Every P.F. Chang’s Kung Pao Chicken recipe I’ve found online is missing two things: the actual Kung Pao sauce and the two-step chicken preparation. The sauce is its own recipe with seven ingredients, including mushroom dark soy sauce, rice wine, and white vinegar. The chicken gets a 24-hour alkaline soy brine and a potato starch dredge before it’s deep-fried, and only then does it go into the wok for the final stir-fry.
At the restaurant, Kung Pao Chicken is the dish they use to test new cooks. It has the most ingredients and the most demanding technique of anything on the line. If the sauce doesn’t boil, it won’t thicken properly. If the chilis and aromatics aren’t toasted in oil first, the flavors come out muted.
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Chicken breast. P.F. Chang’s uses regular boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed into 1-inch pieces. The cutting technique matters: split the breast horizontally first, then cut lengthwise into strips, then crosswise into cubes. Most people cut the pieces too large, and they don’t cook evenly during the deep fry.
Baking soda. Dissolved in water with soy sauce, baking soda raises the pH on the surface of the meat and prevents the protein strands from tightening during high-heat cooking. If you’ve added baking soda directly to chicken before and noticed a soapy or metallic aftertaste, the diluted brine solves that problem entirely.
Potato starch. P.F. Chang’s dredges their Kung Pao chicken in potato starch. You can find it at most Asian grocery stores or on Amazon in small bags. It produces a lighter, crispier coating than cornstarch, and it holds its texture better once the sauce is added.
Minor’s Original Chicken Base. This is the chicken bouillon P.F. Chang’s uses for the sauce base. It comes as a paste in a tub. If you can’t find it, both Knorr and Lee Kum Kee chicken bouillon powder will work for this recipe.
Mushroom dark soy sauce. P.F. Chang’s uses the Lee Kum Kee version. Dark soy sauce is added more for color than for flavor, but the mushroom version has extra savoriness from mushroom seasoning. Any dark soy sauce will work as a substitute.
Sambal Oelek. This is an Indonesian chili paste made with chilis, salt, and vinegar. P.F. Chang’s uses the Huy Fong brand, the same company that makes Sriracha. You’ll often find Sambal Oelek and Huy Fong’s Chili Garlic Sauce right next to each other on the shelf. Either one works for this dish. The only difference is the Chili Garlic Sauce has garlic in it.
Dehydrated minced garlic. You can find this at most grocery stores in the spice aisle. P.F. Chang’s uses it instead of fresh garlic for two reasons: it doesn’t burn and stick to the hot wok as easily, and it has a smoother, more concentrated garlic flavor. To prepare it, soak in hot water for 20-30 minutes, then drain completely before using. Once rehydrated, it keeps in the fridge for about a week.
Dried red chilis. When buying these, make sure they’re flexible and don’t snap when you bend them. Brittle chilis are old and won’t give you the right flavor or color. You can find them at most Asian grocery stores, and many Western grocery stores carry them too.
Sesame oil. P.F. Chang’s uses Lee Kum Kee pure sesame oil as a finishing oil for its rich, nutty flavor. If you can only find toasted sesame oil, that will also work.
Celery. The only vegetable in this dish. Celery has long fibers that can get stuck in your teeth during a stir-fry, so proper prep makes a real difference. I’ll cover the technique in the tips section below.
1. Cut the chicken. Remove the tenderloin from the breast and set it aside (you can include it in this recipe or save it). Trim any fat or tendon, then place your hand flat on the breast and make a horizontal cut to split it into two thinner pieces. Cut each piece lengthwise into 1-inch strips, then crosswise into 1-inch cubes.
2. Make the alkaline soy marinade and brine the chicken. Combine 1 cup of water with ½ teaspoon of baking soda and stir until dissolved. Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Pour the brine over the cubed chicken and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. P.F. Chang’s brines their chicken for a full 24 hours, and longer marination does improve both texture and flavor.
3. Make the Kung Pao sauce. Add ¼ cup of water, ¼ teaspoon of chicken bouillon base, and 6½ tablespoons of sugar to a small pot over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then add ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of mushroom dark soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of white vinegar, 3 tablespoons of rice wine, and 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce. Whisk until everything is incorporated and turn off the heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon of finely minced green onion. This recipe makes 8 servings of sauce because the small amounts of some ingredients make it difficult to scale down. The extra stores well in the fridge for a few weeks.
4. Prep the remaining ingredients. Rehydrate the minced garlic in hot water for 20-30 minutes, then drain completely. Prep the celery using the technique in the tips section below. Chop the scallion whites. Measure out the peanuts, Sambal Oelek, dried chilis, and sesame oil so everything is ready before you start the final cook.
5. Deep-fry the chicken. Heat neutral oil to 350°F. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Dredge each piece in potato starch, pressing it in and shaking off the excess. Make sure every piece is completely covered. Fry for 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Agitate the pieces immediately after dropping them in, because they tend to clump together. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels and set aside.
6. Final stir-fry. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the dried red chilis and stir-fry until they’ve darkened in color, about 1-2 minutes. Then add the rehydrated garlic, Sambal Oelek, and scallion whites. Cook for 10-20 seconds until the aromatics are fragrant. Add ¼ cup of the Kung Pao sauce and bring it to a boil. Let it reduce very slightly, but don’t overdo it because the sauce can get too thick. Add the peanuts, deep-fried chicken, and sliced celery. Toss everything together for 20-30 seconds until the chicken is completely coated and there are no dry spots. Drizzle in ½ teaspoon of sesame oil, toss once more, and turn off the heat.
Prep the celery properly for stir-fry. Celery has long fibers that get stuck in your teeth if you don’t remove them first. Take a vegetable peeler and peel down the outer surface of each stalk on both sides to remove the tough outer layer and all the fibrous bits. Then cut each stalk in half lengthwise and slice on the bias about ⅛ inch wide.
Open a window when toasting the dried chilis. The peppers release strong fumes when they hit the hot oil. It’s not dangerous, but it will clear the room if you don’t have ventilation.
The sauce recipe makes 8 servings on purpose. The small amounts of some ingredients make it difficult to accurately scale this sauce down. Make the full batch and store the extra in the fridge. You’ll have enough for three more servings of Kung Pao Chicken, and the sauce keeps well for a few weeks.
If you don’t want to make the sauce from scratch, P.F. Chang’s sells a premade Kung Pao sauce at most grocery stores. It’s not as good as the homemade version, but it will work as a shortcut.
The Kung Pao sauce keeps in a covered container in the fridge for a few weeks. The assembled dish is best eaten fresh because the potato starch coating on the chicken softens over time. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a hot wok or skillet to bring back some of the texture on the chicken. The microwave works, but the coating won’t crisp back up.
No. P.F. Chang’s Kung Pao Chicken is a Western adaptation that’s sweeter and milder than the traditional Sichuan version. Traditional Kung Pao uses Sichuan peppercorns and is a much spicier dish. The origins come from Sichuan province, which is known for its intensely spicy cuisine. P.F. Chang’s toned down the heat and added more sweetness for American palates. If you want more spice, add extra Sambal Oelek to the stir-fry.
You can, but the result will be a bit different. Fresh garlic burns faster on a hot wok and has a sharper, more pungent flavor. Dehydrated minced garlic gives a smoother garlic taste and is less likely to scorch during the quick stir-fry. If you do use fresh, mince it very finely and add it just before the sauce so it doesn’t burn.
P.F. Chang’s uses breast for this dish, but thighs will work. They have more fat, so the flavor will be richer and the texture more tender. The alkaline soy marinade and potato starch dredge process is the same for either cut. Keep the pieces at 1-inch cubes so they cook evenly during the deep fry.
Add more Sambal Oelek chili paste during the final stir-fry. You can also leave more of the dried red chilis in the finished dish instead of picking them out. The dish as written is mild to medium heat. If you want something closer to traditional Sichuan Kung Pao, you’d need to add Sichuan peppercorns and significantly more chili paste.
