Healthy Kung Pao Chicken Thighs
These healthy Kung Pao Chicken Thighs are better than traditional Chinese takeout, I assure you. This easy homemade meal is loaded with a delicious spicy sauce and wanna hear the best part? it is Whole 30 compliant. Yes! made with whole ingredients this Kung Pao is hard to pass.
When having long and stressful weeks I usually feel like giving myself a treat and by that I mean eating out. Lately, I have been craving those savory aromatic spicy Chinese dishes so what better time than to recreate the one and only Kung Pao Chicken. This traditional recipe, as delicious as it might be, is usually loaded with tons of unhealthy sugar, fat and sodium so I decided to take the challenge and make a much healthier version. With this recipe there will be no guilt if you decide to go for seconds.
How to Make Healthy Kung Pao Chicken Thighs
The secret to make good tasting Kung Pao Chicken is the sauce. This healthy version is made with roasted chicken covered with natural spicy sauce loaded with bold flavors. To start, you simply combine your chicken with oil, salt and pepper. Then bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine your ingredients for the sauce. When chicken is cooked transfer to a clean bowl and pour over the kung pao sauce, combine until chicken is fully coated. To keep this meal Whole 3o compliant serve your chicken over a bed of cauliflower rice, however if you are not following any specific diet, serve with brown or basmati rice. Garnish with green onions and chopped cashews. Also, if you feel adventurous cover with arbol chile peppers, but I must warn you these are SPICY! So if you don’t like that kick, I strongly recommend leaving these out.
So there you have it an easy, healthy flavorful Whole 30 meal that will make you forget about the traditional takeout.
Healthy Kung Pao Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
For the Chicken Thighs
- 2.5 lbs chicken thighs (skin on, bone on)
- 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 2 1/2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp arrowroot flour
- 2 1/2 tbsp water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup arbol chile peppers See notes*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Combine chicken, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Align a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange chicken thighs. Transfer to oven and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Turn oven temperature down to 350°F and broil for 5 minutes or until crispy. Assure not to burn.
- While the chicken cooks in the oven, combine all ingredients (except for water) in a bowl. Mix well.
- Heat a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Transfer sauce and stir until it thickens, about 4 minutes. Turn off the stove and while the sauce is warm add water. Taste sauce and if too salty for your liking add more water, 1 tsp at a time.
- When chicken is finished, transfer to a big bowl and add kung pao sauce. Toss until chicken is fully coated.
- Serve chicken and garnish with chopped cashews and green onions if you'd like. Enjoy!