Kung Pao Chicken
As one of the classics of Sichuan cuisine, Kung Pao Chicken is sold in almost every small, medium, and large restaurant on the market. "A thousand people have a thousand Hamlets in their eyes," and a thousand people also have a thousand different memories of their perfect Kung Pao Chicken. Today, I bring you my family’s time-honored recipe for Kung Pao Chicken! Spicy, fragrant, savory yet slightly sweet, the chicken is tender and bouncy, the peanuts are crispy, and even the chunks of green onions are refreshing and perfect with rice! Serve yourself a bowl of steaming hot rice, pair it with a plate of freshly made Kung Pao Chicken, then add an ice-cold and refreshing Coca-Cola. Done in no time—ah~ what a satisfying moment! Speaking of Coca-Cola's City Food Series modern can packaging, it's just so attractive—exploring different cities with flavors, but always impressively refreshing! For winter gatherings or friend hangouts, having a can each intensifies the deliciousness of the meal!
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare all the ingredients. You can use either drumsticks or chicken thighs. Use high-quality Sichuan peppercorns (e.g., Da Hong Pao). If using average-quality peppercorns, add an extra 1g. Make sure to choose fresh and firm white parts of the green onions!
Debone the chicken and dice into 1.5cm cubes. Cut green onions into 1cm segments. Mince garlic and ginger. Cut dried chilies into segments and remove the seeds. I used skinless peanuts—if using peanuts with skin, soak them and rub off the skins beforehand.
Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Marinate the chicken with green onion ginger water, soy sauce, rice wine, and salt—mix well. Then add starch and mix again, finally sealing it with oil. Let it marinate for 10–15 minutes. Follow this sequence—season first, then starch, finally seal with oil—to keep the chicken tender and flavorful!
Heat a generous amount of oil in a pan, and fry the peanuts on medium to low heat until slightly golden. Remove and drain.
Pour out excess oil, leaving just enough to coat the pan. Cook Sichuan peppercorns on low until they turn dark brown. Then, add the chili segments and continue cooking until they turn reddish-brown.
Stir-fry minced garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the chicken cubes, raise the heat to high, and stir-fry quickly until the chicken pieces brown and curl up.
Pour in the prepared sauce and add green onion segments and fried peanuts. Stir-fry quickly. If you can flip the pan while stir-frying, do so at this stage for better mix! Once the chicken is fully cooked through, drizzle Sichuan pepper oil, turn off the heat, and plate the dish!
Enjoy the spicy and appetizing Kung Pao Chicken with a fizzy cold drink! Today, I paired it with Coca-Cola's new City Series cans. Each city can features a different iconic dish—pairing your meals with their respective city-themed Coke gives you a diverse yet unified culinary refreshment experience!
Even in the cold seasons of autumn and winter, pairing hot and spicy dishes with icy Coca-Cola is a must—it makes the heat and spice even more satisfying!