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Everyone who comes over for dinner begs for us to make this awesome Baked Kung Pao Chicken. Holy crispy, saucy chicken that everyone loves to devour!
Hello hello! I am so excited to be over here at Sweet Basil’s pad today. My name is Alyssa and I blog over at The Recipe Critic. You see, Carrian and I go way back. And when I say way back, its been about 2 years since we met for the first time at a blog conference. But 2 years is a long time in blog years and Carrian and I became instant friends. She is literally the sweetest thing on the planet. It is so much fun to meet up with her. I adore Carrian!
As you have heard in Carrian’s post here, she is expecting another sweet babe! But pregnancies aren’t the easiest for her and I can’t imagine being as sick as she is. It breaks my heart! So I am here today to bring Carrian dinner. And you guys are going to love it. So much that it will become an instant favorite just like it is at our house.
The breading on this chicken is exactly what you would order at a nice chinese restaurant. The technique is spot on and couldn’t be better. My favorite comment that I have gotten about this chicken is, “My husband was checking the garbage because he didn’t believe that I made this. He thought that I ordered take out because it was so good!” The chicken bakes at a low temperature and it browns the chicken up perfectly and thickens up the sauce. Of course, you can just cook the chicken on the stove and toss it in the sauce, but I love how it comes out of the oven and is so delicious.
Kung Pao is one of my favorite kinds. I love how it has just enough of a kick but isn’t too spicy. The peppers and peanuts throughout add a delicious texture and crunch. This dish was absolutely incredible! The ingredients are simple but it is so full of flavor. You won’t even be able to believe how yummy it is when you make it!
As soon as I pulled it out of the oven and had my first bite my mind was blown. This is hands down one of the best things that I have ever made. The flavor turned out perfectly and this is going to be a dish that your family will love! Try it out for yourself. You won’t regret it.
What is Kung Pao Chicken?
Kung Pao Chicken is a spicy, stir-fried Chinese dish made with chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers.
Is Rice Gluten Free?
Yes, all rice is gluten-free.
This includes brown rice, white rice and wild rice.
Can You Substitute Quinoa for Rice?
One cup of quinoa has about 40 fewer calories than one cup of rice.
It is high in protein and has about 15 times less carbohydrates than white rice.
Quinoa is a good, healthier substitute for rice.
Baked Kung Pao Chicken
Baked Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients
- 3-4 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1½ Cup Cornstarch
- 3 Eggs, beaten
- ¼ Cup Canola Oil
- 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1/4 Cup Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Red Chili Paste, like Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 Red Pepper, chopped
- 1/4 Cup Peanuts
- Green Onions, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.3-4 Chicken Breasts, Salt and Pepper to taste
- In separate bowls, place cornstarch and slightly beaten eggs.1½ Cup Cornstarch, 3 Eggs
- Dip chicken into cornstarch then coat in egg mixture. (Yes you dip the chicken in cornstarch first, then the egg.. trust me. :))
- Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until browned.¼ Cup Canola Oil
- Place the chicken in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, red chili paste, minced garlic, brown sugar, and cornstarch.1/4 Cup Soy Sauce, 1/4 Cup Vinegar, 1 Tablespoon Red Chili Paste, 1 teaspoon Garlic, 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar, 1/2 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- Pour over chicken and toss to coat.
- Add the chopped red peppers and peanuts on top.1 Red Pepper, 1/4 Cup Peanuts
- Bake for 1 hour.
- I stirred the chicken every 15 minutes so that it coated them in the sauce.Green Onions
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Orange Chicken
Whenever we went out for takeout my go-to pick was that awesome orange chicken until I learned that I could make an even better version at home!
Cashew Chicken
There’s nothing like a big pile of cashew chicken on top of sticky white rice.
This recipe is so amazing! My husband has made a rule of not going for seconds but last night, he made a decision that this recipe is worth breaking his diet rules. He loved it. I love it and it is gluten free which makes it a keeper. I LOVE that the chicken can be made and then there are so many variations that can be applied to the sauce. It would work for sweet and sour chicken and sesame chicken too. Thanks for sharing. I would have never thought to put the chicken in the corn starch and then the eggs but I will always do it that way now.
Yay!! I love breaking the rules sometimes. You just have to when it’s so good!
Hi! Is this something that can be prepped ahead and baked later? Or even prepped and frozen and then baked? Thanks! Looks amazing!
Hi Stacy,
Anything with a breading is really tricky to prep ahead. You could partially bake it and then cool and freeze then finish baking with extra time for baking. 🙂
Thank you for an amazing recipe!! I didn’t have the chili paste but I did have Frank’s RedHot with Sweet Chili sauce. Awesome
Wonderful! So glad it worked out with the Franks!
Is the red chili paste a dry spice, or a liquid?
it’s like a paste, not dry or liquid and found in a jar usually. 🙂
This recipe is incredible! I tried it last night and my husband and I absolutely loved it! In fact, he said it was one of the best meals I made since we’ve been married (over 4 years! lol). Thanks so much for posting. I’ll definitely be trying your other recipes on this site!
That’s always a good sign, haha! Enjoy!
I have a question I want to make this… I need 1 1/2 of the cornstarch do I use this much when I dip the chicken or when I’m mixing it with the soy sauce and brown sugar etc…
and the 1/2 of cornstarch for dipping first then egg… Not sure if you said that amount but it’s a little.
Thank you, would like to make this for dinner friday or Sunday!!!
Made this last night and my family loved it! Thank you for this recipe. This is going to be my Chinese go to dish!
Yay! So glad!
I just need to get this off my chest… I love chinese food and I’m already in love with this baked kung pao chicken and I haven’t even tasted it yet!
I am so excited with this recipe. I love Kung Pao Chicken and putting it into the oven is brilliant. Pinned!
Okay, this looks fantastic!! I am going to have to make some for dinner. I had a different chicken dish planned, but now all I can think about is Chinese food.