Healthy Kung Pao Chicken Thighs
These healthy Kung Pao Chicken Thighs are better than Chinese takeout. Covered with a spicy sauce and Whole30 compliant. This Kung Pao is hard to pass.
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!
Notes
Notes:
* These chile pepper are SPICY. Reduce amount used or skip completely if cannot handle heat. This can be replaced with 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper for a mild flavor.