Kung Pao Chicken with Zoodles

Who needs noodles when you can have zoodles?! This Kung Pao Chicken is amazing and the zoodles compliment it perfectly.

I have been eyeing every blogger and their brother's posts with vegetable noodles. I generally try to NOT get more kitchen tools, gadgets, and appliances because I am running out of room. However, when I was grocery shopping and saw a relatively inexpensive spiralizer that was also fairly small, I had to pick it up. I am not necessarily concerned with making "healthy" foods and no one in my house is on a special diet. I don't go out of my way to make fat-laden food either. I really just focus on making a variety of foods and always serve up veggies alongside most meals. I didn't want a spiralizer to make veggie noodles that replaced regular pasta. I just wanted a spiralizer for the option to make veggie noodles instead of regular pasta for a dish.

I am a self-proclaimed veggieaholic and there are very few vegetables I won't eat. I especially love zucchini and really wanted to try zoodles. I was impressed with how easy it was to make them AND how great they were in this recipe. Just a little tidbit, we added sriracha to our individual servings for some heat. We're new to the sriracha bandwagon too, but we love it.

(Print)
What you need:
For the sauce:

• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 3 tsp. hoison sauce
• 5 Tbsp. water 
• 1 Tbsp. red chili paste
• 4 tsp. sugar
• 4 tsp. cornstarch

For the rest of the recipe:

• 4 medium zucchini
• 4 tsp. canola oil, divided
• 2 to 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1-2 tsp. ground ginger
• Dry roasted peanuts
• 4 green onions, sliced
• Sriracha, if desired

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients and set aside. 
2. Cut zucchini into long noodles that resemble spaghetti using a spiralizer or mandolin with julienne blade.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Heat 2 tsp. oil in a large, deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
5. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
6. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 2 tsp. of oil to the pan with garlic and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
7. Add bell pepper and sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened and bubbly.
8. Add zoodles and cook for about 2 more minutes until noodles are tender.
9. Then add chicken and mix.
10. Serve topped with peanuts and green onions. You can also add sriracha for heat, if desired.

Recipe adapted from Skinny Taste

Although it's not Kung Pao, this One Pot Thai Chicken Noodle Soup is a fantastic Asian recipe with chicken that I could eat every day. This Lighter Kung Pao Chicken Skillet from Whole and Heavenly Oven looks so easy with only having the chicken marinate for 30 minutes and then everything goes in the skillet to saute!

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