Kung Pao Chicken, Simplified (Gong Bao Ji Ding)

The story

Named after a Qing-dynasty official whose title was "Gong Bao," this is the dish that taught the West that Chinese food has chili in it. The home version below keeps the trinity — chicken, peanuts, dried chilies — and the pre-mixed sauce that makes wok cooking possible for normal humans.

Ingredients (6 + pantry staples)

• Boneless chicken thighs, diced — 1 lb / 450 g
• Roasted peanuts — 1/2 cup
• Dried red chilies — 6–8, snipped (or 1 tsp flakes)
• Scallions — 2, in chunks
• Garlic — 3 cloves, sliced
• Soy sauce — 2 tbsp

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): sugar (2 tsp), black vinegar (1 tsp), cornstarch (1 tbsp), cooking oil. Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Marinate chicken in 1 tbsp soy + cornstarch, 10 minutes. Mix the sauce meanwhile: 1 tbsp soy, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, 1/4 cup water.
2. Fry dried chilies in oil 30 seconds — they should darken but not blacken.
3. Chicken in; fry 4–5 minutes until cooked. Garlic and scallions for 1 minute.
4. Sauce in (stir first!) — it thickens in 30 seconds. Peanuts in last, one toss, done.

Swaps

No dried chilies? 1 tsp chili flakes + 1/2 tsp paprika. Shrimp or diced firm tofu are classic alternates. Sichuan peppercorns if you have them — that numbing tingle is the authentic finish.