Kung Pow Chicken On Keto: What You Need To Know

Kung Pao Chicken is a popular Chinese takeout dish that can be made keto-friendly with a few simple substitutions. The dish typically includes chicken, vegetables, and a spicy sauce, which can be adapted to fit a keto diet while retaining the classic sweet and spicy flavors. With the right ingredients and cooking methods, it's possible to enjoy this takeout favorite while staying true to the keto lifestyle.

Kung Pao Chicken recipe

Kung Pao Chicken is a popular Chinese stir-fry dish that combines tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and peanuts with a spicy, tangy sauce. Here is a keto-friendly recipe for Kung Pao Chicken that you can make at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless/skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/3 medium red bell pepper, cut into big chunks
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum (optional)
• 1/4 cup liquid aminos
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1.5 tbsp chili garlic sauce/sriracha sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 30 drops liquid stevia
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts

Instructions:

• Cut the bell pepper and celery stalks into big chunks and set aside in a bowl.
• Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and add coconut oil.
• Chop the chicken thighs into bite-sized chunks and add them to the hot skillet. Cook until the chicken is 90% done.
• While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce by whisking together the liquid aminos, chicken broth, chili garlic sauce/sriracha sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and liquid stevia in a separate bowl. Set aside.
• Once the chicken is almost cooked through, add the veggies to the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes until they are slightly tender.
• Add the peanuts and stir, allowing them to cook for another minute. Then, add the ginger and garlic and stir again.
• Pour the sauce into the skillet and allow it to cook for 3-5 minutes on high heat until the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency. If you want a thicker sauce, add the xanthan gum and cook for a little longer.
• Serve the Kung Pao Chicken with cauliflower rice or on its own. Enjoy!

This recipe yields about 3 servings, with each serving containing approximately 264 calories, 27.4g of fat, 3.2g of net carbs, and 22.3g of protein.

Customising Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken is a highly customisable dish. The core ingredients are chicken, peanuts, vegetables and chilli peppers, but there are many ways to adapt the recipe to your taste.

Spiciness

Kung Pao Chicken is traditionally a spicy dish, but you can easily adjust the heat level by adding more or less chilli. If you don't like spicy food at all, you can leave out the chillies and Sichuan peppercorns and follow one source's suggestion to replace them with ground black pepper and lemon zest.

Vegetables

You can customise the vegetables in Kung Pao Chicken to suit your taste. The most common vegetables used are onion, bell peppers and peanuts, but you could also add broccoli, cashews, asparagus or cauliflower.

Meat

While chicken is the traditional meat used in Kung Pao, you could experiment with other meats such as shrimp or beef.

Sauce

The sauce is a key component of Kung Pao Chicken. You can make it by mixing liquid aminos or low-sodium soy sauce, fish sauce, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and a sweetener such as erythritol or monk fruit. You can also add xanthan gum to thicken the sauce. If you want to reduce the number of carbs in the dish, you can leave out the cornstarch, but this will make the sauce less thick.

Sides

Kung Pao Chicken is often served with rice or noodles. To keep the dish keto-friendly, you can serve it with cauliflower rice or spiralized zucchini noodles.

Kung Pao Chicken and keto

Kung Pao Chicken is a popular stir-fry dish that combines tangy, sweet, and salty flavours with a fiery kick. The keto version of this dish is just as delicious and can be made in under 35 minutes.

To make Kung Pao Chicken keto-friendly, you can use alternative sweeteners such as erythritol, monk fruit, or Swerve instead of brown sugar. You can also replace soy sauce with liquid aminos or coconut aminos, and use xanthan gum to thicken the sauce. The chicken is typically stir-fried with vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, broccoli, bok choy, or cauliflower.

Ingredients:

• Chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetables of your choice (bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, etc.)
• Spicy ingredients (chilli peppers, bird's eye chillies, Sichuan peppercorns, or crushed red pepper)
• Sauce ingredients (liquid aminos or soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger, sweetener)
• Optional ingredients (peanuts or cashews, xanthan gum, sesame seeds, scallions, cauliflower rice)

Instructions:

• Whisk together the sauce ingredients: liquid aminos or soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger, and sweetener.
• Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and ginger. You can also add a tablespoon of the sauce to the chicken as a marinade.
• Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until slightly browned.
• Add your choice of vegetables and saute until tender.
• If using peanuts or cashews, add them to the pan along with the remaining sauce.
• Cook for 3-5 minutes on high heat to reduce the sauce. You can add xanthan gum to thicken the sauce, if desired.
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions, and serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.

Keto Kung Pao Chicken is a delicious and healthy alternative to the traditional dish, allowing you to enjoy the same classic sweet and spicy flavours without compromising your keto diet.

Kung Pao Chicken and gluten

Kung Pao Chicken is a popular stir-fry dish with a combination of tangy, sweet, and salty flavours. The dish is keto-friendly and can be made gluten-free as well. Here's a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to make delicious and healthy gluten-free Kung Pao Chicken at home:

Ingredients:

• Chicken breasts or thighs
• Vegetables (bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, green onions, celery, etc.)
• Spices (ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns/pepper flakes, bird's eye chilli, etc.)
• Sauces and Condiments (soy sauce/liquid aminos, fish sauce, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, etc.)
• Nuts (peanuts, cashews, almonds, etc.)
• Other (cornstarch, baking soda, chicken broth, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc.)

Instructions:

• Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Marinate the chicken with gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, cooking wine/rice wine vinegar, cornstarch, and baking soda. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Heat oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, add the vegetables (bell peppers, onions, celery, etc.) and cook until slightly tender. You can also add nuts like peanuts or almonds for some crunch.
• Put the chicken back into the pan and pour in the sauce. The sauce can be made by mixing soy sauce/tamari, hoisin sauce, vinegar, honey, and cornstarch. Stir everything together and let it cook for a few minutes.
• Garnish with toppings like green onions, sesame seeds, and crushed red pepper. Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, or noodles.

This gluten-free Kung Pao Chicken is a healthier and delicious alternative to traditional takeout. It is packed with flavour, easy to make, and can be customised with your choice of vegetables and spices. Enjoy this dish as a quick and convenient weeknight meal for the whole family!

Kung Pao Chicken and General Tso's Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken, also known as Gong Bao or Kung Po, is a stir-fried dish that originated in the Sichuan province of China. It typically includes cubed chicken, vegetables, and peanuts in a sauce made from soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, sugar, and sesame oil. The vegetables can include carrots, broccoli, red or green peppers, mushrooms, onions, and celery. Kung Pao Chicken is usually served as an appetizer or side dish with steamed white rice or noodles, and it has a distinctively spicy flavour.

General Tso's Chicken, on the other hand, is more commonly known as sweet and sour chicken outside of China. This dish is made by marinating boneless chicken pieces in a mixture of light soy sauce, sugar, and starch before deep-frying them in batter and then stir-frying with vegetables. The vegetables typically used are bell peppers, onions, carrots, and pineapple. General Tso's Chicken is usually served as the main course, accompanied by steamed white rice or noodles. It has a sweet and sour taste with just a hint of spice.

In terms of preparation, Kung Pao Chicken is simply stir-fried, while General Tso's Chicken is deep-fried and then stir-fried, resulting in a crispier texture. Kung Pao Chicken tends to be spicier, while General Tso's Chicken leans towards a sweeter taste.

Both dishes are high in calories, but General Tso's Chicken has more than twice the number of calories of Kung Pao Chicken. General Tso's Chicken is also higher in protein, fats, cholesterol, and net carbs. However, Kung Pao Chicken is a better source of vitamin A, vitamin C, copper, and manganese.

Frequently asked questions