Better than Takeout Kung Pao Chicken Noodles
Throw away your takeout menu because we’ve got the best Dan Kung Pao chicken noodle recipe right here. This is such a simple dish, and it comes together in about 30 minutes making it perfect for weeknight dinners or even meal prep. This is the perfect dish to serve with our spicy shrimp fried rice.
History of Kung Pao Chicken Noodles
Kung Pao chicken is believed to be named after Ding Baozhen, a late Qing Dynasty official and governor of the Chinese Province, Sichuan. His title was Taizi Shaobao, which is one of Gongbao or palace guardians. The actual name KUng Pao is derived from both the title he carried and his name which reads as a pun in Chinese. It’s hard to get into the nitty gritty of it because of linguistics but that’s the jist. During the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, the dish became politically incorrect in China due to the association with the imperial system. The dish was renamed as Spicy chicken by Maoists until the 1980s under Deng Xiaoping’s political reforms.
Ingredients
- 6 oz baby carrots
- 1 stalk celery
- 8 oz water chestnuts
- 8 oz lo mein noodles
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs
- Dan-O’s Original, coat
- 2 cups water
- 6 oz Stir Fry Sauce
Prep Time
15 Mins
Cook Time
20 Mins
Instructions
- Chop carrots, celery, and water chestnuts
- Add oil to a large pan cook chicken thighs until 165 internal temperature
- Remove chicken from pan and add carrots, celery, water chestnuts, 1 cup water, stir fry sauce, and lo mein noodles, cover and bring to a boil
- Add chicken back in stirring frequently
- Remove when noodles are cooked
- Serve immediately, enjoy!
