce !

Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Copycat on top of steamed rice in a bowl.
If you ‘re craving Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken, look no far. This copycat recipe is ready in under 20 minutes and will have you quick for dinner in less time than it takes to get takeout !

This dish has tender pan seared chicken breast that ‘s been marinated so it stays juicy and damp. Next is a flavorful kung pao sauce that ‘s blue, sweetness & sour, and mouth-watering. then it ‘s all tossed together with crunchy chopped vegetables and served with impertinently steamed rice .
Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Copycat on top of steamed rice in a dark bowl

What Does Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Taste Like?

Kung pao chicken is a counterweight of angelic & sour, salty, piquant, and blue flavors. traditionally, kung pao chicken was made with merely chicken, leeks, chili, and peanuts. western versions have started to include other vegetables such as zucchini and bell peppers like this interpretation. The chicken and vegetables are all stir fried with a flavorful kung pao sauce that brings everything together. The spiciness can come from fresh or dried chili peppers .

What is Kung Pao sauce made of?

Kung Pao sauce is a soy sauce based sauce with total sweetness and sour flavors. The main ingredients in kung pao sauce are :

  • soy sauce
  • vinegar
  • sugar
  • chilis
  • garlic
  • ginger

What type of pepper is in Kung Pao Chicken?

This recipe calls for dried Szechuan chili peppers with the option to add Lao Gan Ma, which is a szechwan chili vegetable oil. The dried Szechuan chili peppers can vary in spice from meek to moderate depending on what the promotion states. note : this is not to be confused with Szechuan peppercorns, which add a numbing spiciness but are generally mild .

What’s the difference between Kung Pao Chicken and General Tso’s Chicken?

Kung pao chicken is broadly not deep fried and has a piquant sauce. General Tso ‘s chicken is normally bass fried and has a sweet, less piquant sauce compared to kung pao chicken.

Is Kung Pao chicken healthy?

This interpretation of kung pao wimp is healthier than the restaurant version as it ‘s made with tend chicken breast and you can control how much of the sauce you ‘d like to add. Kung pao chicken can be made with a kind of newly vegetables which add roughage and vitamins, and the chicken front is a great informant for lean protein. To keep this dish on the barge side, reduce the amount of sauce by half. It will still taste amazing and you can cut back on some calories as the sauce contains some sugar and oil .
Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Copycat on top of steamed rice in a dark bowl
In my home, we have arouse fries for dinner about twice a workweek because of how easy and versatile they are to make. This Panda Express kung pao chicken copycat is the perfect meal for using up vegetables and protein sitting in your electric refrigerator. For this recipe, feel loose to switch up your protein and vegetables and create your own kung pao stir fry based on what you have available to you .

Other Protein Options:

  • shrimp
  • beef
  • pork
  • fish
  • tofu

Other Vegetables Options:

  • broccoli
  • carrots
  • onions
  • water chestnuts
  • bamboo shoots
  • cabbage
  • mushrooms
  • baby corn

Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Copycat in a white bowl

How to Make Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Copycat

Marinate the Chicken Breast

Marinating your chicken will help keep it tender and damp, and it will impart a bunch of flavor in the kernel. besides, the brown carbohydrate and cornstarch help the chicken get a nice fortunate brown sear in your pan or wok. This is a bare four component marinade I use on all my chicken stir fries. The ingredients are :

  • low sodium soy sauce
  • Shaoxing wine
  • cornstarch
  • brown sugar

You can see above how the marinade helped brown the chicken breast and gave it a nice sear .

Start Stir Frying the Vegetables

next, you want to add your vegetables, dried chili, and peanuts to the pan. Stir fry your vegetables together for a couple minutes before adding back in the chicken summit and the kung pao sauce .
stir fried red peppers, zucchini, chilis, and peanuts in a pan

Add the Kung Pao Sauce and You’re Done!

The kung pao sauce should thicken up after about 1 to 2 minutes in the pan. The cornstarch should thicken up the sauce and create a syrupy sauce that clings to the chicken and vegetables .
And there you have it ! Panda Express kung pao chicken ready in no time !
If you ‘re a winnow of hot food like I am, I recommend adding a dollop of chili oil, extra chili pepper flakes, and some white pepper powderize into the sauce as listed in the recipe. It in truth makes a bad dispute, specially the chili vegetable oil .
Store any leftovers in an airtight container. These make fantastic leftovers and reheat nicely the next sidereal day .
I hope you make this Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Copycat ! Please share, rate, and gossip below. I ’ d love to hear from you !
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Thanks indeed a lot for stopping by !
Jamie
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Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken copycat in a pan

Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Copycat

This Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken copycat has tender chicken, zucchini, peppers, peanuts & chilis stir fried in a spicy, sweet & savory kung pao sauce!

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Prep Time

10

mins

Cook Time

5

mins

Total Time

15

mins

Course

Main Course

Cuisine

Asian, Chinese

Servings

4

☑ Ingredients 

  • 1 pound chicken breast – thinly sliced, about ¼ edge thick

  • 1 medium zucchini – sliced in half cirlces

  • ½ medium crimson bell pepper – cut into 1 column inch pieces

  • 10 dried red chilis

  • ¼ cup roasted peanuts

  • 2 stalks scallions – chop

  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable anoint

Chicken Marinade

  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

  • 1½ Tablespoons Shaoxing wine

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

  • ½ teaspoon brown sugar

Kung Pao Sauce

  • 3 Tablespoons chicken stock can substitute with water

  • 1⅓ Tablespoons Chinese black vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon corn starch

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 3 cloves garlic – minced

  • ¾ teaspoon ginger – grated

  • 1 tablespoon Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp optional for spiciness

  • ½ teaspoon white pepper powder optional for spice

  • ¼ teaspoon dried chili pepper flakes – optional for spice

Cook Mode

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Instructions 

  • In a medium size bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade and add in the thinly sliced chicken breast. I recommend letting this marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to overnight. Otherwise, let this sit while you prep the other ingredients.

  • Add all the ingredients for the kung pao sauce in a bowl and set aside.

  • Heat a wok or pan over high heat and add the oil. Wait until the pan is hot and then lay the chicken pieces flat in a single layer – leave out the marinade. In order to get a good sear, don’t crowd the pan and leave the chicken pieces alone until you get a golden brown color, anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip over the chicken and repeat. Remove the chicken from the pan.

  • Add the zucchini, red bell pepper, dried red chilis, and peanuts to the pan and saute for 2 – 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the chicken back in.

  • Next add in the sauce (stir the sauce before adding it as the cornstarch will settle). Saute everything together for 1 – 2 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Top with chopped scallions. Serve immediately.

✎ Recipe Notes

store leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the electric refrigerator for up to 3 days .

Nutrition

Calories:

305

kcal

|

Carbohydrates:

12

g

|

Protein:

28

g

|

Fat:

16

g

|

Saturated Fat:

7

g

|

Cholesterol:

73

mg

|

Sodium:

451

mg

|

Potassium:

687

mg

|

Fiber:

2

g

|

Sugar:

6

g

|

Vitamin A:

658

IU

|

Vitamin C:

31

mg

|

Calcium:

31

mg

|

Iron:

1

mg

Tried this recipe ?Let us know how it was and give it a 5 star rating! Tag @drivemehungry to show off your creations! I love seeing your photos! *Nutritional data is an estimate, calculated using on-line tools .

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