Kung Pao Chicken in the UK: what it is, how to order it, where to find it
Quick answer
Kung pao chicken is diced chicken stir-fried with peanuts, dried chilli and Sichuan pepper in a sauce that is savoury, sweet, sour and numbing all at once. It is a Sichuan classic and one of the dishes that shows whether a Chinese restaurant cooks regional food or a generic sweet-sauce menu. The real version tingles from Sichuan pepper; the anglicised one is a mild peanut stir-fry.
Calories and nutrition
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Salt
- 2.6 g
420–640 kcal
Portion: One portion, about 300 g.
Peanuts carry much of the fat; served with rice, add around 300 kcal.
Estimates for a typical portion, based on standard UK and USDA food composition data. Actual values depend on the recipe and the restaurant.
What kung pao is
Gong bao ji ding is diced chicken velveted (marinated in cornflour and soy for tenderness), stir-fried fast over high heat with dried red chillies, whole Sichuan peppercorns, spring onion and peanuts, in a sauce of soy, black vinegar, sugar and a little stock. The signature is ma la: the numbing tingle of Sichuan pepper (ma) with the heat of chilli (la), against a sweet-sour background. The peanuts add crunch. It is a balanced, layered dish, not a one-note stir-fry. The Western version drops the Sichuan pepper and the vinegar, leaving a mild sweet peanut chicken that is a different dish under the same name.
How to judge it
If your lips tingle slightly, the kitchen used real Sichuan pepper and you are eating the genuine article. The sauce should be balanced between salty, sweet and sour, the chicken tender from velveting, the peanuts crunchy. A gloopy, sweet, chilli-free version with soft peanuts is the anglicised one. Sichuan restaurants, increasingly common in UK cities, make the real thing; ask for it authentic (jia la for extra heat).
Sichuan on a UK menu
The spread of Sichuan restaurants in Britain over the last fifteen years has brought real kung pao, mapo tofu and dan dan noodles to most large cities. A menu with Sichuan dishes named individually, and a chilli-oil section, is the sign. The old Cantonese-British takeaway menu rarely does kung pao justice.
Where it is done well in the UK
Sichuan restaurants in the Chinatowns and university cities. Our directory lists areas with the most Chinese restaurants.
How to order it
Order kung pao at a Sichuan restaurant for the real numbing-and-spicy version; ask for it authentic if you want the tingle. Peanuts should be crunchy, the sauce balanced, not just sweet. Say if you want it hotter (jia la).
Where it's done well
UK councils with the most kung pao chicken specialists, by restaurant name, in our directory.
Restaurants near you
Search by postcode or use your location to find restaurants likely to serve kung pao chicken near you.
Make it at home
Serves 2 · 25 min
Ingredients
- 300 g chicken thigh, diced
- 1 tsp cornflour, 1 tbsp soy, for the marinade
- 8 dried red chillies
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- 60 g roasted peanuts
- for the sauce: 1 tbsp soy, 1 tbsp black vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cornflour, 2 tbsp stock
Method
- Marinate the chicken in the cornflour and soy for ten minutes. Mix the sauce ingredients.
- Heat a wok very hot with oil. Fry the dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Add the chicken and stir-fry until nearly cooked, then the spring onions.
- Pour in the sauce, toss until it thickens and coats, stir in the peanuts and serve at once.
Real Sichuan peppercorns give the numbing tingle that defines the dish; without them it is just a peanut stir-fry. Keep the wok very hot and move fast.