Brag Alert! How To Make The BEST Chinese Take-Out At Home

I don’t want to brag, okay wait, maybe I do – I just made a dish that was declared by my family to be “better than take-out”.  This made me feel all kinds of accomplished.  Clearly, I’m winning at this parenting gig today.  Pretty sure this means I now have Master Chef status, or at least have a recipe you’re going to want to pay attention to!  I took a simple wholesome chicken breast and with a little help from some bright, fresh, ingredients elevated it to a masterpiece.  Let me introduce you to a new family favourite, one you can feel good about feeding to your kids.  Here’s my take on Kung POW! Chicken.

 

Kung POW! Chicken

Here’s what you need.

Ingredients:

For The Stir Fry:

• 1 large red pepper (seeded and diced)
• 1 large green pepper (seeded and diced)
• 3 celery stalks (diced)
• 3 – 4 green onions (thinly sliced)
• 3 cups bean sprouts
• Chicken –2 Maple Leaf Prime boneless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch – level

For The Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 Tbsp soya sauce
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar (heaping)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp peanut butter (heaping)
• Peanut oil (splash)
• 1 tsp chilli flakes (heaping if you like it to have a bit more of a kick!)
• 5 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 x 1-inch knob ginger (finely chopped)

Directions:

Stir Fry

1. Prep all vegetables and keep separate in individual groups or small bowls until they are needed.

Chicken

1. Put the cubed Maple Leaf Prime chicken in a large ziplock bag and add cornstarch.  Toss lightly until it is evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

Sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and whisk until smooth.

To Cook

• Prep the vegetables, chicken and sauce.
• Heat a wok or very large sauté pan over high heat.
• Be sure you are using long handled utensils.  This dish will splatter.
• Pour a splash of oil into the pan and when it’s smoking hot, add the chilli flakes.  Stir for approximately 1 minute.
• Add garlic and ginger and stir for an additional minute.
• Add the chicken.
• Stir fry until chicken is golden brown.
• Add the peppers and celery. Continue to stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Pour in the previously prepared sauce to your pot and stir until thick and bubbly. This will only take a couple of minutes.
• Top with the bean sprouts and green onion, stirring gently to combine.

Serve over a bed of warm white rice.  If you’re feeling particularly creative plate in some fun “to-go” containers and eat in front of the TV!  Want it to feel like the real Chinese Food Delivery experience?  Snag some fortune cookies at Bulk Barn for dessert.

This dish takes a little time to prepare for, only a few minutes to cook, and is completely worth the effort.  Your family will be impressed!  The flavours are rich and robust, with a little sweet heat.  It’s so much cheaper than take-out and of course, no MSG! Insider Tip:  Double up the recipe and have leftovers for the next day.  Trust me when I tell you it’s that good.

 

 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. In exchange for this post, I have received perks in the form of products and/or compensation.  All opinions on this blog are my own.

Recipe adapted from Food Networks Kung Lao Chicken  – Kung Pao Chicken