Sichuan Chicken with Kung Pao Sauce
Sichuan's Kung Pao with cashews instead of peanuts: chicken cubes stir-fried hot with dried chillies, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic.
Overview
This recipe from the Sichuan region of western China showcases the region's trademark use of chillies combined with the modern addition of cashew nuts. The sauce is complex and layered, savoury from fermented beans and hoisin, spicy from dried chillies, and balanced with vinegar's acidity and sugar's sweetness. The result is distinctly Chinese in technique yet contemporary in execution.
Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 2 minutes
Ingredients
Chicken & Coating
- 2 skinless chicken breasts (cut into neat pieces)
- 1 egg white
- 2 teaspoon cornflour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cooking
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 3 dried red chillies (chopped)
Sauce
- 2 tablespoon yellow salted beans (mashed)
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon soft light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon medium-dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 150 ml chicken stock
- 115 grams roasted cashew nuts
Garnish
- Fresh coriander
Method
Stage 1 - Coat & Prepare Sauce
- Cut the chicken into neat pieces.
- Lightly whisk the egg white in a dish and whisk in the cornflour and salt.
- Add the chicken and stir until coated.
- In a bowl, mash the beans and stir in the hoisin sauce, brown sugar, sherry, vinegar, garlic and stock. Set aside.
Stage 2 - Cook Chicken
- Heat a wok and add the oil.
- Stir-fry the chicken for 2 minutes until tender.
- Lift out the chicken and set aside.
Stage 3 - Build Sauce
- Heat the oil remaining in the wok and fry the chilli pieces for 1 minute.
- Return the chicken to the wok and pour in the prepared bean sauce mixture.
- Bring to the boil and stir in the cashew nuts.
- Heat through.
Stage 4 - Serve
- Spoon into a heated serving dish.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Kung pao sauce components: The combination of mashed beans, hoisin, vinegar, and sugar creates the signature Sichuan flavour profile, not a single dominant note but a complex interplay.
- Yellow salted beans: Also called yellow bean sauce. Essential for authentic flavour; mash well to distribute evenly.
- Dried chillies: Infuse the oil with fragrance and heat without overwhelming tenderness of the chicken.
Serving
Serve with: Steamed white rice to balance the complex sauce
Storage
- Keeps 2-3 days refrigerated
- Freezes well up to 2-3 months
- Flavour develops after 24 hours
More like this
Spicy Chicken with Peanuts
This is a classic western Chinese dish better known in China as Gongbao chicken (or Kung Pao chicken). Named after Chinese official Ding Baozhen, Governor of Sichuan province in the nineteenth century, it represents the region's bold approach to flavour: spicy, slightly sour, sweet, and savoury all at once. The combination of roasted peanuts and dried chilli creates an unforgettable sauce.
Chicken Ceylon
A bright and spicy Sri Lankan-inspired curry with a curry-house spin, featuring aromatic spices, coconut, and fresh curry leaves. It works beautifully as a banquet dish and can be extra hot with extra bird’s eye chillies and chilli powder. The subtle sweet-tang tuning makes it a favorite with rice and mild dhal.
Prawn and Pork Pad Thai
This classic Thai dish of noodles is both aromatic and lightly spicy, serving well as either a main course or a starter. Pad Thai combines stir-fried rice noodles with tender chicken, pork, and prawns in a balanced sauce of curry paste, oyster sauce, and fish sauce. Fresh herbs, crushed peanuts, and a squeeze of lime complete this iconic Thai street food favourite.
Indonesian Meatballs
Tender chicken meatballs simmered in a fragrant coconut and curry sauce, this Indonesian classic combines aromatic spices with creamy coconut milk for a comforting, flavourful dish. The meatballs stay moist and are infused with lemongrass and lime leaves for authentic flavour.