Kung Pao chicken (Gong Bao Ji Ding) is a Sichuan stir-fry of diced chicken, dried whole Sichuan chillies, Sichuan peppercorns, and peanuts in a sweet-hot-sour sauce. The authentic dish is named after Ding Baozhen, Governor of Sichuan, whose title was Gong Bao. The Sichuan peppercorn numbness (ma) is as important as the chilli heat (la) — without the mala combination, it is not authentic Kung Pao.
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IThe Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
500g
chicken breast
cut into 1.5cm cubes
Your own market
80g
roasted peanuts
unsalted
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
60g
dried red chillies
deseeded
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
25g
Sichuan peppercorns
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
4 cloves
garlic
minced
Your own market
2
scallions
cut into 2cm segments
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
15ml
Chinkiang vinegar
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
10ml
sesame oil
Your own market
40ml
neutral oil
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Toast Sichuan peppercorns in a dry wok over medium heat for 1 minute; grind coarsely and set aside.
2
Toast dried chillies in the same wok for 30 seconds; remove and slice into thin rings.
3
Heat 40ml neutral oil in wok to 180°C; add chicken cubes in batches and fry 3–4 minutes until golden; remove and drain on paper towels.
4
Return wok to heat with 1 tablespoon oil; fry minced garlic 20 seconds, then add chilli rings and peanuts.
5
Return chicken to wok; pour in soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar; toss thoroughly for 1 minute over high heat.
6
Fold in ground Sichuan pepper and scallion segments; toss once more.
7
Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately over steamed white rice.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where Kung Pao lives or dies is the chilli and Sichuan peppercorn oil — the first 30 seconds in a hot wok where the dried whole chillies and peppercorns bloom in the oil. The oil should be hot enough to immediately sizzle around the chillies. The smell will be intensely aromatic — the oils from the Sichuan pepper dispersing into the cooking fat. This oil is the flavour base for everything that follows.
V
Cross-Cuisine Parallels
Thai pad krapao
(similar stir-fry philosophy with chilli and aromatics bloomed in hot oil)
Hunan General Tso's chicken
(Hunan province, deep-fried version of the sweet-hot-sour sauce profile)
Korean dakbokkeumtang (spicy stir-fried chicken
the Korean parallel with gochujang).
VI
What to Pour
Tsingtao lager — the mild Chinese lager cuts through the Sichuan heat without competing. Or a glass of Jing brand baijiu mixed with soda water — the grain spirit of Sichuan is the authentic accompaniment.
VII
Origin & Lineage
Sichuan province, China. Named after Ding Baozhen (1820-1886), Qing Dynasty governor of Sichuan whose official title was Gong Bao (Guardian of the Palace). The dish was reportedly his favourite. After Ding's death, it was banned during the Cultural Revolution as decadent, then rehabilitated in the 1980s.