Sichuan · main
Kung Pao Chicken
宫保鸡丁 · Gōngbǎo Jīdīng
Diced chicken with peanuts, dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorn in a tangy soy-vinegar sauce.
Kung pao chicken is a Qing-dynasty dish named after Ding Baozhen, a Sichuan governor whose official title was Gōngbǎo. Bite-sized pieces of chicken thigh are marinated in soy and Shaoxing wine, then wok-tossed at high heat with whole dried chillies, roasted peanuts and Sichuan peppercorn. A last-minute sauce of soy, vinegar, sugar and stock coats everything in a glossy, lip-tingling glaze. The balance of heat, numbing mala spice, crunch and slight sweetness is characteristic of Sichuan wok cookery. Street-food versions tilt hotter; restaurant interpretations often moderate the chilli count. The overseas version bears little resemblance — in China it is a sharper, less sweet dish.
Where to try
Chengdu: Sichuan-restaurant strips around Jinli and Kuanzhai Alley serve authoritative versions. Also widely available across Sichuan province in everyday canteens.
Dietary notes
Contains chicken, peanuts, soy, wheat (Shaoxing wine). Peanut allergy risk.
Cities to try Kung Pao Chicken
Other southwest dishes
- Baba Flatbread粑粑
Yunnan's daily flatbread — a thick wheat or rice-flour round cooked on a griddle and eaten plain or stuffed.
- Bang Bang Chicken棒棒鸡
Cold poached chicken shredded by hand, dressed in chilli oil, sesame paste and Sichuan peppercorn.
- Boiled Fish in Chilli Oil水煮鱼
Fish slices submerged in a deep pool of chilli oil and Sichuan peppercorns. Served bubbling.
- Chongqing Hotpot重庆火锅
The original mala hotpot — a simmering cauldron of beef tallow, Pixian doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorn for communal dipping.