Healthy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

This healthy version of kung pao chicken is better than the stuff you get at a restaurant!!

I don’t eat a ton of Asian food simply because it’s often so high in sugar and carbs. But I was really in the mood for some the other night, so I went searching for a recipe I could make at home. I ran across one from Serious Eats and went about the business of “cleaning it up”.

So glad I did because it turned out really delicious!! It was even really good the next day re-heated.

While this does still have some sugar (honey) and carbs, it’s a lot healthier than the more traditional version of this Americanized classic. In fact, Mini Chef never even got to taste this because I ate it all before he got home from his weekend with his dad. Ya, it was tasty.

At first glance, the recipe seems a bit daunting. But it’s actually pretty easy to put together and many of the ingredients simply repeat. So don’t let the list of ingredients keep you from giving it a try.

P.S. – You can “fry” this in chicken broth instead of oil to lower fat and calories if that is your preference.

More Healthy Asian Recipes

• Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
• Crazy Good Stir-Fry
• Wok-Style Garlic Chickenn & Carrots

Healthy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.

Healthy Kung Pao Chicken

This delicious kung pao chicken is the healthiest kung pao chicken around! Enjoy the deliciousness without the garbage!

No ratings yet

Print Pin Rate Add to Collection Go to Collections

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 353kcal

Ingredients

MARINADE INGREDIENTS

• 2 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. soy sauce OR coconut aminos
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. honey
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 tsp. arrowroot powder OR organic cornstarch

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp. soy sauce OR coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 tsp. arrowroot powder OR organic cornstarch

STIR FRY INGREDIENTS

• 3 + tbsp. oil OR chicken broth as needed for cooking
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
• 2 medium stalks celery, diced
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (1 tsp. if you prefer milk spice, 3 tsp. if you prefer extra spicy)
• ½ cup salted peanuts

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Cut up the chicken and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients, add the chicken and stir well to coat the meat. Set in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes.
• In a small to medium mixing bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients, whisking well to combine and set aside.
• Prepare all the veggies and remaining spice and set nearby.
• Once the meat is done marinating, transfer to a pan with either oil or chicken broth. Cook until chicken is browned completely.
• Add the vegetables and spices and continue to cook for approximately 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
• Pour on the sauce and add the peanuts and stir well for about 1 to 2 minutes to thoroughly combine everything and allow the flavors to meld together.
• Remove from heat and serve as is or over brown rice.
  

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 531mg | Potassium: 863mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1.6mg