Healthy Kung Pao Chicken is easy to make, and low in calories, with snow peas, fresh ginger, red bell peppers, green onions, and dry roasted peanuts.
I love Chinese Food, especially Kung Pao Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork. I do NOT love all the calories those traditional Chinese dishes add to my body, as I eat bite after bite, however! What’s a girl to do??? How about a recipe for Healthy Kung Pao Chicken?
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Where Did Kung Pao Chicken Originate?
Wikipedia describes Kung Pao Chicken as “a classic dish in Szechuan cuisine”. The recipe for Kung Pao Chicken is thought to have originated in the Sichuan province of South-Western China.
This classic dish is commonly believed to have been named to honor Ding Baozhen, a governor of Sichuan Province during the Quing Dynasty. “Kung Pao” literally means “palace guardian”, which has absolutely nothing to do with chicken, but… whatever! All I know is it tastes GREAT!
Where I Found The Recipe For Healthy Kung Pao Chicken
I was determined to search for a slightly healthier version of Kung Pao Chicken…and I found one, in an old back issue of Cooking Light Magazine. A few very minor changes were made to the recipe, then I prepared this “lighter” version for our dinner tonight. It was delicious!!!!
This healthy kung pao chicken version is not as spicy as some other traditional recipes, including my own recipe (here). If you like your kung pao chicken spicy, simply add additional red pepper flakes to the dish.
Why We Enjoy This Recipe
This healthy kung pao chicken is absolutely full of flavor, a cinch to prepare, and easy on the old wallet! You’ll think you are enjoying some good take out, because the sauce is wonderful, but you won’t be piling on those extra calories. Win-Win!!! I would encourage you to give it a try, and hope you enjoy it! We sure did. Here’s a few pics taken while cooking the dish:
Making Healthy Kung Pao Chicken
Chicken breast chunks, green onions and garlic are cooked together in a large skillet until fully cooked through.
Add Veggies, Sauce and Dry Roasted Peanuts To The Skillet
Once the chicken is cooked through, add snow peas, red bell peppers, dry roasted peanuts and a simple Asian sauce to the chicken. Stir well, to fully combine the ingredients.
At this point, everything is cooking away, and the healthy kung pao chicken is sure smelling good! Let the chicken, veggies and sauce cook for a few more minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cooks, and will coat everything in it’s deliciousness!
Time To Serve The Healthy Kung Pao Chicken
Healthy Kung Pao Chicken can be served on a bed of rice (if desired), with additional fresh veggies on the side. Now it’s time to dig in!
Hope you enjoy this recipe for healthy kung pao chicken. See the printable recipe below, for all the details! Have a great day, and come back soon!
Looking For More Chinese Food Recipes?
You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite Chinese food recipes include:
Interested In More Recipes?
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Recipe Adapted From “Cooking Light Magazine”, December 2010 issue and posted at: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/healthy-kung-pao-chicken/
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 4 Tablespoons green onion , sliced (white and green parts)
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 boneless chicken breasts , cut into 1" pieces
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 Tablespoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1/2 -3/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes (If you like it with more "heat", use 3/4 tsp.)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger , minced (or finely grated with micro-plane)
- 3/4 cup snow peas
- 3/4 cup red bell pepper , sliced in thin strips
- 2 Tablespoon dry roasted peanuts
- Optional: Toasted sesame seeds and additional sliced green onion , for garnish)
- In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil on medium heat.
- When oil is hot, add the onion and cook for about a minute, then add the garlic and chicken.
- Saute until the chicken is cooked through (about 4-5 minutes).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the water, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Whisk this until the sugar has dissolved, then add this sauce to the chicken.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then add the red bell pepper and snow peas.
- Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes (the sauce will thicken as it cooks). When chicken is heated through and sauce has thickened, remove it from heat.
- Serve this dish on top of white or brown rice.
- Garnish (if desired) with additional green onion slices and toasted sesame seeds. ENJOY!!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!