They impart a floral note and create a unique mouth tingle but you can use just a little or a lot depending on your preference.

First are Szechuan peppercorns which are pretty easy to find nowadays. The characteristic heat comes from three different ingredients in this recipe. So if you enjoy Kung Pao Chicken with a twist, read on! And there were some intriguing things about this particular recipe that made me want to try it, especially knowing the Molly Yeh’s version is also very tasty (I love her recipes). Making it at home is always a good solution. More spicy chicken and fewer nuts for me, please! And as my preferences have changed so too has the allure of the traditional dark sauce that tends to be thick and gummy, rather than light and just enough to coat the tender morsels of chicken. One thing I do not love about ordering it out, however is that often the nut to chicken ratio is too high. Kung Pao Chicken is one of my favorite dishes at any Chinese restaurant.

I am sharing the recipe for Kung Pao Chicken because it was definitely a winner and I will make it again and again! Hopefully you will give it a try too.

Thanks to some very clever people, we really enjoyed Kung Pao Chicken and Dan Dan Noodles because noodles must be eaten for longevity! What does that mean? Delicious food that avoids a few ingredients commonly used in Asian cooking such as soy, cornstarch and sugar. This past weekend as we approached the Lunar New Year, I prepared a few of my favorite Chinese dishes using recipes inspired by the Whole 30.

Molly yeh kung pao chicken