CPK’s Kung Pao Spaghetti
A copycat recipe that you can make right at home in less than 20 minutes. And it tastes even better than the restaurant version!
Have you ever had California Pizza Kitchen’s Kung Pao Spaghetti? I’ve had it on many occasions but as good as it is, I’m just not comfortable spending $15 on a lunch dish for myself, especially when it’s during my lunch break. But now, I never have to order this because I can make it right at home in just 20 minutes!
Now if you’ve never had the CPK version, this is really a Chinese take-out favorite tossed in spaghetti noodles. It’s wonderfully flavorful and savory with that extra spicy kick to it, and there’s plenty of chicken to go around for everyone, unlike CPK who adds in a couple of pieces of chicken and then charges an additional $3 for it.
And f you want it completely vegetarian, you could even add some fried tofu cubes. That actually sounds better than the chicken. I’ll definitely be trying that next time!
CPK's Kung Pao Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry roasted peanuts
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
For the sauce
- ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons red chili paste with garlic, or more, to taste
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, chicken broth, dry sherry, red chili paste, sugar, red wine vinegar, cornstarch and sesame oil; set aside.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces; set aside.
- Add garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in pasta, chicken, peanuts and green onions.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Love your recipes!! Quick question! If all I have is shoaxing wine can I use it in place of Dry Sherry here? I love this recipe and by mistake once I used a sweet chili sauce instead of red chili paste and we loved it that way even moreso! Weird, right? Ha!
Great Pasta slightly sour
I have made this more times than I can count. Even my grandkids, who’ve been raised with spicy food, love it. The leftovers are great cold the next day because the sauce soaks into the pasta. It’s makes a nice summer cold side dish. Buy good dry sherry at the liquor store (Total Wine has it) and DO NOT use cheap cooking sherry if you want the best taste.
This recipe needs more amazing reviews because it’s so good!!! This is the second time I’ve made this, it’s definitely a repeat dinner!Â
My family loves this recipe! I halve the red chili paste to 1 T. And it’s still got a kick, but my kids can enjoy it too! Most recently I added shredded carrots and snow peas after adding the garlic and it was delicious–a one pot meal!
This recipe is beyond perfect! For a truly amazing dinner, double the sauce!!
Where can I find dry sherry?
Any liquor store
I found cooking sherry at the grocery store next to the vinegars and works really well.
PLEASE don’t use cooking sherry. It’s got salt added to it (and is horrendous cheap wine on top of it). That same market should have dry sherry over in their alcohol section.
This recipe is a keeper! I like simple, one pot type meals and this one was pretty simple with not too much cleanup. It tastes great and my family loved it. I thought the spice was perfect, but I’ll lessen it next time due to my son who thought it was too spicy. I’m loving trying a lot of your recipes this summer. Thank you!
I made this last night.  I was SO SURE I had red chili paste but I couldn’t find it.  Maybe kitchen organization should be on my to do list.  Anyway, I used siracha instead.  Be careful with that stuff!  I used one tablespoon and it was almost too spicy for me, but not my husband.  Overall I liked it and I promise to make it again as soon as I locate the red chili paste!
My husband used this receipe it came out just delicious just like CPK!! Cant tell the delicous
Thank you!!
Followed recipe exactly as written. It was good but didn’t taste like CPK dish (which is one of my fav). Not going to part of regular rotation.Â
My family loves this recipe! Does anyone know the nutritional value? I would love to know. Thanks in advance.
Wow! It tastes exactly like you know who! One complaint it wasn’t hot enough! I added thinly cut carrots, onions and green peppers, delicious.  I will add either hot peppers or siriacha sauce for more heat. Next time I’ll add bean sprouts or r bamboo shoots. Sauce so simple to follow.My sweetheart was impressed, has seconds,  this is a keeper and will definitely make it again.Â
Delicious! …this will definitely go into my monthly lineup. I added red bell pepper and snow peas, and reduced the sugar to 2 TBSP. Love love love!
Can you use something in place of Dry Sherry? I’m out of that ingredient.Â
While an appropriate replacement for sherry in cooking depends upon the specific recipe, chicken broth or plain water are often acceptable substitutes. But as always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
I made this tonight with my hubby! It was such a good meal 🙂
I substituted sherry with rice wine and red wine vinegar with rice vinegar. Also i did not have the chili sauce with garlic, so i instead used sriracha!
It turned out exactly like CPK’s kung pao spaghetti, except for the consistency of the sauce. Mine was a bit drier, but that did not stop us from finishing it!
It was so so good 🙂Â
Thank you for the amazing recipe!
It tasted a lot like CpK’s but I agree mine also turned out drier than theirs… any specific reason??Â
Maybe my chili paste is hotter than your chili paste… but it was way too hot.
Next time, I’ll start with less than 1 tablespoon and add from there.
Made this last night and found it far too thick and salty even using the reduced sodium soy sauce, couldn’t taste much else and all that sherry!  Should have knocked the sherry back with a cracker and cheese.
this was awful, my family said it was the worst thing I ever made. it was a too much vinegar. I love CPK but this was o comparison!!!!!
​I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully (and professionally) tested and re-tested by my team, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well. If there was too much vinegar, you can simply reduce the amount, to taste. Hope that helps!
This is one amazing dish! Just made for 2nd time in a couple weeks and we’ve been craving it since we ate the last leftover bite. Nothing thrown away with this one. Reheats perfectly in my microwave on Dinner Plate setting. Can’t wait to try some of your other delicious looking recipes. Chungah you ROCK !!!
I made this recipe tonight to the tee….no substitutes….complete exact measurements….omg!!! Absolutely amazing. The only real thing I did different is cook my chicken with a George foreman grill but otherwise followed the recipe and could not be more happy with it. Beyond delicious.
What kind of dry sherry do you use? I wouldn’t know what to buy!
Any brand should work just fine.
With all due respect, I don’t see exactly how tofu is better than chicken. It’s a matter of preference, isn’t it?
good grief! use your preference, no reason to comment out of “due respect” lol
for the record both is fine. Go with your vegetarian preference.
This recipe is delicious, and is also great as a meatless dish! I’ve made it a handful of times and it’s always a hit. Thanks!Â
Can I use egg noodles for this recipe?
Yes.
This is heavenly!! We have been making it using a thinly sliced sirloin steak dredged w/cornstarch and fried crisp. Subbing beef stock for chicken broth. And adding some sautéed baby bellas and julienned carrots. Our new favorite!
I’ve never had the CPK version, but this was FANTASTIC! Just the right amount of heat. I used whole grain linguini which worked really well. With the leftovers (which were just as delicious!) I added sugar snap peas & edamame.
Will definitely make again!
Hi! We enjoyed this recipe; thank you for developing and sharing it!
A few changes I made to suit our tastes that others might like–
I very thinly sliced the chicken breast and cooked it quickly in two batches over medium high, then returned all chicken to the skillet and added the sauce ingredients, like for a stir fry. This I felt made the chicken cook more quickly and was it was much easier to gauge doneness than whole breasts.
I also decreased the sugar to two tablespoons, and added almost a cup of pasta cooking water to the sauce as it bubbled up pretty thick and glossy. Just our taste to have it a bit looser.
We had sriracha at the table for those who like it hot 😀
I served it with spicy pickled carrots*–yummy! Was good the next day, too. Thanks for such a fun addition to our repertoire!
(*parboil a 1 pound bag of crinkle cut carrots until just crisp tender. Meanwhile dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in 1/2 cup white vinegar along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add red pepper flakes to taste but be generous. Drain carrots and cover with sugar/vinegar mixture and refrigerate, stirring often, for a few hours.)
Am I missing something? 1/4 cup of sugar made this dish taste like dessert!! Trying again sometime but adding sugar slowly to taste.
If it is too sweet to taste, you can always reduce the amount of sugar as needed to suit your preferences.
Oh Gosh…SODIUM overload….I love these recipes on Damn Delicious and I’ve NEVER found one I disliked until this one…Goodness Gracious this was so bloody salty I couldn’t eat it…it was a good thing that the boys were starving 🙂 I guess that Kung Pao or even maybe CPKs just isn’t my thing…No worries it would never detract me from pigging out on this site 🙂
Oh no! Did you use reduced sodium soy sauce?
Hi there, Chung Ah!
Another winner! Have made this twice now, and it’s pretty easy and straightforward. Only thing, I can’t seem to do it
in the 20 minutes. LOL. But, it’s still a delish dish! TY very much for your wonderful Asian inspired recipes……
I’d like to try this but am a bit confused….Are chili sauce and chili paste the same thing? I have sriracha and SWEET red chili sauce but I’m not sure if either of these is what you’re asking for. Thanks for your help.
This is what you’re looking for – hope that helps!
Very helpful….THANK YOU!
I had a terrible migraine headache and I needed a meal I could make in a hurry before I collapsed. I made this and subbed broccoli for the chicken for speed’s sake. Though not all my kids loved it, I think they would all agree that it was much better than cold cereal, which was the alternative. Two of my kids thought it was amazing and my picky 4yo declared that it was “too much yummy” and said that she was going to eat it all night. I think she had 4 helpings. I can’t wait to try it again with the chicken and some more veggies. Thanks for saving me on a really bad day.
This was absolutely delicious! Thank you! I found this on Pintrest and made this today.. will definitely make it again. I followed all the directions, didn’t change a thing, and don’t think it needs any tweaking at all. I will need to peruse your other recipes to see what you have here.
Haven’t been to a CPK in forever and wasn’t quite sure I remembered what this tastes like.
It’s pretty good as is but I ended up adding some brown sugar to sweeten it up a bit more and cover the strong sesame oil taste. Might do a teaspoon of sesame oil instead of a whole tablespoon next time. Â
Thanks for the recipe though!
Quick question. Can I use sherry cooking wine instead of dry sherry for kung pao spaghetti?
Yes, absolutely.
This will definitely be on our supper plates tomorrow night! Â Thanks so much for sharing!
Tanille from http://www.inspirationalmomma.com
I cook a TON. You are one of my top 2 fave food bloggers. Â I don’t usually leave feedback on recipes I try unless I”m blown away & this recipe blew us away. Hands down our families new favourite asian noodle dish. Â I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of the peanuts. Â I added thinly sliced sauteed onions & red peppers in their place. The sauce is out of this world!Â
Made this for dinner tonight. Didn’t have dry sherry, so used 1/4 cup sweet sherry. Next time would like to use correct one and to add some vegies to this dish. Scored 8/10 overall from my family (I gave it a 10 as I loved it)! Happy I get to have the leftovers tomorrow for lunch! So easy to make and tasted wonderful. Served this with spinach fettuccine. Beautiful. Thanks for a lovely recipe.
To make this recipe vegetarian, what would you substitute the chicken broth with?
Vegetable broth would be a great substitute.
I made a vegan version of this with no-chicken broth and tofu. I otherwise followed the recipe to a T. I thought it was good and simple to make. I think next time I will decrease the sugar and maybe increase the sherry or vinegar to play off the sour aspect to give it a little more depth of flavor- personal preference though as I don’t like really sweet things. I also would add more veggies but its a great base. Thanks for the recipe!
Looks amazing!! I don’t have any dry sherry on hand. Is there a substitute? I want to make this tonight! 🙂 thanks!
Lindsay, here is a great article on possible sherry substitutes. Hope that helps!
Hi! Thank you for the recipe! But I am just wondering what brand of red chili paste you use in this recipe? There are ones from Lee Kum Kee but it is a chili garlic sauce that is a bit sweet! Thank you for your help! I am preparing this for a BBQ & would love your help!
My favorite brand is Huy Fong Chili Sauce.
I just made this tonight. It was very, very good. I didn’t know what to expect. Mine looked like your picture and that always makes me happy. I followed the recipe toltally. When I make it again, I will add some veggies. Thank you for a great, easy recipe.
Just when I thought I tried your best recipe I try another and OMG! This was so easy, and delicious. I could not stop eating it! The spiciness was addictive! Just perfect! I have been making 2-3 of your recipes a week. I think I could just make all if them for the rest of my life and be happy. You really need your own tv show! I thank you and my husband/family thanks you! Jason is one lucky guy!
This was really easy to make (your directions are great) and the flavor was fantastic but there was something slightly off about the aftertaste with the spaghetti noodles for us. Next time we will use lo mien or just put over rice plus add in some red peppers.
Why didn’t I know about this recipe sooner!? Thank you for sharing. I cannot wait to make this! I have a tech question for you. I am a newbie travel blogger and I’m ramping up for my 6 months abroad mid June. I noticed when I pinned this recipe that I got a nice long vertical pin, but that image isn’t on this blog post. How do you hide the image for pinning? I also use the Genesis framework so our processes should be similar. Thanks, Chungah!
CPK’S Kung Pao Spaghetti is my most favorite meal everrrrrr!!!
If you can’t make it into a CPK restaurant…definitely make this at home!
Add chicken and shrimp!!!
I just made this pasta, and it tasted exactly as the CPK recipe! yummy!
WOWZERS!!! Just made this tonight and it was crazy good! I live in a its with zero good Chinese food options so this dish has satisfied my craving for goooooooood saucy noodles! Thank you for sharing! I made them vegan by subbing out chicken, using veggie broth and adding in some steamed green beans and carrots, yum!
I cook for about 60 people or more a week and I am always looking for something new. When I saw this, I said wow, it simple and it doesn’t take a lot of time. I am adding this to my menu very soon. Thanks for sharing.
It had great taste but I used regular soy sauce, so I had to make extra pasta cause it was just a tad salty! Will make again with low sodium next time!! Kids liked it, repeat meal!
In searching the web for substitutes for the Sherry, I read that there really were not any good substitutes. But one site said you could use Sake and others said you could use chicken broth, In a pinch, you could use a dry white wine (not sweet).
Made this tonight and it was a 10 out of 10. Used sour cherry juice in place of sherry. I am sure you could also use apple or grape juice
*top notch!
This.is.AMAZING!!!! Haven’t tried a recipe you’ve posted that hasn’t been just too notch. Followed this exactly and it was bomb.com!!!!
Also the recipe says spaghetti but looks like linguini in the photos. I’m thinking linguini might soak up the sauce more. Either way it definitely didn’t taste like soy sauce dumped on noodles, it was very good and I will be making it again soon!
I made this last night, I didn’t have or know what chili paste is so I just used a little Sriracha and a good amount of garlic. It was delicious. I also added a small bag of angel hair coleslaw and tossed that in with the green onions and peanuts. The only thing I’ll do different next time is use less spaghetti, a whole pound was a ton of food and I wanted more of that sauce!!!!
I just made this to take for lunch this week. I used sake instead of sherry and cashews instead of peanuts. The results are fantastic! I just ate at CPK a couple nights ago and was tempted to order this, but went with another choice. Now I must try it so I can compare, can’t imagine it being any better than this!
Could I do this with zucchini noodles…just add them after the heat is turned off after everything else is heated through? I am a diabetic looking for great recipes that are low carb and this sounds so great!
That sounds like a great idea but without further recipe testing, I cannot say with certainty how this will turn out. Please use your best judgment.
We made this for dinner tonight and it was seriously delicious. I’ve never had the original version, but no need. This was so great! I used linguine noodles and added sliced mushrooms and shelled edamame to get some veggies in the dinner, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. So, so good! Thank you!
can you please suggest an alternative for cornstarch? thank you
Rhoda, the cornstarch is a thickener and without it (or by using a substitution), you may not be able to achieve a thickness to coat the noodles. That being said, it is always best to use all of the ingredients listed in the recipe to obtain the best results possible.
Arrowroot powder (found in the spice aisle can be used 1:1 in place of cornstarch, and much healthier too. I always use it instead of cornstarch-works like a charm!
I made this exactly as described and it came out perfect!! I’ve made a lot of chinese recipes and none of them are ever worth making again. Too vinegar-y, no flavor, etc. This was really, really, good!! I used linguine noodles.
Thanks for responding. I always follow a recipe exactly the first time I make it. That said, I did use low sodium soy sauce. I wouldn’t think that that would affect the taste though. My issue was that it tasted like soy sauce dumped on noodles. No other flavors came through. I re read the recipe afterwards, and followed exactly. Then I read all the other comments, and saw they were all favorable, so I can’t figure out what went wrong. We were so disappointed because we love Kung Pao, and had a craving for it. I made everyone a sandwich instead. I’d like to try this recipe again, so any feed back would be appreciated. Thanks
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested in my own kitchen, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well. But I understand that we all have different taste preferences. Perhaps this just isn’t your cup of tea? Or maybe your sherry had gone bad? The sherry here plays a huge role in balancing out the heavy saltiness of the soy sauce.
Either way, I really hope you get a chance to try this again with exceptional results!
I left a comment asking for advice when this did not turn out as I had expected, and my post was erased and I never got an answer. Is the comment box only for favorable reviews ?
Not at all – sometimes comments are automatically flagged as spam. That being said, I’d love to hear what your issues were. Did you follow the recipe exactly as written without any substitutions?
One of our favourite recipes. Making again tonight. Best Kung Pao chicken I’ve tried in a long time
Can I omit the cornstarch? I don’t have any, and not sure what it will do without it. Is it just for a thickener? Thanks!
Yes, the cornstarch acts as a thickener. Without it, there is nothing that will have the sauce stick to the noodles.
My husband and kids (10 and 2) are singing praises for this recipe tonight! I sautéed broccoli, red pepper and mushrooms and added with everything at the end. Super YUM!
I worked for cpk for awhile. This was my favorite dish on the menu, with a few tweeks of course. I always use rotini noodles, as they hold the sauce better and I use red pepper flakes instead of the chilis. I also double the peanuts which my fiance hates lol. This recipe is phenomenal.
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOUR KILLING ME! THANKS FOR THE RECIEPE—-yuum
This made loads and was delicious. I added grated carrot and peas. Can you freeze this dish?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! I recommend using your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
how can I use the hoisin sauce that I bought in a jar?
Thanks
Sylvia, unfortunately, this recipe does not call for hoisin sauce.
Just made this for my family, and there were no leftovers! Two picky teenagers and two toddlers actually ate without one single complaint tonight! Wonderful recipe, I’ll be sharing it with everyone I know 🙂
If I wanted to use Udon noodles instead, what should I do? Thanks!
If you are using the same amount of noodles, there shouldn’t be anything to change!
Did you use chili garlic sauce by huy fong foods? This is the only one I could find but it doesn’t say red chili garlic sauce. Is this the right one?
Yes, that’s exactly right!
Dry or sweet sherry?
Stephanie, please refer to the recipe as it indicates dry sherry.
I made this last night and it was delicious. I couldn’t find the red chili paste at the store so I just used sriracha. Instead of green onions, I put in baby corn, sliced water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. I added a garnish of cilantro. It was SO good! The sesame oil is key! Next time I think I will double the sauce, though. Thanks for the recipe!
BTW there is a very good sub for Dry Sherry. 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and enough chicken stock to bring it to 1/2 cup. The first time I made this recipe I had dry sherry so I used it, the next time I did not and didn’t feel like going to get some so I used the substitute. You can not taste the difference. I will make this recipe quite a few more times and from now on I’m using the substitute for the convenience and cost and especially the no lose of flavor. Thanks for the post, great recipe.
thank you for the tip!
I made this recipe with my bf today and we both loved it and agree it tastes very similar to CPK’s. You can completely cut out the dry sherry and just replace it with more chicken broth.
We also doubled up the amount of garlic and green onion in this recipe. Delish! & Thank you!
Tried this last night…..it was soooo mmmmmm yummy. I am pregnant and mostly nauseated during dinner time. So I haven’t been eating dinner lately or throwing up if I did. But last night….I had belly full of yummy Kung pao (I removed chicken pieces from my plate though as chicken gives me nausea). I am so glad I found your website. I shared it with my sisters and friends and I am so excited to try other recipes, esp firecracker chicken. Can’t wait!!! Thank you soooo much for sharing.
LOVED IT! The picky eater even ate it. I didn’t have sherry, so I used 1/4 Apple Juice and 1/4 cup broth. Turned out Great!
Thanks
Chungah, this recipe is divine! I made it exactly as printed and my husband thought he’d died and gone to heaven! Fabulous taste, with the perfect amount of kick. Hugs to you and Butters!
I made this in a crockpot and it turned out great! I left the chicken broth out so there wouldn’t be too much liquid and I didn’t have chili paste, so I substituted half siracha, half crushed red pepper and threw in some extra minced garlic. Awesome recipe, I’ll definitely make this again!
This was great! We cut the chili paste in half and subbed cashews (what was on hand) for peanuts. I’d like to try w/ peanuts next time and maybe add bamboo. Thanks for a new recipe!!
1st off, great website.
2nd, this recipe is a keeper! Outstanding flavors & really simple to make. I used
linguine since that was what was in the cupboard. The grill has always been my
domain, but as my wife is working full time too, I find myself doing more & more of
the cooking inside & I really appreciate recipes that are relatively easy & quick.
I got a bit carried away with the chili paste (I like it spicy) but my kids gobbled it
up anyway, declaring it a favorite. I couldn’t find chili paste w/garlic so I minced a couple cloves & combined the two.
I didn’t find it too salty, for what it’s worth & used regular soy sauce. 2-1/2 tablespoons of chili paste & a just a teaspoon of brown sugar. I didn’t salt the chicken, so that might have helped.
This, along with the Korean beef bowl will see regular rotation. Keep up the good work!
This, along with the
Made this tonight and everyone, even the picky kids, loved it. I could never find chili paste so I used 1 Tab. chili sauce instead and we all liked it. Husband is a vegetarian so I did roasted veggies instead of chicken also and it was great. Thanks for the recipe!
The whole family loved this! Thanks for a great recipe to add to our rotation.
Tamari, not tamarind. Oops!
I made this Tuesday night and while it was screamingly delicious, it was much too salty.
I recommend using low sodium soy or tamarind instead.
If using regular soy sauce, cut the amount in half.
Thank you for letting me know, Christopher. I actually only use low sodium soy sauce so it’s more of my default soy sauce but I have just added it to the ingredient list for my readers to use as well.
Good morning Chungah! Thank you for this DIVINE recipe! I am going to make it tonight for dinner. For people concerned with sodium amount or salty taste, I use a product I get at the health food store. It’s called Bragg’s Aminos. It is not soy sauce but tastes EXACTLY like it and, much, much healthier for you. Thank you again for all your Yummy recipes!!!
I have tried 4 of the recipes posted: Kung Poa Spaghetti, Bang-Bang Chicken, Korean Beef Bowl, and PF Changs lettuce wraps…. They were ALL spectacular…. My ENTIRE family loved them (which, as you know, can be a challenge). Thank you for the pics and the EASY to follow directions! This is a favorite site for sure!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!
Wife & Mother of 4
I made this dish last week and it was great. I added 1/2 cup sautéed and sliced mushrooms to the recipe for an additional vegetable. The end results were excellent. I ended up eating this for three days. It was just as tasty on day three as it was on day one. Tonight I am making your sesame chicken. Thanks for the great recipes!
num nums
Made this last night for the family and it was a total hit – even our six year old LOVED it! What a simple, quick & easy recipe. Leftovers the next day were even better than the night before – this is definitely a keeper in the recipe box.
I made this last night and it was delicious! I was a little scared to use the full amount of chili paste, so I started with 1 tablespoon and it didn’t really have any heat. 2 tablespoons ended up being perfect for us. Definitely spicy, but nothing too crazy. I skipped the sherry and did 3/4 cup chicken broth and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and it was perfect. Definitely a keeper! Thank you!
Awesome! The only changes I made: added 1/2 tsp dry ginger to sauce mixture for a little bit of a punch, and marinated the chicken overnight in the sauce. I BOILED the sauce an extra few minutes just to make sure any impurities from the raw chicken were cooked out before adding in the noodles. My husband doesn’t like Asian food but he asked me to put this in the rotation. Thanks!
Next time I make this again, I will skip the dry sherry. It was too much for me. Other than that, it was delicious.
This is delicious! Everyone in my family loved it. I didn’t have sherry so I used mirin cooking wine and it was wonderful. I also added fresh spinach while thickening the sauce. Broccoli sounds good too. Definitely will be making this again soon and will be trying more of your recipes. Thanks!
Just finished inhaling this for dinner. I didn’t have sherry so I used 3/4 cup chicken broth and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and it turned out amazing. It was spicy and delicious and made enough for leftovers which will keep me happy tomorrow! Excellent recipe.
Okay, we tried this tonight and it was fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!! The only thing I would change is to omit the salt when frying the chicken, as it seemed a bit ‘salty’. But maybe that is personal taste. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Definitely going to be a repeat over and over.
OMG…..delish……..thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tried the Garlic butter shrimp loved it a farm girl at heart your dishes are easy will be serving shrimp fried rice tonight thanks Chung- ah keep sending them I’ll keep trying
I just made this recipe for supper and it was absolutely delicious! For our tastes, we also added peppers. YUMM!! Thanks for a great, easy recipe. I can’t wait to try more! 🙂
Thanks! Great recipe – easy and delicious! I used broccoli instead of chicken and it was amazing. The broccoli soaks up the sauce and all you have to do is steam it so it’s still a little crispy before putting it in. (And yes, I noticed that too Theresa, and used linguine instead and it worked out perfectly. I think spaghetti would have been too tubular, but it’s totally up to your preference).
Yum!
Can you omit the peanuts or does it add to the flavor. Looks good but my son in allergic to peanuts?
The peanuts add a bit of crunch and saltiness to the dish but feel free to omit as needed.
Hi, It says spaghetti in the directions but the picture looks more like a flat noodle like fettuchini or something like that maybe?
Debbie, I have made this using spaghetti and fettuccine, and both work really well for this recipe.
Thank you for the nice recipe. Have a Wonderful Weekend!
This looks so good, I can’t wait to try it. The noodles in your pic look flat, like linguine, is that what you used?
I actually used spaghetti noodles but feel free to use what you have on hand – linguine, fettuccine, etc.
This was so good my guys were fighting over the leftovers the next day!
Looks so delicious. It is going to be our dinner tonight!
Thanks for a great recipe…
Cheers!
Ice
My husband’s favorite restaurant! Yummm….love this recipe.
Hi Chung Ah,
I don’t have red wine vinegar and dry sherry, and I wonder if I can subsitute them with chinkiang vinegar and shiaoxing wine ?
Thanks!
It is best to use the ingredients listed out to obtain the best results possible. By using these substitutions, I cannot speak for how much this will change the taste/texture of the overall dish.
hi Natalie,
I was wondering of the same thing. Did you try the substitutions? How was it?
I was thinking of using Xiao xing and black vinegar or apple cider..
I’ve just found your great blog through Pinterest. Can’t wait to try your recipes. Everything looks delicious and very achievable!
I’ll be making this for dinner tonight!!
Made this last night. Cut the chili to 2 tablespoons and it was still too hot for me. Will make again using 1 tabl. Very flavorful though!
Quick question, is the red chili garlic sauce Siracha or Sambal Olek(rooster on the label) ? That looks so good. I’m drooling!
The red chili garlic sauce is Sambal Oelek. Sriracha is hot sauce (aka rooster sauce).
Just made this last night and it was fantastic! I think I’ll throw in some red bell pepper next time to add more color but it was awesome and the family loved it.
Wow – I just found tonight’s dinner! Does the chili paste make it pretty spicy, or just add flavor? (I don’t want my little ones to reject this.) If it adds a lot of heat, can it just be left out, or do you recommend a substitution? Thanks!
I do not recommend completely omitting as it does bring in a lot of flavor. You can always reduce the amount to make sure it’s not too spicy for the kids.
Just a side note…I could not find red chili paste so I used red chili sauce with garlic and it was awesome, however, I will next time half the amount of it since it was way too hot for this Norwegian tongue. It was really good though. Thanks for the recipe!
I actually have California Pizza Kitchens cookbook and this is their recipe. Aside from the fact that they make their own chicken broth. I usually triple the sauce because well we like it that much. I also use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth so that my daughter in law who is vegetarian can have some before I add the chicken. This also cuts down on the salt. As I triple the sauce I do NOT triple the chili sauce. And I also use the red chile sauce with garlic as that is what I believe the original recipe calls for. It can easily be added to the individuals plate if they wish it to be spicier. One of my family favorites ever!!!
Oh shoot! I also add chopped ginger with the garlic. I love ginger.
I love how easy this seems. I suppose you could add some more sauteed veggies, too.
You are my new best friend—-I thought the Asian honey chicken was beyond delightful. But look what you have posted this time. I have never heard of Kung Pao spaghetti anywhere, despite the fact that Seattle and the surroundings have some excellent Asian restaurants.
I tagged this recipe. I am thinking how good leftover regular spaghetti is, this has variety ahs to be over the top.
I love ordering this from CPK, but like you said, it’s quite expensive. Anyway, can you provide me with the brand of red chili paste with garlic you used? Did you purchase it from 99 Ranch?
I like using the Huy Fong Foods brand.
Ahhhh!!! Spaghetti is my super comfort food, and lately, I’ve been craving some delicious chinese takeout so…my prayers have been answered!! Thanks for sharing with us (and saving us a few bucks!)
This looks like the perfect lunch, love the roasted peanuts!
I’ve never eaten the original, but I’m sure I’d love it with all those great flavours. Anxious to try this!
Sounds so good. Thank you.
This sure does look better! I can’t wait to try 🙂
I would add celery to this..any substitutions for the sherry? thanks!
There really is no appropriate substitute for the sherry. This ingredient is crucial to balance out all the flavors of this dish.
Hi there! I am making this tonight and I was just wondering if you have a calorie count for this recipe? Thank you!!
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can gooogle “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
use Chinese or Japanese rice vinegar (not sweetened/seasoned) for the sherry.
I just increased the chicken stock and left out the sherry. It was delish.
Good morning!!
I’m just wondering the amount of peanuts to use?
What do you mean by1/2 roasted peanuts?
Thank you!
Your recipes are always so delicious!!
It is meant to say “1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts”.
Wondering if you could cook this up to the point of adding the noodles then freeze. When ready to use defrost in fridge and cook noodles & combine. Thoughts?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself. Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I love this dish!! I’ve had it at CPK and it is seriously good! So glad you made a copycat that looks even better! Pinning 🙂
Ah, Europe meets Asia, this looks so tasty! I have had kung pao once before, and it was really good, had a bit of a kick to it, and now I have this beautiful rendition of it – cheers! 😀 x
I’ve never had CPKS Kung Pao Spaghetti, but I have had other restaurant variations, so I am TOTALLY digging your homemade and easy version! You are seriously the copycat queen! Pinned!
I’ve never had their version but know full well your version is better 🙂 Just look at it! That opening shot, with those noodles, gorgeous!! You elevate noodles to art!
It’s 2 am, and I’m catching up on blog reading. What was I thinking?! Now I’m absolutely starving, especially after seeing this. Those saucy noodles are killing me!
Ha! That same thing happened to me, but at 4 am.
This sounds completely yummy. Never had CPK’s but I am sure this would be better anyway and I’d rather feed my whole family for that $15. Pinned! : )
Sounds so delicious!
I can imagine the taste and know that I’ll love it. I’m going to make this soon. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
what a nice recipe 🙂 so yummy
I imagined it AND made it! a suggestion – too much soy sauce. I love soy sauce but it overwhelmed the flavor.
Agree…. way too salty!!! probably needs half the amount
1/3 c. Seemed to work