10< 10 Ingredients3030-Minute MealDFDairy FreeEFEgg-FreeGFGluten FreeGRGrain FreePPaleo Friendly
Lee Funke
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We are the queens of stir fry and you are going to love our easy Kung Pao Chicken recipe! It’s made with just 10 simple ingredients and in less than 30-minutes!
Favorite 30 Minute Meal!
If you are looking for the perfect weeknight meal, you have to try this kung pao chicken recipe. There are only 10 ingredients and it seriously tastes like your favorite kung pao chicken take-out.
All you have to do is cook up your chicken and green beans, mix up your sauce, mix the two together, and you have a kung pao chicken. So easy and so delicious.
What is Kung Pao Chicken?
Kung pao chicken is a spicy stir fry dish that is generally made with chili peppers or paste, some kind of sugar, chicken breast, and vegetables. Kung pao sauce is used with many different proteins like chicken, shrimp, and tofu.
Not a meat-eater? You can also toss just vegetables with kung pao sauce for a vegetarian and vegan option just like our Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls.
What does kung pao sauce taste like? It’s spicy (thank you red chiles!) and a tad sweet to tame things down.
Is this Kung Pao Chicken Healthy?
Kung Pao Chicken is a healthy meal idea made with lean protein, tons of veggies, and an easy kung pao sauce. This recipe is:
Gluten Free: Our kung pao chicken recipe is made better for you and with more accessible ingredients! We wanted to keep things gluten free, which is why we used tamari instead of soy sauce.
Clean Ingredient Spices: The heat in this recipe actually comes from sriracha and chili garlic paste (2 very accessible ingredients). Typically kung pao Is made with dried red chili peppers, but we’re using pantry staples instead.
Natural Sweetener: Lastly, we’re using honey instead of table sugar in order to balance out the heat so your tastebuds can handle swallowing it!
Kung Pao Sauce Ingredients
Lucky for you our staple kung pao sauce is actually made from pantry staples! Check it out:
- Minced garlic: Option to use pre-minced garlic or mince your own.
- Soy Sauce: soy sauce adds a nice tang and salt to this sauce. Feel free to use tamari or coconut aminos instead.
- Sesame oil: A little goes a long way.
- Sriracha: the more the merrier!
- Chili garlic paste: We’re using chili garlic paste in place of dried red chile peppers.
- Honey: Honey tames the heat in this sauce. The more you use, the less spicy it will be.
We like to add a little sweetness to our kung pao sauce, which is generally pretty spicy. We found that adding a little bit of honey goes a long way!
If you are looking for a vegan option, try adding a little maple syrup or agave nectar. If you are a spicy food fan, try adding extra sriracha or chili paste!
What Else You Need
In addition to the the homemade kung pao sauce, you need just a few more things. Check it out.
- Chicken breast:Boneless, skinless chicken breast is best for this recipe, but you can definitely use thighs, too!
- Olive oil:Also option to use coconut oil.
- Green beans:Pretty much any veggie would work. You could try broccoli, peppers, onions, or whatever you have on hand.
- Cornstarch:This is what will thicken your sauce at the very end. Option to skip this part!
Easy Swaps
Another great thing about this kung pao chicken recipe is that you can make changes very easily, depending on what you have on hand:
Chicken: Not a carnivore? Swap with garbanzo beans or tofu!
Veggies: Choose whatever veggies you want for this dish.
Peanuts: Option to use cashews instead of peanuts.
What to Serve with Kung Pao Chicken
Stir fry always deserves to be served next to a grain. There are so many choices out there and here are some of our favs:
- Quinoa: Make it in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop!
- Brown rice: Both short grain and long grain would be delish.
- White rice: White sticky rice or even minute rice is a great option.
- Fried rice: Try our vegetarian fried rice recipe or my personal fav, Instant Pot fried rice!
More of our Favorite…
Stir Fry Recipes
- Kung Pao Shrimp
- Healthy Orange Chicken
- Meal-Prep Vegetarian Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls
- Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
- Chicken Stir Fry
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Easy Kung Pao Chicken
We are the queens of stir fry and you are going to love our simple Kung Pao Chicken recipe! It’s made with just 10 simple ingredients and in less than 30-minutes!
Prep:10 minutes minutes
Cook:15 minutes minutes
Total:20 minutes minutes
Fat 11
Carbs 20
Protein 34
Yield: 4
Print Rate
Ingredients
Kung Pao Sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free variation
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons honey or more, to taste
Kung Pao Chicken
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
- pinch of salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb. fresh green beans ends trimmed
- corn starch slurry: 2 teaspoons cornstarch + 1 tablespoon warm water
Optional toppings
- sesame seeds
- peanuts
Instructions
First, prepare kung pao sauce. Mix together minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, chili garlic paste, and honey. Set aside. Then, create a corn starch slurry by whisking together cornstarch and warm water. Whisk until the corn starch has dissolved and set aside.
Next, prepare chicken breast by thinly slicing it into bite-sized pieces. We like to cut ours extra thin so it ends up like take-out style kung pao chicken.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or more, if needed) in a large frying pan over medium/high heat. When the olive oil is fragrant, add diced chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes to partially cook it. Then, remove from heat and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and then add green beans. Saute for 3-4 minutes on medium/high heat. Once green beans are partially cooked, add chicken back in and mix.
Place the lid on the skillet and let steam for 2-3 minutes. You can add a tablespoon or two of water to help this process if needed. Steaming will really help cook the green beans and ensure that the chicken is fully cooked.
Remove the lid and mix. Then, scoot chicken and green beans to one side of the pan and add the sauce to the other. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add in corn starch slurry and continue whisking until sauce has thickened.
Finally, mix kung pao sauce with the veggies and chicken until everything is fully coated.
Serve kung pao chicken over your favorite grain with sesame seeds and peanuts.
Tips & Notes
- heat: this recipe has been edited to be a bit milder in spice. If you’d like to up the heat, double the sriracha or chili paste.
- nutrition information does not include rice.
- This recipe was slightly updated on March 29, 2020. We reduced the sesame oil along with making it a little less spicy. Otherwise, it’s the same! Get the original recipe HERE.
- Photos were updated for this recipe on February 19, 2021.
Watch It
Nutrition facts
Serving: 1/4 Calories: 282kcal Carbohydrates: 20g Protein: 34g Fat: 11g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 13g
Similar recipes:
Kung Pao Shrimp
Kung Pao Baked Chicken Meatballs
Chicken Parmesan Quinoa Casserole
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
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About Lee Funke
Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.
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Sara
Posted on 3/12/2022
Hi, how much soy sauce? It says “1/4 soy sauce or tamari” I’m going to assume 1/4 teaspoon?
3
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Amy
Posted on 7/23/2022
Reply to Sara
I’ve always used 1/4 cup 🙂
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Kaylyn Keith
Posted on 1/12/2022
Recipe Rating :
This was super duper easy for a beginner cook like me! A one-pan dish that was absolutely delicious! Gave me the confidence to start cooking more often. 🙂
Emily Richter
Posted on 1/14/2022
Reply to Kaylyn Keith
Aw, this is the best comment ever! We’re so glad this recipe inspired you in your own kitchen <3
Reply
Posted on 11/22/2021
Recipe Rating :
I have made this many times and Could’ve swore it called for coconut amino’s I don’t even know the last time I bought soy sauce. I know Coconut Nemos is sweeter and soy sauce is saltier. Also it doesn’t say how much soy sauce is it tea spoons or table. Thanks
Reply
Lee Funke
Posted on 11/23/2021
Reply to Dan
Hi! This recipe was updated in February, but we link to the original recipe here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1b9XVyudAJSw2Xpp9NAYaSCzRpSUJlX7t
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Lindsay
Posted on 3/6/2021
Recipe Rating :
This is my go-to recipe for an easy yet delicious week-night meal. My partner loves spicy and I can’t handle it but this is a good balance for both of us. Such an amazing recipe!
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Christina
Posted on 3/3/2021
Recipe Rating :
We made this for the first time tonight, using sliced pork chops because it’s what needed to be eaten first. It was AMAZING!!!! Even our young kids loved it and didn’t complain that it was too spicy. Love that it’s a one pot recipe too. So delicious!
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Lee Funke
Posted on 3/4/2021
Reply to Christina
I LOVE the pork chop idea!!
Reply
Liz
Posted on 12/29/2020
Recipe Rating :
I have made this multiple times and it’s so delicious. Sometimes I use broccoli, and I usually add peanuts or cashews since I love crunch. I’ve also never replaced the sesame oil with any other cooking oil, and it’s been fine. I use a stainless all clad skillet so not sure if it would turn out differently with sesame oil in another pain. I love that everything is done in one pan. Can also double the sauce if you like it a little more saucy! Thank you so much for this clean delicious recipe!
1
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Megan
Posted on 11/28/2020
Recipe Rating :
Awesome recipe! Loved the spicy bite and very easy to make.
Reply
A.J.
Posted on 8/2/2020
Recipe Rating :
Delicious!
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Lauren
Posted on 4/8/2020
Recipe Rating :
Seriously, SO DELICIOUS! such an easy meal, and so much flavor!
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