This incredibly tasty Kung Pao chicken dish is the perfect 'fakeaway' option for any weekend or midweek meal. It's spicy, tender and the perfect balance of sweet and salty. It's also one of my favourite dishes for when I fancy something quick, but full of flavour!

Low carb spicy Kung Pao Chicken

If you've been following my recipes for a while, then you'll know that I'm a huge fan of taking popular dishes and putting my own Primal twist on them using healthier ingredients. This recipe required a little trial and error when it came to finding a Primal friendly alternative to the dark soy sauce (which gives the dish its classic dark rich look), but after experimenting with a few different ingredients, I'm really happy with how this recipe turned out.

With so many incredible flavours going on - from the sweet to the salty - it's not hard to see why so many people love this classic Chinese dish. Kung Pao itself is a stir-fry dish complimented with a light sweet and salty (and sometimes spicy) sauce along with chilli peppers, cubes of chicken and nuts. Note: traditional Kung Pao dishes shouldn't be drenched in sauce.

low carb spicy Kung Pao Chicken dish ready to be served

While this dish may look like there are a lot of ingredients involved, it's actually pretty easy to make at home and all ingredients can be found at your local supermarket. The main ingredients are:

  • Chicken
  • Cashew nuts
  • Garlic
  • Water chestnuts
  • Chilli peppers
  • Coconut aminos
  • Apple cider vinegar

This recipe does contain a good kick of heat so if you wish to tone down the spice levels, then leave the dried chilli peppers out and go from there.

I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe at home and don't forget to share your foodie snaps with us on Facebook. Enjoy!

Low Carb Spicy Kung Pao Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 3-4 people
Ingredients
 
For the stir-fry:
  • 4-5 organic chicken thighs, cut into cubes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into square pieces
  • 1 medium courgette, sliced into circles and then halved
  • 3 dried chilli peppers, sliced
  • 225g water chestnuts, drained
  • 80g cashews
  • 3 spring onion sprigs, sliced to garnish
For the sauce:
  • 4 tbsp coconut aminos 
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp stevia
Method
Begin by oiling a wok with the avocado oil and bring to medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes until the chicken begins to brown.
Add the courgette, peppers, dried chilli and water chestnuts and mix everything together. While the vegetables soften for the next 3 minutes, mix all of your sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and then pour into the wok. Mix everything together.
Season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes and then add the cashew nuts to the mix. Once again, mix everything together.
Remove from the heat, serve with slim rice or cauliflower rice and garnish with the spring onions for optional flavour.