Kong Bao Ji Ding

This is one of our “go to” recipes.  We started making it years and years ago by combining two of my mother-in-law’s stir fry recipes.  It isn’t true Kong Bao Ji Ding, but it is delicious!

It comes together pretty quickly and the hardest part is probably prepping the ingredients.  Once the sauces are mixed and everything is chopped up, it’s a cinch.

Forget about MSG-laden carry out and make this next time you get a Chinese craving!

Kong Bao Ji Ding

Ingredients:


For the Chicken Marinade:
2 egg whites (no yolks!)
6 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons soy sauce (we use low sodium)

For the Glaze:
6 teaspoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6 teaspoons white sugar
12 tablespoons water

For the Rest:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed
1 bunch fresh broccoli (at least 3 heads) chopped
1/2 cup sliced scallions (green onions)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy!)
1 cup peanuts (lightly salted or dry roasted)
2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil – just not olive)
1 cup dry white (or brown rice) cooked according to package directions (1 cup dry rice makes just enough cooked rice to accompany the stir fry)

Mix the “chicken marinade” thoroughly then add diced chicken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In a large sauté pan or wok, heat the peanut (or other) oil over high heat for 1-2 minutes so that it’s hot but not smoking.  Spoon diced chicken with marinade into the hot oil and stir fry for 2-4 minutes or until the chicken has become golden brown and is nearly cooked through.  It can be slightly underdone because it will cook more later.

Remove chicken from the pan to a plate and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium high and add broccoli.  Stir fry until tender crisp.  Splashing a few tablespoons of water into the pan and covering it for several minutes will help steam the broccoli.

Once the broccoli is cooked to desired tenderness, add the chicken back into the pan along with the red pepper flakes.  Stir in scallions and peanuts.  Make sure the chicken is cooked through, then give the glaze a stir (to prevent the cornstarch from sticking to the bottom of the bowl) and pour it over the stir fry.

Stir fry for 1-2 minutes until the glaze thickens and is spread throughout the stir fry.

Serve over white (or brown) rice and enjoy!