Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken is a favorite on stir fry night at my house.  Stir frying is an ancient technique that yields great results if you follow a few basic steps:

Make sure to get all your stir fry prep ready, with ingredients chopped, minced and lined up, ready and waiting to add at the right time.

It’s easier to slice meat and chicken into thin strips for stir fry if they’re partially frozen. Wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes before slicing it across the grain.

I like to keep meal sized portions of stir-fry sliced beef and chicken in the freezer. It really cuts down on prep time and makes it even easier to throw dinner together.

Keep the size of your ingredients uniform so that they cook evenly – bite size is the right size for most stir fry recipes.

Get your wok good and hot, then add 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Carefully swirl the wok to coat it.

Stir frying is best done in batches, so when your recipe calls for meat and vegetables, cook the meat first, then remove it while cooking the vegetables.

Vegetables are added according to how long they need to cook. Onions and broccoli need more time than spinach or bok choy, so add them first.

You can find the recipe for Kung Pao Chicken, and lots more stir fry recipes, at Crisco.com

Check out these stir fry recipes, too:

Mandarin Shrimp and Vegetables 

Spicy Ginger Beef in Lettuce Cups