
If you have ever had Kung Pao Chicken, then you know how flavorful and beautiful it is, melding many flavors together to achieve greatness.
We love this rendition of the Chinese classic dish using ingredients that are a bit easier for us to find. Namely we used sake in the marinade and the Mexican chile de árbol for the spicy pepper alongside Szechuan peppercorns. However, there are so many versions of this dish, both in China and in other countries, that you could certainly use variations that you like the most.
If you are looking for an authentic version of this recipe, check out THIS one.
Why Lettuce Wraps?
The crisp cool lettuce contrasts well with the spicy and fragrant Kung Pao Chicken. Of course, you can serve this with a nice fried rice as well and be very happy! We enjoy this dish over white rice or fried rice as well, but we love this interpretation as lettuce wraps.
Chicken Breast or Chicken Thighs?
We chose to use chicken breasts here, but we have prepared this several times using thigh meat as well. The sauce is the dominating flavor component, so it really is personal preference. The flavor of thighs is superior, but the texture of the breast is our preference for lettuce wraps. So, with the sauce being the flavor driver, we chose breast meat.
Don't over-reduce the sauce!
The other thing that is important when cooking this is to not over-reduce your sauce. With so much soy sauce, and therefore salt, it is prone to becoming too salty. The corn starch is the thickener in this sauce. It’s a quick dish to make, so when you are done, give it a taste, and if it needs a bit more salt then add it at that time.
Enjoy!
We hope you enjoy this recipe for Kung Pao Chicken Lettuce Wraps! If you give these a try, leave us a comment below or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!
Looking for more recipes like this? Check these out:
- Korean Short Rib Tacos
- Spicy Ginger Garlic Shrimp Skewers
- Marinated Skirt Steak Street Tacos
- Citrus Achiote Chicken Skewers with Pepper Rice
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