Spicy Healthy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

You’re going to love this healthy Kung Pao Chicken recipe. And once I show you how to make Kung Pao chicken, you’ll want to make it immediately! It packs a major punch of flavor from the marinated chicken, sauce, and stir fried veggies. You can serve spicy Kung Pao chicken on a bed of cabbage, cauliflower rice, or zucchini noodles for a complete dinner. Everyone will be happy with this meal!

This easy Kung Pao chicken is hot, spicy, tangy, and creamy, all at once. You can adjust the heat level for your taste, but I adhere to the motto that the hotter it is, the better it is!

There are a lot of flavors going on, but they work so well together. And that’s one of the things that I love about stir fries. With a few easy stir fry guidelines, you’ve got an endless combination of proteins, vegetables, and flavors!

And even better, this Kung Pao Chicken recipe literally cooks in 10 minutes. Add in 5 minutes for prep time, and you’ve got a deliciously filling dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes. Told you everyone was going to be happy with this meal! 😉

What Is Kung Pao Chicken?

Kung Pao chicken is a delicious Chinese inspired dish that is loaded with lots of flavor and spices. Usually, the chicken is breaded and has a spicy sauce that can contain flour… both of which are issues if you’re trying to make a healthy stir fry.

Fortunately, my easy Kung Pao chicken is paleo, unlike what you normally find at a Chinese restaurant. No breading and no gluten!

How To Make Kung Pao Chicken

Once you learn how to make Kung Pao Chicken, I am confident it’s going to become a new go-to dish for weeknight dinners.

Here are the really easy steps for how to make this spicy Chinese chicken:

• Marinate chicken. Add ginger, garlic, tapioca flour, coconut aminos, white wine vinegar, coconut sugar, and salt together to make the marinade. Toss in chicken and make sure it’s coated with the marinade.
• Make the stir fry sauce. Whisk together chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, coconut aminos, sesame oil, and white wine vinegar.
• Stir fry the chicken. Add coconut oil to a heated wok. Stir-fry peppercorns and chilies, then add chicken and sear until golden brown.
• Stir fry the veggies. Add peppers and sesame oil, and cook until tender.
• Toss in cashews and scallions. Sprinkle in coconut sugar (skip for low carb!), toss and serve.

Does Kung Pao Chicken Have Peanuts?

Yes, Kung Pao Chicken normally does have peanuts in it. My spicy Chinese chicken recipe doesn’t contain any peanuts because then it wouldn’t be paleo! It was important to me to transform an authentic Kung Pao chicken recipe into a paleo one, so it fits our dietary needs.

TIP: If you want to add in some nutty crunch but keep it paleo, try sprinkling it with some crushed almonds or cashews instead.

How Many Carbs In Kung Pao Chicken?

Each serving of this healthy Kung Pao chicken recipe has 15 grams net carbs. It’s considerably lower than if you buy the deep fried version found in restaurants.

TIP: You can make this Kung Pao chicken low carb by either omitting the coconut sugar altogether or using a powdered sugar-free sweetener.

How Do You Store Spicy Kung Pao Chicken?

Store the kung pao chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will last 3-4 days in the fridge and makes excellent leftovers.

This is a perfect dish if you like to meal plan or do batch cooking. Then you can quickly toss it in the microwave or heat it in a skillet with oil.

Can I Freeze Healthy Kung Pao Chicken?

Yes, you can quickly freeze this healthy kung pao chicken. Allow it to cool after stir-frying and then place in an airtight container. Freeze for 1-2 months.

When you are ready to serve it, place it in the refrigerator to thaw it out. Once it’s thawed, you can put a little bit of sesame oil in a skillet until it’s heated all the way through. Or just pop it in the microwave.

More Paleo Dinner Recipes

If you love this Chinese chicken dish, you will go crazy for these delicious paleo dinner recipes.

• Paleo Orange Chicken Stir Fry – This is sweet and loaded with flavor.
• Paleo Low Carb Shrimp And Cauliflower Grits – The grits would also go amazing with this Kung Pao chicken!
• Sweet And Sour Pineapple Stir Fry – Reader favorite!

Spicy Healthy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe:
Pin it to save for later!

Follow Wicked Spatula on Pinterest

RECIPE CARD

4.95 from 17 votes

Spicy Healthy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

Learn how to make Kung Pao chicken in just 15 minutes! This paleo, healthy Kung Pao chicken recipe is super easy and totally delicious.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword healthy kung pao chicken, how to make kung pao chicken, kung pao chicken recipe, spicy kung pao chicken

Calories 389 kcal

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Author Maya Krampf from WickedSpatula.com

Servings 4 servings

★ Review Print

Ingredients

Please ensure Safari reader mode is OFF to view ingredients.

Chicken Marinade

• 1 lb Boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 2 tablespoons Fresh ginger (minced)
• 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon Coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon White wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon Sea salt
• 1 tablespoon Cold water

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons Chicken broth (or beef broth)
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon White wine vinegar

Stir-Fry

• 1 tablespoon Coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
• 8 medium Dried chili peppers (snipped on the ends)
• 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 medium Red bell pepper (chopped into 1 inch squares)
• 3/4 cups Unsalted roasted cashews
• 1/2 cup Green onions (minced)
• 1 teaspoon Coconut sugar
• Cooked cauliflower rice or shredded cabbage (optional)

Click to convert between US & metric measurements:

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

More TIPS about this paleo recipe in the post above!

1. In a medium bowl toss the chicken with the marinade ingredients.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the sauce ingredients.

3. Heat a large wok or stainless steel skillet over high heat. Add the coconut oil to the wok along with the chili peppers and peppercorns. Stir-fry 15-20 seconds until the chilies start to smoke. Push to one side and add the chicken in a single layer to the wok. Let sear for about 1 minute until a nice golden crust forms on the chicken.

4. Using a sturdy spatula stir-fry the chicken and chili mixture for 2 minutes longer.

5. Place the tablespoon of sesame oil into the wok and add the bell peppers. Stir-fry another minute just until the pepper begins to soften. You don't want them mushy.

6. Throw in the cashews and scallions and toss to combine. Add the teaspoon of coconut sugar and give the stir-fry a good toss for about 20 seconds.

7. Serve hot with shredded cabbage, cauliflower rice, or by itself.

Recipe Notes

Serving Size: 1/2 entire recipe

Nutrition Information Per Serving

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 389

Fat 23g

Protein 29g

Total Carbs 17g

Net Carbs 15g

Fiber 2g

Sugar 5g

Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols (though the latter are rarely seen on this site), because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.

© Copyright Wicked Spatula. We'd LOVE for you to share a link to this recipe, but please DO NOT COPY/PASTE the recipe instructions to social media or websites. You may share a photo with a link back instead.

Did you make this recipe?

Click here to leave a comment + star rating! ★★★★★

Then, share a pic on Instagram. Tag @wickedspatula or #wickedspatula!