Kung pao chicken from Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories (page 113) by Grace Young

  • Szechuan pepper
    Dried berries of Xanthoxylum species plants. Although there is a Xanthoxylum fagara, it is native to Florida and Caribbean, and not used in Chinese cuisine. Buy Now
  • scallions
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  • EYB Comments

    Can substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts for thighs; dry sherry for Shaoxing.

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Notes about this recipe

  • Eat Your Books

    Can substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts for thighs; dry sherry for Shaoxing.

  • mimisingh on January 26, 2026

    I thought this was good and is really quick once everything is prepared. My only issue is my spices burned really quickly once I added them at the beginning. Next time I would try peanut oil and see if it helps. Despite that it still tasted pretty good and I would make it again

  • EmilyR on September 05, 2022

    Recipe found here : https://www.thekitchn.com/kung-pao-chicken-recipe-23061511

  • ashallen on August 06, 2021

    Very flavorful, tender chicken, juicy red bell pepper chunks. I prefer this version of this dish to the version Grace Young published in "The Breath of a Wok" - the flavors seem deeper. To suit our spice-heat tolerance, I cut back the chilies to 2 chiles de arbol (without seeds!). The ingredient list for this recipe and Fuchsia Dunlop's Gong Bao Chicken recipe are very similar, but this recipe has a smaller quantity of aromatics relative to the chicken (and also adds red bell pepper) and chops them up more finely so the flavors blend together more. I really like the Dunlop recipe, too, but I know some don't care for the intense flavors in that recipe from the whole Sichuan peppercorns and slices of ginger and garlic - they might like the gentler flavors in this Young recipe more.

  • Rutabaga on March 06, 2016

    This is good, but I felt it could use a little more sauce, especially if you eat it atop rice, as we did. Increasing the black soy sauce, black rice vinegar, and rice wine would give it a little more "oomph"; as it was, I mostly tasted the spiciness of the peppers and Szechuan peppercorns (although the heat was only moderate, not overwhelming). I would also try letting the chicken marinate an hour or so in the garlic and ginger mix if I had the time.

  • Zosia on August 10, 2015

    Delicious and though the ingredient list looks quite daunting, very quick to prepare once everything is measured out.

  • stockholm28 on January 12, 2015

    Good dish, but I prefer Fuschia Dunlop's version in "Land of Plenty".

  • JKDLady on June 02, 2014

    This recipe was very good, but I thought it needed more chicken. I would keep everything else the same.

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