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A plate of the healthier kung pao chicken, sitting on a countertop with chopsticks resting on the edge of the plate
  • Dairy Free
  • Gluten Free
  • Paleo Friendly
  • Refined Sugar Free

5 from 2 votes
Home | Recipe | Dinner

Healthier Kung Pao Chicken

Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Protein 32g
Carbs 22g
Fats 19g
For the days where a classic Chinese-inspired takeout dish is calling your name, there is nothing that satisfies quite like a hearty Kung Pao Chicken. Made from tender chicken breast, crunchy bell peppers, zucchini slices, and crushed peanuts, this dish is packed with flavor, color, texture, and heat, making it satisfying to every palate. This is my Healthier Kung Pao Chicken, made with better-for-you ingredients. It comes together in just 20 minutes, and is the perfect restaurant-quality meal made in a pinch!

Recipe by:

Nicole Modic

March 14, 2024
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    For the days where a classic Chinese-inspired takeout dish is calling your name, there is nothing that satisfies quite like a hearty Kung Pao Chicken. Made from tender chicken breast, crunchy bell peppers, zucchini slices, and crushed peanuts, this dish is packed with flavor, color, texture, and heat, making it satisfying to every palate. This is my Healthier Kung Pao Chicken, made with better-for-you ingredients. It comes together in just 20 minutes, and is the perfect restaurant-quality meal made in a pinch!

    A plate of the healthier kung pao chicken, sitting on a countertop with chopsticks resting on the edge of the plate

    Blast this to the group chat

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    If you’ve ever found yourself staring at the fridge for hours, wondering, “what should I make for dinner tonight?” then friends, this is the recipe for you. I don’t know about you, but Chinese takeout has a special place in my heart. It’s delicious, it’s flavorful, it’s filling, and it’s something that my whole family enjoys, which makes it a win in my book! However, with food prices at an all-time high, ordering takeout everyday simple isn’t an option. Which means, I love finding ways to make our favorite dishes, at home, for cheaper, and with better-for-you ingredients. I mean truly, is there anything better than that?!

    On my Instagram this past month, I’ve been sharing so many fun new recipes for my new series, “Dinner in Twenty.” In this series, I’ve shared a variety of restaurant-quality dinners that come together with minimal effort, in just 20 minutes. That’s faster than you can order takeout! From my Lemon Garlic Teriyaki Chicken to my Cashew Chicken and Broccoli, all of these recipes are perfect for throwing together on those nights where you just can’t figure out what to make for dinner. And as a bonus? They’ll be so good, you’ll want to make them again and again!

    All of the ingredients needed to make this healthier kung pao chicken, laid out on a cutting board on a countertop
    To make this dish, you’ll need chicken breast, olive oil, red bell peppers, zucchini, garlic, peanuts, dried chilis, green onions, and the sauce.
    A pan, filled with the chopped vegetables, actively being cooked together
    Start by cooking the chicken, then remove it from the pan and set it aside. Add the chopped bell peppers and zucchini to the pan, alongside the garlic, peanuts, and chili peppers ,and sauté them for about 3 minutes.

    What You Need to Make This Spicy, Saucy Chicken Dish

    • Chicken Breast: Boneless, skinless chicken breast works best, in this recipe.
    • Olive Oil: To cook the chicken and vegetables, I like to choose a better-for-you oil such as olive oil.
    • Red Bell Peppers: Red bell peppers are essential to Kung Pao Chicken, and make this dish bright and flavorful.
    • Zucchini: Roasted zucchini is an underrated vegetable, in my opinion. Once it’s roasted, it gets nice and tender, which pairs perfectly with the chicken.
    • Garlic: I always recommend using fresh garlic, whenever possible. The flavor is truly unbeatable!
    • Peanuts: Roasted and salted peanuts add a delicious nutty flavor to this dish that truly makes it shine.
    • Dried Chilis: Personally, I love the heat that dried chilis add to this dish. However, if you can’t deal with spice, or prefer to make a milder version of this recipe, you can either swap out the chilis for crushed red pepper flakes, or omit them altogether.
    • Green Onions: Green onions are an essential part of any Chinese takeout-inspired dish, and this recipe is no exception.
    A bowl, filled with all of the ingredients needed to make this healthier kung pao chicken sauce, laid out on a countertop
    Next, prepare the sauce by adding all of the sauce ingredients to a medium-sized bowl or large measuring cup and whisk until they’re fully combined.
    • Chicken Broth: Instead of using water as the base for this sauce, I love using chicken broth. Not only does it add much more flavor, but you can also use chicken bone broth for some extra protein. 
    • Low Sodium Soy Sauce: If you want to keep this recipe gluten-free, you can use coconut aminos. Otherwise, low sodium soy sauce works great, in this recipe.
    • Hoisin Sauce: Hoisin sauce adds a slightly sweet-and-salty taste to this sauce. If you’re gluten-free, make sure to use gluten-free hoisin sauce.
    • Maple Syrup: A touch of maple syrup adds just the right amount of sweetness to the sauce, without the refined sugars.
    • Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar adds tang, but just know – a little goes a long way!
    • Arrowroot Starch or Cornstarch or Tapioca Starch: A thick sauce is key to any restaurant-style recipe, so a thickening agent is necessary here to achieve that perfect texture. This recipe has been tested with all three of the above ingredients, and they all work just as well!
    • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: To give this sauce just a little bit of heat, I love adding in crushed red pepper flakes.
    A pan, filled with the vegetables and chicken, with the kung pao chicken sauce actively being poured on top of it
    Add the chicken back to the pan and pour the sauce on top. Then, reduce the heat to low, place the cover on the pan, and allow it to cook for 5-6 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked through.

    How to Make This Better-For-You Meal in 20 Minutes

    To make this Kung Pao Chicken, start by preparing the sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a medium-sized bowl or large measuring cup and whisk until they’re fully combined. Then, set it aside.

    Prepare the chicken by patting it dry with a paper towel and slicing it into bite-sized cubes. Then, wash and chop the bell peppers and and zucchini and chop them into small pieces. Be sure to remove the seeds from the bell peppers.

    A finished pan of the healthier kung pao chicken, sitting on a countertop with a spoon resting inside of the pan
    Once it’s done, remove it from the heat. Serve the kung pao chicken over rice, and enjoy!

    Next, heat a large skillet, on the stove, over medium-high heat, and add in two tablespoons of the oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the chicken and sauté it for about 4 minutes, until it is just cooked on the outside. It might still be pink on the inside, but that is okay – it will continue to cook later on.
    Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside to rest. Then, add the remaining two tablespoons of oil to the same pan.

    Add the chopped bell peppers and zucchini to the pan, alongside the garlic, peanuts, and chili peppers, if using. Sauté them for about 3 minutes. Then, pour in the sauce, and stir to coat well. Add the chicken back into the pan and stir to coat it in the sauce.

    Then, reduce the heat to low, place the cover on the pan, and allow it to cook for 5-6 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked through. Once it’s done, remove it from the heat, serve over rice, and enjoy!

    If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.

    ** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
    A plate of the healthier kung pao chicken, sitting on a countertop with chopsticks resting on the edge of the plate

    Home | Recipe | Dinner

    5 from 2 votes

    Healthier Kung Pao Chicken

    • Dairy Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Paleo Friendly
    • Refined Sugar Free
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 12 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    For the days where a classic Chinese-inspired takeout dish is calling your name, there is nothing that satisfies quite like a hearty Kung Pao Chicken. Made from tender chicken breast, crunchy bell peppers, zucchini slices, and crushed peanuts, this dish is packed with flavor, color, texture, and heat, making it satisfying to every palate. This is my Healthier Kung Pao Chicken, made with better-for-you ingredients. It comes together in just 20 minutes, and is the perfect restaurant-quality meal made in a pinch!
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    Servings: 6 Servings
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    Ingredients

    For the Stir-Fry:
    • 1 ½ Pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, cut into bite-sized cubes
    • 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Avocado Oil, divided
    • 2 Red Bell Peppers, seeds removed and cut into pieces
    • 2 Zucchini, sliced – this is about 1 cup
    • 2 Cloves Garlic
    • ½ Cup Roasted & Salted Peanuts
    • 4 Dried Chilis, chopped; For a milder version, I recommend either dumping out the seeds from the dried chilis or omitting them all together. Alternatively, you can use 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes instead.⁣
    • 3 Green Onions, chopped
    For the Sauce:
    • ½ Cup Chicken Broth
    • ½ Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
    • 2 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
    • 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
    • 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
    • 2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Starch or Cornstarch or Tapioca Starch
    • 3 Cloves Garlic, mashed
    • ¼ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

    Instructions 

    1. To make this Kung Pao Chicken, start by preparing the sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a medium-sized bowl or large measuring cup and whisk until they're fully combined. Then, set it aside.
    2. Prepare the chicken by patting it dry with a paper towel and slicing it into bite-sized cubes.
    3. Then, wash and chop the bell peppers and and zucchini and chop them into small pieces. Be sure to remove the seeds from the bell peppers.
    4. Next, heat a large skillet, on the stove, over medium-high heat, and add in two tablespoons of the oil.
    5. Once the oil is hot, add in the chicken and sauté it for about 4 minutes, until it is just cooked on the outside. It might still be pink on the inside, but that is okay – it will continue to cook later on.
    6. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside to rest. Then, add the remaining two tablespoons of oil to the same pan.
    7. Add the chopped bell peppers and zucchini to the pan, alongside the garlic, peanuts, and chili peppers, if using. Sauté them for about 3 minutes.
    8. Then, pour in the sauce, and stir to coat well.
    9. Add the chicken back into the pan and stir to coat it in the sauce.
    10. Then, reduce the heat to low, place the cover on the pan, and allow it to cook for 5-6 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked through.
    11. Once it's done, remove it from the heat, serve over rice, and enjoy!
    Nutrition Hide Nutrition
    Calories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 32gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 1123mgPotassium: 897mgFiber: 5gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1492IUVitamin C: 66mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg
    Hey I’m Nicole!

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    What others are saying

    1. Stef
      April 12, 2024

      Wow! This kung pao chicken did NOT disappoint! 10/10 would make again! Great job, Nicole! I can’t even tell it’s not take out!

      Reply
      1. kalejunkie
        April 14, 2024

        I am so happy to hear that, Stef! Thank you so much for your review!

    2. Sarah
      May 13, 2024

      5 stars
      As usual, you do not disappoint! The flavor this packs for such a quick recipe is amazing!

      Reply
      1. kalejunkie
        May 16, 2024

        I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Sarah! Thank you so much for your review!

    3. Stef
      September 6, 2024

      This was so DELICIOUS! 10/10 would eat and make again! Came together easily and quickly with plenty of leftovers!

      Reply
      1. kalejunkie
        September 9, 2024

        I am so happy to hear that, Stef! Thank you so much for making it and for leaving such a kind review!

    4. Kelley K
      January 6, 2025

      This was a great recipe! 5/5 for me. My husband is not a huge fan of asian food and he really enjoyed it – I was shocked 🤣 I think the prep time is a bit longer than stated, the chopping and sauce prep took me roughly 15 minutes, not 5 – but it doesn’t detract from how good this turned out. We had ours over brown rice – yum!

      Reply
    5. Mary Stuve
      March 2, 2025

      5 stars
      Oohhh this is a good one! I followed the recipe ingredients except i marinaded the chicken in half the sauce….i sliced the chicken very thin in bite size pieces. I added 1/4 1” cut up onion to the bell pepper. I sauteed the veggies first like 5min n added 3 cloves of garlic. I roasted the peanuts @350 for 4 min in a toaster oven. After i sauteed the veggies n extra garlic 1 min i added the chicken. When the chicken was almost cooked i added the roasted peanuts & more green onions! Devine! Thank you for sharing this is a keeper!

      Reply

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