Kung Pao Spaghetti – CPK Copycat (Instant Pot)

This Kung Pao Spaghetti recipe is a sweet and spicy copycat variation of a Chinese fusion favorite at CPK. Flavorful pasta, chicken, and veggies are slathered in an easy homemade kung pao sauce, then topped with peanuts and spring onions for a family-friendly one-pot dinner ready in the Instant Pot in just 30 minutes.

Jump to:

• What Is Kung Pao Spaghetti?
• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients- Notes & Substitutions
• How to Make Kung Pao Spaghetti
• Serving Suggestion
• Variations to Try
• How to Store
• Recipe Tips & Notes
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More One-Pot Pasta Meals
• 📖 Recipe

What Is Kung Pao Spaghetti?

California Pizza Kitchen has a delicious, spicy Kung Pao Spaghetti that is absolutely to-die-for. Made with spaghetti, chicken, and veggies drenched in sweet and spicy Kung Pao sauce, it's an incredibly flavorful meal.

However, at $18 a dish, it's definitely not a cheap meal! This recipe is my humble, budget-friendly take on a crowd-pleaser, with an easy way to make it vegetarian.

This CPK Kung Pao Spaghetti embraces the authentic flavors of Kung Pao chicken (also called Gong Bao or Kung Po), a spicy stir-fried Chinese dish made with chicken, peanuts, veggies, and chilis.

Ingredients- Notes & Substitutions

For convenience, I have divided the ingredients into three parts - pasta, sauce, and garnish. Here's what you need to make this famous California pizza kitchen kung pao spaghetti:

For Spaghetti and Chicken:

• Olive oil: A neutral oil, like light olive or avocado oil.
• Zucchini: Cut the zucchini into ½-inch cubes.
• Red bell pepper: Cut into 1-inch pieces. Red bell pepper is the ripest, sweetest variety. You can use orange or yellow, but a green bell pepper will have much more bite than the other colors.
• Onion: Use half of a white or yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Chicken breast: I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces. If using frozen, allow the chicken to thaw completely in the fridge overnight prior to cooking.
• Thin spaghetti noodles: You can use other noodles if you prefer, such as lo mein or egg noodles. You can also use gluten-free pasta for wheat-free spaghetti. You can find the adjusted cook times for different pasta shapes in this article.
• Water: Since the sauce is pretty flavorful, I use water. But you can certainly use your favorite broth instead, such as vegetable or chicken broth.

For Kung Pao sauce:

• Soy sauce: Regular soy sauce is what I use here. Use tamari at a 1:1 ratio instead for a gluten-free option.
• Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar has a great, lightly sweet flavor, but you can also use apple cider vinegar.
• Chili garlic paste: I like to use sambal oelek or sriracha. If you don't have either, you can use red pepper flakes to taste, although the flavor won't be as deep.
• Sesame oil: Toasted sesame oil is thicker and more intensely flavored than the original, so use it to taste. If you don't have either, you can use olive or avocado oil.
• Sugar: A bit of sweetness rounds out Kung Pao sauce, so don't omit it.

For Garnish:

• Roasted peanuts: You can leave them out if you have a peanut allergy, but they do make this spaghetti truly Kung Pao.
• Spring onions: You can also use sliced shallots, finely diced onion, scallions, or chives.

Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Kung Pao Spaghetti

Here are the step-by-step Instructions for making CPK Kung Pao Spaghetti in the Instant pot:

1. Cook the veggies: Preheat the Instant Pot and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, chopped onion, and bell pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add zucchini and saute another 1 minute. Remove and keep aside for later.
2. Sauté garlic: Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and add minced garlic. Sauté garlic for a minute, then cancel Sauté. Add water (or broth) to deglaze the pot, scraping up any bits of garlic stuck to the bottom.
3. Cook the spaghetti: Break the spaghetti in half. Layer in two batches in a criss-cross pattern. Gently tuck the spaghetti under the liquid.
4. Add the chicken: Spread the chicken all over the spaghetti.
5. Add the sauce: Stir it again, then pour it all over the chicken. Close the lid and pressure cook for 4 minutes at high pressure. When done, manually release the pressure in bursts. Open after the pin has dropped.
6. Reduce sauce and add the vegetables: Turn on saute and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce reduces and coats the spaghetti well. Stir in the sautéed vegetables and stir with the spaghetti to warm them through. Garnish with thinly sliced spring onions and chopped peanuts and enjoy!

Serving Suggestion

This spaghetti is a one-pot meal that doesn't need any condiments. But here are a few ways my family enjoys it:

We love to garnish our spaghetti bowls with crushed peanuts and sliced green onions. I also drizzle sambal oelek or sriracha for a spicy kick.

Variations to Try

• Make it vegetarian: Skip the chicken and add air-fried or baked tofu cubes after cooking the spaghetti and veggies.
• Add Shrimp: Skip the chicken or add shrimp in addition. To do that, heat the Instant Pot and sauté the shrimp with a pinch of salt and pepper until opaque. Transfer to a plate and keep aside. Cook the noodles and veggies as directed, then add the shrimp before serving.

How to Store

This pasta meal stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store it in an airtight container.

If you are preparing this for meal prep, do not reduce the sauce as that gets absorbed into the pasta as it sits.

I don't recommend freezing any leftovers, as the pasta loses taste and texture upon thawing.

Frequently Asked Questions

More One-Pot Pasta Meals

These recipes are part of the Instant Pot Pasta Recipes Collection:

📖 Recipe