kung pao chicken with bell peppers

Dinner

Kung Pao Chicken with Bell Peppers

Here's an easy chicken recipe you'll definitely want to add to your dinner repertoire. A quick marinade tenderizes the chicken and infuses flavor into this stir-fry. Adding a little oil to finish the marinade coats the chicken and helps keep it from sticking to the pan.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce plus 1 tablespoon, divided
1 teaspoon dry sherry plus 1 tablespoon, divided
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons unsalted chicken broth
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce (see tips)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3 slices fresh ginger, peeled and smashed (see tips)
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Directions

Combine chicken, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sherry and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Stir until the cornstarch is no longer visible. Add sesame oil and stir until the chicken is lightly coated.
Combine broth, vinegar, chile-garlic sauce and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon sherry in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed carbon-steel wok (or a 12-inch stainless-steel skillet) over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add ginger; stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Push the ginger slices to the sides and add the chicken in an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, until it begins to brown, about 1 minute. Using a metal spatula, stir-fry the chicken until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate.
Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add bell peppers; stir-fry for 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan along with the reserved sauce; season with salt and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with peanuts.