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Homemade Kung Po King Prawns
Saucy kung pao prawns made with garlic, ginger, roasted peanuts and a sweet, spicy, savoury sauce. Here’s how I make it…
Recently, I made a kung pao chicken recipe, and now I’m back with this equally delicious kung po prawns. It’s incredibly saucy, so easy to cook at home and the taste is top notch!
It takes me under 30 minutes to make, and since I’m making it from scratch, I’ve added so many prawns that it’s hard to miss – the benefits of making your own…
Not only is this dish super speedy, but the flavours are a combination of sweet, spicy and savoury deliciousness that marry together so well. If you’re wondering what to make for dinner, this is it!
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the ingredients I used to make this dish:
- Jumbo King Prawns: I used deshelled and deveined large jumbo prawns, but feel free to use any type of prawns that you like. You can even keep the shell on for extra flavour.
- Prawn Marinade: This is made from a mixture of Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, salt, white pepper and cornflour.
- Vegetables & Peanuts: I used dried chillies, garlic cloves, root ginger, spring onions and roasted peanuts (that I manually deshelled from monkey nuts).
- Kung Pao Sauce: The sauce is made from a mixture of Chinese black vinegar, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, water, cornflour and sesame oil. If you don’t have Chinese black vinegar, then you can use balsamic vinegar instead.
How To Make Kung Pao Prawns
Here’s a summary of how I make kung pao prawns. You can get the full recipe instructions on the recipe card below:
To make this dish, I marinate the prawns for at least 10 minutes, I like to prep the sauce and veggies during this time.
Once that’s done, I stir-fry the chillies, ginger, garlic and spring onions for a few seconds on a medium-high heat before adding the prawns and stir-frying for 1 to 2 minutes.
In the same pan, I stir in the roasted peanuts before pouring the sauce. Last but not least, I continue stir frying for a minute or two or until the sauce has thickened, then I’m ready to serve up.
My Top Tips
I like to use frozen prawns and either defrost them in the fridge overnight or quickly defrost them by running the prawns under warm water for a few minutes. To skip this step, you can use fresh prawns.
For a more authentic kung pao prawn flavour, you can add crushed Schezwan peppercorns. I find this addition adds a citrusy peppery flavour.
Once you mixed the sauce ingredients, give it a taste and adjust the flavours to your liking. If you prefer a saucer dish, add 100ml of water instead of 50ml.
If you don’t want to toast the peanuts in advance, use monkey nuts – that’s what I do but you’ll have to deshell them.
How To Serve
I like to serve this dish with boiled rice or (and sometimes alongside) chow mein noodles. In my photos, I served the kung pao prawns with a side of egg fried rice. For a lighter alternative, I like to serve this dish with an array of stir-fried vegetables instead.
How To Store
I keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days. I recommend freezing it if you want to keep it for longer. When you’re ready, defrost it in the fridge overnight and microwave until it’s piping hot throughout.
More Prawn Dishes
Kung Po Prawns
Ingredients
Prawn Marinade
- 500 g King Prawns
- 2 tsp Cornflour
- 1 tsp Shaoxing Wine
- 1 tsp White Pepper
- 1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
- ½ tsp Salt
Vegetables & Peanuts
- 80 g Roasted Peanuts
- 4 Dried Chillies
- 5 Garlic Cloves (Minced)
- 4 Spring Onions (Diced)
- 1 inch Ginger (Diced)
Kung Pao Sauce
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Chinese Black Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Cornflour
- 50 ml Water
Instructions
- Add prawns to a medium bowl with the marinade ingredients. Mix to coat evenly, then marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes while you prep the vegetables and mix the sauce ingredients together.2 tsp Cornflour, 1 tsp White Pepper, 1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce, ½ tsp Salt, 1 tsp Shaoxing Wine
- Heat a wok or pan over a medium-high heat. Add oil, the dried chillies, ginger, garlic, and spring onions. Stir-fry for at least 30 seconds.4 Dried Chillies, 5 Garlic Cloves (Minced), 4 Spring Onions (Diced), 1 inch Ginger (Diced)
- Add the prawns to the pan and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then stir in the peanuts and pour in the sauce.500 g King Prawns, 80 g Roasted Peanuts, 2 tbsp Sugar, 2 tbsp Chinese Black Vinegar, 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce, 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce, 1 tsp Sesame Oil, 1 tbsp Cornflour, 50 ml Water
- Continue stirring until the sauce has thickened, then remove from the heat and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Music in video from Uppbeat, License code: 08VBCZFHCZBZDBBY
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