Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Recipe (Easy Copycat Version)
Want to make Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken at home?
This copycat Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken recipe gives you the same spicy, savory, peanut-loaded flavor with tender chicken and crisp vegetables — just like the restaurant version.
In this guide you’ll get:
- Exact ingredients
- Step-by-step instructions
- Kung Pao sauce recipe
- Nutrition breakdown
- Pro tips for authentic flavor
What Is Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken?
Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken is a stir-fried chicken entrée made with:
- Diced chicken (white meat)
- Zucchini
- Red bell peppers
- Onions
- Dried red chilies
- Roasted peanuts
- Savory soy-based sauce
It has a bold, slightly spicy, nutty flavor.
Ingredients for Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken
Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken is a very tasty, flavorful, famous, and savoury entree in the Panda Express Entree Menu. It is very, very juicy, and the peanuts in it just made it super mouth-watering. The Ingredients required for it are given below:
Chicken Marinade
- 8 oz boneless skinless chicken (diced)
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp neutral oil
Vegetables
- 1 cup diced zucchini
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup diced onion
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 6–8 dried red chilies
- ⅓ cup roasted peanuts
Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Sauce Ingredients:
Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken sauce is an ingredient that works like magic and makes it more and more yummy. It is also made of some common ingredients, similar to the ones used in the Panda Express Chow Mein Recipe. To know what kind of ingredients are used to make that tasty Kung Chicken sauce, check the list given below:
- ⅓ cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp black vinegar
- ½ tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp chili crisp
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Mix all sauce ingredients and set aside.
How to Make Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken (Step-by-Step)
Making the Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken can be very interesting. With the help of the following steps, you can easily do that at home and can get the restaurant type food at your home:
Step 1: Marinate the Chicken
- Combine chicken with soy sauce, wine, and cornstarch.
- Add oil to seal marinade.
- Let sit 10–15 minutes.
Step 2: Cook the Chicken
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok.
- Cook chicken in small batches.
- Stir-fry until golden and fully cooked.
- Remove and set aside.
Step 3: Stir-Fry Vegetables
- In same pan, add vegetables.
- Stir-fry 2–3 minutes.
- Add garlic and dried chilies.
Step 4: Combine Everything
- Return chicken to pan.
- Add peanuts.
- Pour sauce mixture.
- Stir until sauce thickens (1–2 minutes).
Serve immediately.
What Makes It Taste Like Panda Express?
To replicate restaurant flavor:
- Use high heat
- Don’t overcook vegetables
- Use real black vinegar
- Add dried red chilies (not chili powder)
- Finish with sesame oil
Optional: Add Sichuan peppercorn powder for authentic numbing heat.
Easy Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Recipe You’ll Love
Course: Menu Prices4
servings20
minutes20
minutes40
minutesMake the tasty Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken at your home with the help of this simple and easy recipe. Marinate the Chicken, stir fry the veggies, make the kung pao sauce, combine all of them together and add some unsalted peanuts to make it tastier for the kick of spiciness; add a red spicy chilli on the top after cooking for a little bit more time your Panda Express Restaurant type Kung Pao Chicken is ready.
Ingredients
Chicken boneless and skinless meat (8 oz).
Soy Sauce (2 teaspoons).
Shaoxing Wine (2 Teaspoons).
Cornstarch ( 1 Teaspoon).
Neutral Oil ( 1 Teaspoon).
Zucchini (One Cup Diced).
Red Bell Pepper (1 Cup Diced).
Onion (½ cup diced).
Garlic ( 4-5 cloves minced).
Dried Red Chilies ( also can use Sichuan peppercorn powder).
Roasted peanuts (⅓ cups).
Cooking Oil (1 tablespoon).
- Sauce Ingredients
Chicken Shock (⅓ cups).
Soy Sauce (1 Tablespoon).
Oyster Sauce (1 Tablespoon).
Black vinegar (1 Tablespoon).
Sugar (½ Tablespoon).
Spicy Chili Crisp ( 1 Tablespoon).
Sesame oil (½ Tablespoon).
Cornstarch (1 Tablespoon).
Directions
- For the Chicken
- Take a medium-sized bowl and put the Chicken in it.
- Marinade the Chicken with Soy Sauce, Shaoxing Wine, and Cornstarch.
- Mix it well, add Oil in it to seal it, and then mix it again.
- The Chicken is ready.
- For the veggies
- Cut the Zucchini, Red Bell Pepper, and Onion diced.
- Mince the garlic.
- Cut Spicy Chili ½ or leave it whole.
- For the sauce
- Mix Chicken Shock, Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Black vinegar, Sugar, Spicy Chili Crisp, Sesame oil, and Cornstarch together and put it aside.
- Let’s cook now:
- Take a pan, add 1 tbsp oil and heat it.
- When the Oil is heated, add the Chicken.
- Cook the Chicken until it gets light golden brown.
- When it is cooked, remove it from the pan and put it aside.
- (In the same pan) add a little amount of Oil if needed, add all the veggies you cut in it, and stir fry it for 2-3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt for the taste.
- When the veggies get a little soft, add the minced garlic and again stir fry them for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the Chicken in it and then mix it well.
- Add the Red Chili, and unsalted peanuts, and the sauce.
- Cook all of this together until it gets thick.
- When it is fully ready, Enjoy it with rice or alone 🙂
Best Ways To Store The Kung Pao Chicken
- Cool down the food before you store it, and put a lid on it so that bacteria don’t attack it, and do not leave it out for more than 2 hours.
- Put the food in an airtight container so that any air from outside shouldn’t go inside.
Put it in the refrigerator. - If you are storing it for a long time, put it in the freezer and freeze it. By this, your food will be okay.
- If possible, separate the sauce from it.
- If your food contains onions or any kind of veggies, keep in mind that these types of veggies texture can change when you freeze, so reheat it on low flame or microwave it.
Nutrition Facts
4 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories300
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
12g
16%
- Saturated Fat 2g 10%
- Trans Fat 0g
- Cholesterol 50mg 17%
- Sodium 750mg 33%
- Potassium 400mg 9%
- Total Carbohydrate
18g
7%
- Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
- Total Sugars 5g
- Protein 25g 50%
- Vitamin A 25mcg 3%
- Vitamin C 60mg 67%
- Calcium 4mg 1%
- Iron 8mg 45%
- Vitamin D 2mcg 10%
- Vitamin E 8mg 54%
- Vitamin K 10mcg 9%
- Thiamin 6mg 500%
- Riboflavin 8mg 616%
- Niacin 30mg 188%
- Vitamin B6 25mg 1471%
- Vitamin B12 5mcg 209%
- Folate 10mcg 3%
- Biotin 20mcg 67%
- Pantothenic Acid 10mg 200%
- Phosphorus 15mg 2%
- Iodine 30mcg 20%
- Magnesium 10mg 3%
- Zinc 10mg 91%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Is Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Keto-Friendly?
Yes — it is relatively low in carbs compared to other Panda Express entrees.
However:
- Sauce contains some sugar
- Watch portion size
Frequently Asked Questions About Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken
No. It is stir-fried, not breaded.
Yes. Roasted peanuts are included.
No. It contains soy sauce and oyster sauce (gluten).
Yes. It has mild to medium heat from dried red chilies.
Panda Express uses white meat chicken.
Yes, Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken is keto-friendly.
Sichuan peppercorn powder pepper is used in the Kung Pao Chicken.
Yes, They use all-white meat in the kung pao chicken.
The Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken is full of flavours like savoury, spicy, numbing, slightly sweet, tangy, and nutty flavours.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to say that Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken is very tasty, and also it is pretty famous all over the Panda Express Food Lovers. So, I write this article about it, and I provide a recipe so that everyone can try it at home as well. Not only this, I also provide the nutrition of the Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken. Okay, that’s it for today. See you soon in the next article or the next recipe. Goodbye, and take care of yourself. By Richard Bach: “Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.”
