Kung Pao Chicken Rice Bowl

Name: Kung Pao Chicken Rice Bowl
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 37 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Sichuan
Ingredients: 1½ cups (300 g) jasmine rice, rinsed in cold water until the water runs mostly clear; 1¾ cups (415 ml) water; 1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) pieces; 1 tbsp (15 ml) light soy sauce; 1 tbsp (15 ml) Shaoxing wine; 2 tsp (6 g) cornstarch; 2 tbsp (30 ml) light soy sauce; 1½ tbsp (22 ml) Chinkiang black vinegar; 1 tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar; 1 tsp (5 ml) dark soy sauce; 1 tsp (3 g) cornstarch; 3 tbsp (45 ml) cold water; 1 tsp (5 ml) toasted sesame oil; 1 tsp (3 g) Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and coarsely crushed; 3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil such as peanut or canola; 10 chilies (10 g) dried whole red chilies (such as chiles de árbol), snipped in half, seeds shaken out for less heat; 3 cloves (10 g) garlic, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced; 3 scallions (30 g) scallions, white and pale green parts, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths; 1 medium (150 g) red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) pieces; 2 ribs (100 g) celery, sliced ¼-inch (6 mm) thick on the diagonal; ⅓ cup (50 g) roasted unsalted peanuts; 3 scallions (30 g) scallion greens, thinly sliced

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender marinated chicken thigh is wok-seared with dried chilies, numbing Sichuan peppercorns, crisp peppers and roasted peanuts, then tossed in a glossy sweet-sour-savory sauce and piled over fluffy jasmine rice.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 12 min
Wait: 25 min
Total: 1 hr 2 min
Makes: 4 generous rice bowls

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the rice
1½ cups (300 g) jasmine rice, rinsed in cold water until the water runs mostly clear
1¾ cups (415 ml) water
For the chicken and marinade
1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) pieces
1 tbsp (15 ml) light soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) Shaoxing wine
2 tsp (6 g) cornstarch
For the sauce
2 tbsp (30 ml) light soy sauce
1½ tbsp (22 ml) Chinkiang black vinegar
1 tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) dark soy sauce
1 tsp (3 g) cornstarch
3 tbsp (45 ml) cold water
1 tsp (5 ml) toasted sesame oil
For the stir-fry
1 tsp (3 g) Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and coarsely crushed
3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil such as peanut or canola
10 chilies (10 g) dried whole red chilies (such as chiles de árbol), snipped in half, seeds shaken out for less heat
3 cloves (10 g) garlic, thinly sliced
1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
3 scallions (30 g) scallions, white and pale green parts, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths
1 medium (150 g) red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) pieces
2 ribs (100 g) celery, sliced ¼-inch (6 mm) thick on the diagonal
⅓ cup (50 g) roasted unsalted peanuts
To serve
3 scallions (30 g) scallion greens, thinly sliced

Equipment (6)

Medium saucepan with tight-fitting lid (3-quart / 2.8 L)
Large wok or 12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
Small bowl and medium bowl for sauce and marinade
Mortar and pestle or spice grinder
Fine-mesh strainer for rinsing rice
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Stir-frying moves fast: cut, measure and mix everything (chicken, sauce, vegetables, aromatics) before you turn on the heat.
Start the rice first; it needs about 25 minutes including its resting time, which is when you do the rest of the prep.
Turn on your exhaust fan or open a window. Toasting chilies and Sichuan peppercorns makes pungent fumes.
Dried chilies are for flavor and aroma, not for eating whole. Diners should push them aside.

1
Cook the rice
- Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water, swishing with your hand, until the water runs mostly clear, about 1 minute.
- Add to a 3-quart saucepan with 1¾ cups (415 ml) water.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, then cover tightly and reduce to the lowest heat.
- Cook undisturbed for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork before serving.
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Ready when: All the water is absorbed and the grains are tender, separate and fluffy
Tip: Do not lift the lid while the rice cooks; escaping steam leads to uneven, crunchy rice.
2
Marinate the chicken
- In a medium bowl, toss the chicken pieces with 1 tbsp soy sauce, the Shaoxing wine and 2 tsp cornstarch until each piece has a thin, slightly sticky coating.
- Set aside at room temperature while you prep everything else, at least 15 minutes.
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Ready when: Chicken is evenly coated with no dry cornstarch visible
Tip: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before marinating so the coating clings and the pieces sear instead of steaming.
3
Mix the sauce
- In a small bowl, stir together 2 tbsp soy sauce, the black vinegar, sugar, dark soy sauce, 1 tsp cornstarch, 3 tbsp cold water and the sesame oil until the sugar and cornstarch dissolve.
- Stir again right before using because the cornstarch settles.
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Ready when: Sugar is fully dissolved and the sauce looks uniformly dark
4
Prep the aromatics
- Place the garlic, ginger and scallion whites together on a small plate.
- Keep the bell pepper and celery in one bowl, and the chilies in another.
- Measure the peanuts and slice the scallion greens for garnish.
- Having everything within reach is essential because the stir-fry takes only about 10 minutes.
5
Toast the peppercorns
- Set a dry wok or large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the Sichuan peppercorns and toast, shaking the pan often, for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Tip into a mortar and crush coarsely.
- Wipe out the pan.
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Ready when: Peppercorns smell citrusy and floral and darken slightly; they should not smoke
Tip: Scorched peppercorns turn bitter. Remove them from the heat the moment they smell fragrant.
6
Sear the chicken
- Heat the wok over high heat until it just begins to smoke.
- Add 2 tbsp of the oil and swirl.
- Add the chicken in a single layer and let it sear undisturbed for 1 minute, then stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes more.
- Transfer to a clean bowl.
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Ready when: Chicken is golden at the edges and about 90% cooked; it will finish in the sauce
Tip: If your wok is small, sear in two batches. Crowding drops the temperature and makes the chicken steam and turn gray.
7
Bloom chilies and aromatics
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and the dried chilies.
- Stir for 20 to 30 seconds, until they darken slightly and smell toasty.
- Add the garlic, ginger, scallion whites and crushed Sichuan peppercorns and stir for 15 seconds.
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Ready when: Chilies turn a deeper red-brown and the garlic is fragrant but not browned
Tip: Chilies blacken within seconds. If they look black or smell acrid, wipe the pan and start again.
8
Stir-fry the vegetables
- Increase the heat to high.
- Add the bell pepper and celery and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
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Ready when: Vegetables are bright and crisp-tender, with a few lightly charred spots
9
Add sauce and finish
- Return the chicken and any juices to the wok.
- Stir the sauce again, pour it in and toss constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Fold in the peanuts and cook for 15 seconds.
- Check a thick piece of chicken with a thermometer.
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Ready when: Sauce is thick and glossy enough to coat the back of a spoon, and chicken reads 165°F (74°C) with no pink inside
Tip: Add the peanuts last so they stay crunchy.
10
Assemble the bowls
- Divide the rice among four bowls.
- Spoon the kung pao chicken and all the sauce over the rice.
- Sprinkle with the sliced scallion greens and serve immediately.
- Warn diners that the whole dried chilies are for flavor and are not meant to be eaten.
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Tip: Serve right away; the peanuts soften as they sit in the sauce.

Good to know

Tips

Dark soy sauce adds color more than saltiness; if you don't have it, leave it out and the dish will simply be lighter in color.
For more numbing tingle (málà), increase the Sichuan peppercorns to 1½ tsp. For more heat, leave the chili seeds in.
Keep the wok very hot and the pieces uniform in size so the chicken sears quickly and stays juicy.
Rinsing the rice removes surface starch, which keeps the grains separate under the saucy chicken.

Make ahead

Cut and marinate the chicken, mix the sauce and prep the vegetables up to 24 hours ahead; keep each separately covered in the fridge. Cook the rice and stir-fry just before serving. Stir the sauce before using, as the cornstarch settles.

Storage & reheating

Store chicken and rice in separate airtight containers. Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: up to 3 days. Freezer: chicken up to 2 months (peanuts will soften); rice up to 1 month. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water for 3 to 4 minutes, or microwave covered until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C), and add fresh peanuts if you have them.

Substitutions

Shaoxing wine → dry sherry. Use the same amount; avoid sweet cooking wines.
Chinkiang black vinegar → balsamic vinegar. Use 1 tbsp balsamic plus 1 tsp rice vinegar for a similar tang, though it will be slightly sweeter.
boneless, skinless chicken thighs → boneless, skinless chicken breast. Cut to the same size and sear 1 to 2 minutes less to avoid drying out; it should still reach 165°F (74°C).
roasted unsalted peanuts → roasted cashews. Use the same amount for a slightly sweeter, less traditional crunch.