Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

I had a really hard time choosing a recipe for this most recent recipe swap. I was assigned Cookaholic Wife for this Blogger's Choice and everything looked and sounded so good! Ultimately, I decided on these Kung Pao Chicken Tacos.  I've seen these tacos floating around the internet for awhile now, and they sounded like something we would like.  The fact that it's a "lighter" recipe originally from Cooking Light was also impressive-who would think that a dish with the words "Kung Pao" and "tacos" would be less than 500 calories per serving?

I really loved this fun twist on Kung Pao chicken. The chicken and sauce for this recipe are amazing and would go well served over rice as well (or if you aren't watching your carbs, you can try putting the rice in the tacos as Matt suggested).

A big thank you to A Taste of Home Cooking for hosting this recipe swap!

Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
1/4 cup + 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sambal oelek (chile paste)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
3/4 cup (about 2 stalks) celery, diced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas (I used flour)
1/3 cup green onions, sliced
lime wedges, cilantro, soy sauce and hot sauce for serving


Place chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce to bag; seal. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Put 1/4 cup of the cornstarch in a shallow dish. Discard the marinade and dip the chicken into the cornstarch, shaking off the excess. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add the chicken (in batches if necessary) and saute 6-8 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm.

Combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, honey, and next 3 ingredients (through sambal oelek) in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Microwave in 10 second intervals until the mixture has thickened slightly. Stir in garlic and set aside.

Return the chicken to the skillet, pour the sauce over the chicken and add the peanuts and celery. Toss together everything to coat with sauce.

If using corn tortillas, toast tortillas under broiler or on a griddle until lightly blistered, turning frequently. If using flour tortillas, briefly warm in the microwave or other preferred method. Divide the mixture among the tortillas and top with sliced green onions and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze on top and extra soy sauce and hot sauce (I prefer Sriracha).