Easy 10 Ingredient Homemade Spicy Kung Pao Sauce
Chinese food ranks high on my list of favorite cuisines and kung pao recipes are definitely in my top five. So naturally, I have a go to homemade kung pao sauce recipe full of earthy, sour, and spicy notes. It combines a traditional sweet and savory spice blend with a quick and easy sauce recipe that only requires ten ingredients! This simple sauce is perfect for topping chicken, shrimp, or seafood. I use this sauce frequently for my favorite Chinese recipes and it only takes fifteen minutes to make. So next time you are craving Asian flavors you have to try this easy savory sauce. Full recipe card below.
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What is Kung Pao Sauce?
Kung pao sauce is a common sauce in Chinese food recipes that typically has a sweet and sour yet earthy and spicy taste. It is often served over chicken pieces or shrimp and rice or noodles and garnished with green onions and crunchy peanuts. Authentic recipes often use expensive and hard to find ingredients like Sichuan peppercorns, Chinese black vinegar, or Shaoxing wine aka Chinese cooking wine. But my easy recipe simplifies the ingredient list with common pantry staples used in Asian cooking.
I am a big fan of kung pao in general, but I am a true fan of the Pei Wei kung pao shrimp. So when ours closed several years back I had to come up with a homemade version. While I could buy a pre-packaged sauce at the grocery store they often contain questionable ingredients that sound more like chemicals than food.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
If you love a good kung pao chicken recipe at Chinese restaurants like I do, you will love this recipe. It brings all the bold flavor you would expect but without leaving your house! The best part is, it is ready in just 15 minutes and uses easy to find ingredients.
Sauce Ingredients
Making your own kung pao sauce is easier than you think! This homemade kung pao sauce recipe is a simple recipe that anyone can make. I have made this sauce more times than I can count, so I will give you my notes and suggestions based on what gives me the best results.
Soy Sauce – This simple ingredient is a staple in my pantry and I use it frequently. It is a very thin sauce with a high salt content. Because of this I always use the low-sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce to avoid an overly salty dish. You can use regular soy sauce if that is all you have or you can substitute it with Ponzu sauce.
Peanut Butter – Not all kung pao sauce is made with peanut butter but I think it adds a creamy texture as well as an earthy note. And bonus, most of us stock it in the pantry since it has a relatively long shelf life. I use good old fashioned Skippy in the creamy version because I think it is easier to make the sauce than with crunchy peanut butter.
Rice Vinegar – Another common ingredient in Asian dishes is rice vinegar. It has an acidic taste but unlike white vinegar, rice vinegar is made from fermented rice and white vinegar is made from fermented grain alcohol. Rice vinegar is not quite as offensive and has a slightly sweet taste. This can be found at your regular grocery store in the international food section or near the vinegars depending on your store setup.
Sesame Oil – Sesame oil is frequently used in Asian cooking as a way of adding flavor to a dish. As the name suggests, it is oil derived from sesame seeds and has a nutty flavor.
Gochujang – This is a Korean chili paste that is not overly spicy. It is most similar to a sweet fermented tomato paste with a little bit of spice. Note, this is not the same as Sambal Oelek chili paste which is MUCH spicier. I regularly use both, but gochujang is much milder.
Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar? While these two can be substituted for one another they will not yield the exact same flavor. For this recipe I think dark brown sugar is the better option because it is a little sweeter but either will work.
Ginger – For this recipe I used grated ginger root because it has a fresh taste with slightly spicy notes and definitely gives it something extra. You can find whole ginger in the produce section in grocery stores. While it is technically classified as a spice it looks similar to a root vegetable. The best way to use fresh ginger is to grate it. I find this works best if you store it in the freezer and grate it frozen.
Red Pepper Flakes – Normally kung pao sauce gets its spicy flavor from Sichuan chili peppers, but to make this an easy recipe I used crushed red pepper instead. Depending on your taste buds you can add more or less heat. I personally think somewhere between a half and a whole teaspoon is the right amount of heat that doesn’t overpower the sauce. Feel free to add as much as you like.
Water – I add a little bit of water when mixing this sauce in noodle or rice dishes but skip it when I make this sauce for pizza. If you prefer a thick kung pao sauce, feel free to skip it.
Cornstarch – To thicken the sauce even more you can add some cornstarch and simmer for a few minutes.
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Easy 10 ingredient Homemade Spicy Kung Pao Sauce
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/4 cup 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Kung pao sauce is a favorite of spicy Asian food lovers and a staple in Chinese cuisine. This easy 10 ingredient homemade kung pao sauce recipe can be made in fifteen minutes and brings bold flavor to your kitchen. It’s the perfect sauce for an easy kung pao chicken, shrimp, or even as a stir fry sauce. It combines a traditional sweet and savory sauce blend with a quick and easy recipe for weeknight meals. So next time you are craving Chinese food, you have to try this simple sauce.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Peanut Butter
- 2 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 tbsp Gochujang
- 2 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Grated Fresh Ginger
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 3 tbsp Water
- 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, blend all the ingredients except the cornstarch with an immersion blender until fully combined.
- Once fully mixed, heat the sauce mixture over medium heat whisking in the cornstarch slowly. Let simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken the sauce but do not boil.
Notes
- Note, when I make this I use 1 tsp of chili flakes instead of a half but I love spicy food. If you like a lot of heat you can always add more but you can’t take it away.
- For easy meal prep this sauce can be made in advance and kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Sauces
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Chinese
Looking for more sauce recipes try my homemade Caribbean jerk sauce, chipotle aioli, teriyaki sauce, curry lime sauce, or green goddess dressing.
Storage
The best way to store leftover kung pao sauce is in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Heat in a small saucepan with rice, noodles, or coat cooked chicken, pork, or seafood with it.
When to Make Kung Pao Sauce
This spicy sauce is perfect on chicken thighs or breast, ramen noodles, stir fries, kung pao chicken tacos, shredded chicken, or even on a kung pao chicken pizza (yep, you know I did that!) It also pairs really well with shrimp and ground turkey or it can be used as a dipping sauce or chicken marinade. No matter what kung pao recipes you use this tasty sauce on it adds a ton of complex flavor and can be made in just fifteen minutes! So if spicy food is your style of cooking you have to give this delicious sauce a try!
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