This Healthy Kung Pao Chicken has become one of my favorite stir-fry recipes! It's got crunchy almonds, tender chicken pieces, and colorful vegetables - all in a savory, lightly sweet sauce with a subtle kick of Sichuan pepper. This recipe is gluten-free and actually not very spicy. All of my kids loved it! It's surprising how wonderful almonds and celery are in this dish. You've gotta try it!
Did you know? Chili peppers are high in Vitamin C and capsaicin. Capsaicin has many health benefits, including boosting metabolic rate and anti-inflammatory properties. This is still a small benefit, but still worth noting! (source)
The chicken and alternatives
I always look for "organic" or "free range" chicken with "no antibiotics." This means the chickens were raised with at least some access to the outdoors, and were not administered antibiotics due to disease or dirty living conditions. "Pasture-raised" or "humane certified" are even better indicators of the chicken's welfare.
You can use chicken breasts, but chicken thighs are juicier and more flavorful! Chicken breasts are of course slightly lower in fat, while chicken thighs are typically more affordable.
I marinade the chicken in gluten-free tamari (can use soy sauce), sherry cooking wine, cornstarch, and baking soda to tenderize the meat. Trust me, it works!
If vegan, you can use tofu, tempeh, or even vegan chik'n.
It may seem like a lot of ingredients, but once you have a good stock of basics, you will find they can be re-used in so many Asian recipes! Others I always have on hand are rice vinegar, fish sauce, coconut aminos, and sriracha.
Stir fry ingredients
This stir fry comes alive with fresh garlic, green onions, bell peppers, celery, and almonds. I don't know why I haven't used celery more often! Its signature flavor makes this stir fry so special and memorable. Many recipes call for peanuts in Kung Pao chicken, but all I had was sliced almonds! It was unexpected and delicious.
Optional sides
This Healthy Kung Pao Chicken pairs wonderfully with jasmine rice, brown rice noodles, or even cauliflower rice. Feel free to expermient or enjoy it on it's own!
Here is the printable recipe. I hope you love it as much as our family did :)
This Healthy Kung Pao Chicken has become one of my favorite stir-fry recipes! It's got crunchy almonds, tender chicken pieces, and colorful vegetables - all in a savory, lightly sweet sauce with a subtle kick of Sichuan pepper. This recipe is gluten-free and actually not very spicy. All of my kids loved it! It's surprising how wonderful almonds and celery are in this dish. You've gotta try it!
Ingredients
Chicken:
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs*
1 1/2 tbsp. gluten free tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tbsp. sherry cooking wine
1 tsp. cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
3/8 tsp. baking soda
Sauce:
3 tbsp. gluten free tamari (or soy sauce)
2 tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tbsp. gluten-free hoisin sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
1 tsp. sesame oil (or peanut oil)
3/8 tsp. Sichuan pepper flakes (or red pepper flakes)
3/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup water
Stir fry:
1 tbsp. avocado oil
2 tsp. (2 cloves) fresh garlic, minced
2 cups red bell pepper, sliced
2 cups celery, sliced thin
1 cup green onion, sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds
*See blog post above for more substitutions.
Directions
Slice chicken thighs into small bite-sized pieces.
Marinate chicken with other ingredients for 10 minutes while you mince the ginger and slice the vegetables for the stir fry.
Combine ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl.
Heat 2 tsp. avocado oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
Add marinated chicken to wok or skillet in two batches, cooking about 8 minutes, turning pieces twice for even browning. Set cooked chicken aside.
Add remaining teaspoon of oil to the same pan, then add minced garlic, peppers, celery, and green onion. Cook 2 minutes until crisp-tender.
Add back chicken and sauce, stir and simmer over medium-low just until sauce has thickened.
Remove from heat and serve over rice, noodles, or cauliflower rice.
For meal prep, divide evenly into six meal prep containers using the desired portion of rice or noodles beneath. Will keep in the fridge in an airtight container up to one week or in the freezer up to one month.
Recipe Note
Calories (per serving, not including rice): 292kcal, Fat: 14.0g, Sat fat: 3.2g, Carbs: 15g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Protein: 28g, Sodium: 925mg*
*I used low sodium tamari sauce. For lower sodium content (750mg), use two-thirds the amount of sauce.
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