Kung Pao Chicken

• servings: 5 servings
• active time: 25 minutes
• total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (chopped into ¾-inch pieces)

¼ cup low sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons avocado oil or canola oil (divided)

1 red bell pepper (chopped into 1-inch pieces)

1 green bell pepper (chopped into 1-inch pieces)

1 medium zucchini (sliced into ½-inch thick half rounds)

6 green onions (sliced on the diagonal)

¼-½ teaspoon teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you want it)

½ cup dry roasted peanuts

cooked rice (for serving)

Directions

Marinate the chicken: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat. Marinate for 15-20 minutes. (Can marinate longer- I let it go for about 6 hours)

Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil, garlic and cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken (discard extra marinade). Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 7-10 minutes. Remove chicken to a clean plate.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the red and green bell pepper and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and stir fry for 1 minute more. (I had to cook it longer than this)

Whisk the sauce again to make sure everything is well combined. Return the cooked chicken to the pan. Add the green onions, red pepper flakes (NON NEGOTIABLE) and the sauce. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce starts to thicken, 1-2 minutes. (I had to cook it longer than this and add some more cornstarch to get it how I wanted it )

Stir in the peanuts and serve over rice.

Notes

You can substitute cashews for the peanuts.

Try adding other vegetables, such as thinly sliced carrots, red or yellow onions, celery, snow peas, bok choy or asparagus. Some vegetables cook more quickly than others, so add them to the pan in batches, adding the most firm vegetables first.

Nutrition

• Calories: 358 kcal
• Total Fat: 19 g
• Saturated Fat: 3 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
• Cholesterol: 87 mg
• Sodium: 924 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 13 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 6 g
• Protein: 36 g