• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Khin's Kitchen logo
  • All Recipes
  • Popular
  • Asian
  • Dinner
  • Noodles
  • Rice
  • Subscribe my Newsletter
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Terms & Conditions
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Popular
  • Asian
  • Dinner
  • Noodles
  • Rice
  • Subscribe my Newsletter
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Terms & Conditions
×

Kung Po King Prawn

Published: May 12, 2022 · by Khin · This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe

Authentic Szechuan Chinese Style Kung Po King Prawn recipe made with jumbo king prawns, spicy, sweet, slightly sour, savoury delicious sauce. The taste of hotness and sweetness combined together in the sauce makes this dish so special. Serve over a bed of plain rice or noodles. Restaurant quality Kung Pao Prawn ready in 20 minutes!

A white bowl containing Sichuan style Kung Po Prawns with crunchy cashew nuts, dried chilies and bell peppers.

If you love to cook delicious Chinese prawn recipes at home, you will definitely like our Crispy Honey Shrimp, Prawn Fried Rice, and King Prawn Chow Mein recipes.

Jump to:
  • Origin of this dish
  • Ingredients you need
  • How to make Kung Po Prawn in 20 minutes?
  • Pro Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • What to serve with this dish
  • Kung Po King Prawn

Origin of this dish

Kung Pao Prawn/shrimp is a sister dish to Kung Po Chicken and the cooking method is very similar in general. Aromatic Sichuan chilies and Sichuan peppercorns are key ingredients to make this authentic Szechuan-style cuisine and also the savory stir fry sauce includes the unique Chinese black vinegar. This dish is slightly different from UK Chinese Takeaway recipes which are usually made with battered fried king prawns tossed in thick, sweet, and savory sauce.

Maybe you might already know that Kung Pao or Gung Pao chicken is originated in Sichuan province, China. It is a popular dish across Asia and is found often on family dinner tables. Originally, Kung Po was made with Chicken but it can also be made with prawns, shrimp, pork, beef, tofu, any meat, or seafood of your choice.

Once you know the recipe and how to make the sauce, you will find it very fun to cook with different varieties of protein and vegetables. In this recipe, I am sharing our recipe on how to cook gong bao prawns with cashew nuts with simple and easy cooking steps. Create your own delicious Chinese dinner at home with minimum ingredients.

Ingredients you need

Prawns, Sichuan peppercorns, Sichuan dried chilies, soy sauce, sugar, and Chinese black rice vinegar are essential to prepare this dish and the rest will be the regular vegetables and kitchen ingredients. Following is the quick guide on ingredients and the detailed measurements will be on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Labelled ingredients of making stir fry prawns displayed on the white table.

Prawns/Shrimp - You can use king prawns, jumbo king prawns, tiger prawns, regular white prawns, or shrimp for this recipe. Peel and devein the prawns and pat dry the prawns with a paper towel before seasoning them. Highly recommend adding fresh prawns instead of cooked prawns as the sweetness of fresh prawns tastes best with the dish. Readymade cooked prawns can be a bit rubbery when you toss them with sauces and less in flavor.

Sichuan Dried Chilies - If you cannot find Sichuan chilies easily, use your favorite dried long red chilies mild or hot. You can use whole dried chilies instead of the flakes to lessen the hotness. Use dried chilies flakes for the intense smoky heat but make sure not to burn them. As chili flakes can be burnt easily.

Sichuan Peppercorns – Widely used in Sichuan Chinese cuisines and highly recommended to add to this Authentic Kung Pao Prawn recipe. Freshly grounded Szechuan peppercorns give a hot, citrusy, tingling and numbing feeling that will make you want more after one bite.

Roasted Peanuts or Cashew Nuts - Crunchy golden peanuts are one of the key ingredients of this dish. You can also use the ready unsalted roasted peanuts or pan roast the raw peanuts to crispy golden perfection to add into the stir fry just before plating.

Ginger & Garlic - For a hot garlicky aroma, this recipe needs a generous amount of freshly chopped ginger and garlic.

Vegetables - Do not need a lot of vegetables. Just onions, bell peppers, spring onions, or scallions enhance the flavor and colour of the garnish.

Kung Pao Sauce – Make sure you have light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, Chinkiang Chinese black rice vinegar, and sesame oil.

How to make Kung Po Prawn in 20 minutes?

  • Firstly, season the prawns with soy sauce and ground white pepper. Mix all the stir fry sauce in a small bowl.
  • Pan roast the cashew nuts with a drizzle of oil. Once the cashew nuts are crispy golden, remove from heat and set aside.
  • In the remaining pan, stir fry the marinated prawns for only about 1-2 minutes. Then remove pan and set aside.
4 image collage showing how to prepare king prawns, cashew nuts and kung pao sauce.
  • Add the onion dice, and dried chilies and stir fry for a few seconds. Follow with ginger, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorns. Add bell peppers and toss for a few seconds.
  • Place the fried prawns back in the wok and pour the kung pao sauce in.
  • Once the sauce is thick and glossy, finish with roasted cashew nuts, and spring onions. Combine well everything evenly.
  • Turn off the heat and transfer to the serving plate. Serve with plain rice or noodles.
4 image collage showing how to cook king prawns with vegetables and spicy sauce.

Pro Tips

  1. Do not add the Sichuan peppercorns in whole as it can be a very hot and irritating numbing sensation if you bite it in whole. Crush the peppercorns with a mortar pastel or grinder in to medium or fine corse to your preference.
  2. Toast the Sichuan peppercorns before crushing them to release more fragrant.
  3. Use a large pan or wok to give enough space and heat for all ingredients.
  4. Use high heat to stir fry the prawns quickly to achieve the juicy tender result. Overcooked prawns can be tough and rubbery.
  5. Prepare all the stir fry sauce ingredients in one small bowl and also gather all chopped vegetables before you start cooking for a smoother and faster stir-fry process.
  6. Do not toast the cashew nuts with high heat as they can burn easily. Pan roast with low heat and turn sides continuously. Remove from heat once they start turning to brown.
A black non-stick wok containing stir fry  shrimp with bell pepper, cashew nuts and dried chillies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kung Po Prawn spicy? What does it taste like?

Kung Pao Shrimp is a hot and spicy Sichuan Chinese dish. The taste is spicy, sweet, sour, and savory at the same time. The amount of Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies can be adjusted to your preference.

Can you make it ahead?

You can prepare all the vegetables, kung pao sauce, and prawns one day ahead and keep them in the fridge. Make a stir fry just right before serving.

How do you make Takeaway Style Kung Po King Prawn?

Kung Pao Prawn Takeaway recipe is very similar to Peking prawns which are made with fried battered prawns tossed in a sweet, spicy, savory sauce. UK Takeaway-style Kung Pao sauce is usually made with Hoisin sauce/hot bean sauce, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, sugar, dried chili flakes, or chili oil and do not contain any Sichuan peppercorns. Prawns are seasoned with salt, and pepper and coated with cornstarch, and deep fry until the coating is crispy then tossed together with roasted peanuts, plenty of vegetables, and the thick sauce. Spices and taste are modified to Western taste.

What to serve with this dish

We love to serve it with plain jasmine rice, egg fried rice, or stir fry noodles. You can also pair it with other soups or appetizers and make it a complete dinner. Following is a handful of classic Chinese recipes that you might like to serve together with Kung Pao Shrimp.

  • white plate full of sweet and sour prawns with wooden chop stick and a bowl of rice in wooden bowl.
    Sweet and Sour Prawn Balls
  • triangle shape fried bread topped with minced prawns and sesame seeds
    Sesame Prawn Toast
  • prawns spring rolls on the white plate and dipping sauce in the background
    Prawn Spring Rolls
  • Prawn Salad with Asian Dressing

Stay updated on new recipes:

We are on social media Facebook, Instagram, YouTube ( New recipe video every week ), and Pinterest ( Pin your favourite recipes ). If you've tried this recipe, please share your comment or post on social media and tag me. I would love to see your creations and feedback.

A white bowl containing, stir fried king prawns with toasted cashew nuts with spring onions and bell peppers.

Kung Po King Prawn

Quick and easy Kung Pao Prawn recipe made with king prawns, crunchy cashew nuts, Sichuan peppercorns, dried chillies and savoury sauce.
5 from 13 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese Cuisine
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 3 - 4
Calories: 362kcal
Author: Khin

Equipment

  • Large wok or pan ( use traditional carbon steel wok or non-stick wok )

Ingredients

  • 300 gram King prawns About 10.6oz, Peeled and deveined
  • ½ Red bell pepper Cut small squares
  • ½ Green bell pepper Cut small squares
  • ½ Onion Cut small dices
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Finely chopped
  • ½ tbsp Ginger Finely grated
  • 3-4 Spring onions
  • 8-10 Dried chillies Sichuan chillies or any long red dried chillies ( cut and deseeded )
  • 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns Toasted and grinded into coarse
  • 4-5 tbsp Raw cashew nuts Or peanuts
  • 3 tbsp Groundnut oil Or vegetable oil

Prawn seasonings

  • 1 tbsp Light soy sauce Or all-purpose soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp White pepper

Stir Fry Sauce

  • 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Chinese black rice vinegar Chinkiang vinegar, see detailed in note
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Corn starch
  • 1 tsp Sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp Water

Instructions

  • Season the prawns with soy sauce and white pepper and set it aside. Mix all the stir fry sauce in a small bowl and whisk until sugar dissolved.
  • Heat the wok/pan into low-medium heat. Sautee the raw cashew nuts with a teaspoon of oil until crispy golden brown. Remove from the pan and set it aside.
  • In the remaining wok/pan drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil and stir fry the marinated prawns over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Once the prawns are charred and 80% cooked, removed from heat and set it aside.
  • Drizzle 2 tablespoon of oil and stir fry onion and dry chillies over medium high heat for a few seconds. Follow with the chopped garlic, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns. Toss for a few seconds until fragrant then add the bell peppers.
  • Place the cooked prawns back in the wok and pour the sauce in.
  • Once the sauce is thick and glossy, turn off the heat and stir in toasted cashew nuts and spring onions.
  • Remove from heat and transfer to serving plate. Serve immediately with plain rice or noodles.

Video

https://youtu.be/ykFCzS4D4qA

Notes

  • Chinese Black Rice Vinegar - also called Chinkiang vinegar or Zhenjiang vinegar is made from black glutinous rice. The flavor is fruity, slightly sweet, and mildly acidic. Instead of black rice vinegar, you can use regular rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar. 
  • King Prawns - Use king prawns, tiger prawns, shrimps, or seafood of your choice. Prawns should be peeled and deveined and pat dry with a paper towel before adding seasonings. 
  • Sichuan/Szechuan peppercorns - It has a hot numbing sensation and unique flavour. If you cannot get Sichuan peppercorns, you can add freshly ground black pepper to taste. 

Nutrition

Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 1133mg | Potassium: 612mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1186IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @KhinsKitchen or tag #KhinsKitchen!
« Thai Vegetable Stir Fry
Crispy Szechuan Tofu Stir Fry »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lucifer Lambert says

    July 19, 2022 at 9:04 pm

    5 stars
    I had the kung po king prawns 2 Bell peppers nuts. Oion and sauce it's my 1st time but jow if I have a Chinese again I will DEFO be having that

    Reply
    • Khin says

      July 23, 2022 at 10:16 pm

      Happy that you liked, Lucifer!

      Reply
  2. Debb says

    May 13, 2022 at 7:48 am

    5 stars
    I am going to Chinese supermarket this weekend to get Sichuan peppercorns and king prawns. My son loves Kung Po. So excited to try your recipe! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Khin says

      May 14, 2022 at 11:18 pm

      Hope you enjoy this recipe, Debb! Thank you for trying out our recipes.

      Reply
  3. Kelly Anne says

    May 13, 2022 at 7:33 am

    5 stars
    Very useful! I love Kung Pao chicken dishes and I’m so excited to try with prawns this time.

    Reply
    • Khin says

      May 14, 2022 at 11:19 pm

      Thanks Kelly, hope you enjoy with prawns too!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar


Image of Khinskitchen

Hi, I'm Khin! This blog is all about my family home cooking recipes. I want to share how to make delicious meals from simplest method with step-by-step cooking videos.

More about me →

Popular Post

  • Sweet and Sour Chicken Hong Kong Style
  • A white bowl containing pasta and chicken with tomatoes sauce and sprinkle with cheese and parsley.
    Spicy Chicken Pasta
  • crispy salt and chilli chicken
    Crispy Salt and Chilli Chicken
  • A white bowl containing stir fried noodles, stir fried vegetables and king prawns on the white tea towel.
    King Prawn Chow Mein
  • crispy shredded chicken
    Crispy Shredded Chicken
  • sweet chilli beef
    Crispy Chilli Beef (with Sweet Chilli)

Asian Take out

  • a plate full of chinese chicken curry and white rice with wooden spoon at the side.
    Chinese Chicken Curry
  • crispy shredded beef
    Crispy Shredded Beef Recipe
  • A plate filled with salt and pepper chips with small bowl of crushed chilli and spring onions to garnish.
    Chinese Salt and Pepper Chips
  • Salt and pepper chicken
    Salt and Pepper Chicken
  • A white bowl containing monkfish pieces with creamy curry sauce, coriander, and curry leaves,
    Monkfish Curry
  • A white bowl containing Japanese thick wheat udon noodles with colourful vegetables.
    Easy Chicken Yaki Udon
  • A grey plate containing spicy fried chips topped with sliced chilli and coriander.
    Masala Chips
  • A white plate containing, spicy fried chicken strips, topped with spring onion and sliced chillies.
    Crispy Honey Chilli Chicken

New Recipes

  • A grey plate containing pan-fried prawns with garlic butter sauce, garnished with parsley and lemon wedges.
    Garlic Butter Prawns
  • A white plate containing fried coated king prawns with vegetables and salt and pepper seasonings.
    Crispy Salt and Pepper Prawns
  • A black bowl containing stir fry noodles, ground beef, vegetables and beansprouts.
    Easy Beef Chow Mein
  • Chinese five spice roasted chicken served on the plate with dipping sauce on the side.
    Chinese Five Spice Chicken

Footer

↑ back to top

  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

  • Sign Up! for recipe newsletter

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 TRENDY MEDIA CREATION LTD