This Kung Pao Spaghetti recipe is a sweet and spicy variation of your favorite Chinese takeout. Flavorful pasta, chicken, and veggies are slathered in easy homemade kung pao sauce, then topped with peanuts and spring onions for a family-friendly dinner ready in just 30 minutes.
What Is Kung Pao?
Kung Pao chicken (also called Gong Bao or Kung Po) is a spicy stir-fried Chinese dish made with chicken, peanuts, veggies, and chilis.
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 $15 a dish, it's definitely not a cheap meal! This recipe is my humble homemade take on this crowd-pleaser. My Kung Pao Spaghetti has all the savory flavors of the CPK version and is much more budget-friendly for the family.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
The Instant Pot makes this an easy, one-pot meal that takes just 30 minutes from start to finish.
It adds an interesting twist to the usual spaghetti.
This recipe is family-friendly and a total crowd-pleaser and can be tweaked to be as spicy as you like.
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Ingredients- Notes & Substitutions
For the spaghetti and chicken:
Olive oil: A neutral oil like avocado is okay to use if you don't have olive.
Zucchini: Cut the zucchini into ½-inch pieces.
Red bell pepper: Cut into 1-inch pieces. Red bell pepper is the ripest, sweetest variety. You can use the orange (the next-to ripest) or yellow in a pinch, but a green bell pepper will have much more of a bite than the other colors.
Onion: Use half of a white or yellow onion cut in 1-inch pieces.
Chicken breast: I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut in bite-size 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 vegetables or chicken.
For the 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 the 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.
Step By Step Instructions for Kung Pao Spaghetti
Cook the veggies: Preheat the Instant Pot on Saute, high. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, chopped onion, and bell pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Add zucchini and saute another 1 minute. Remove and keep aside for later. (pic 1)
Saute garlic: Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and add minced garlic. Saute garlic for a minute, then cancel saute. Add water (or broth) and use that to deglaze the pot, scraping off any bits of garlic stuck at the bottom. (pic 2)
Cook the spaghetti: Break the spaghetti in half. Layer in two batches in a criss-cross pattern. Gently tuck the spaghetti under the liquid. (pic 3)
Add the chicken: Spread the chicken all over the spaghetti. (pic 4)
Add the sauce: Stir the sauce once again and 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. (pic 5)
Reduce sauce and add the vegetables: Turn on saute and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce reduces and coats the spaghetti well. Cancel Saute.
Skip this step if making it for meal prep as the sauce will get absorbed by the pasta while cooling. 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! (pic 6)
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Gluten-free Variation: Use gluten-free noodles and tamari instead of soy sauce for a gluten-free Kung Pao spaghetti. (Make sure to check the ingredients of the tamari to make sure it does not contain wheat.)
- Vegetarian Variation: Leave out the chicken or substitute it with cubed extra-firm tofu. Gently stir it in after pressure cooking so it retains its shape.
- Release pressure in bursts: Which means, depending on your cooker model, press down or turn the pressure knob partially to release pressure 1-2 seconds at a time, then stop. Repeat this until most of the pressure has released and its intensity has gone down. This prevents the starchy pasta water from spraying through the nozzle.
- Reduce the liquid after pressure cooking: When cooking pasta in an Instant Pot, you will always see excess liquid after pressure cooking. If you're eating right away, simmer the pasta for 2 to 3 minutes until that sauce reduces and coats the pasta. If making this for meal prep, leave it along as the liquid will be soaked by the pasta as it cools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kung Pao style typically refers to a dish being stir-fried, then served in a spicy hot sauce, usually with peanuts.
Kung Po is another term for Kung Pao.
The sauce is savory, a little sweet and sour, and spicy.
Dried chilis are frequently used in Kung Pao chicken, but they can be quite spicy. Avoid eating them if you are averse to lots of spice.
While the ingredients can vary slightly, my Kung Pao sauce is made from soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic paste, sesame oil, and sugar.
More Pasta Recipes From My Kitchen
- Spicy Mac and Cheese: This spicy mac and cheese is an Indian-inspired twist on a classic. Full of cheesy pasta, spicy jalapeños, and warm Indian spices, it makes for an easy and delicious vegetarian main course or side.
- Taco Pasta: This cheesy, spicy and yum pasta is a hearty pasta dish dressed up with zesty taco seasoning.
- Chicken Fajita Pasta: A satisfying and colorful dish of bell peppers, onions, penne, chicken, salsa, homemade taco seasoning and a blend of Mexican cheeses!
- Easy Pesto Pasta: This delicious pasta is flavored with homemade pesto sauce.
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta: A fast and filling vegetarian meal featuring caramelized mushrooms tossed with creamy penne pasta and peas.
- Broccoli Cheddar Pasta: This family-friendly one-pot meal is everything a Broccoli Cheddar soup promises, and more.
- Penne Alla Vodka: A silky, glossy and creamy Italian pasta dish with a pop of heat from red pepper and bright finish from fresh basil.
- More Pasta Recipes on the blog.
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📖 Recipe
Kung Pao Spaghetti in Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3-4 cloves)
- 1 cup zucchini cut in ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup red bell pepper 1 bell pepper cut in 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup onion cut in 1-inch pieces (½ onion)
- 1 pound chicken breast cut in bite-size pieces
- 8 ounce thin spaghetti noodles (½ of a 1-pound box)
- 2 cups water or broth
Kung Pao Sauce
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoon chili garlic paste (sambal oelek or sriracha)
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Garnish
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup spring onions thinly sliced at an angle (green stem only)
Instructions
- Preheat the Instant Pot on Saute, high. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, chopped onion, and bell pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Add zucchini and saute another 1 minute. Remove and keep aside for later.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and add minced garlic. Saute garlic for a minute, then cancel saute. Add water (or broth) and use that to deglaze the pot, scrapping off any bits of garlic stuck at the bottom.
- Break the spaghetti in half. Layer in two batches in a criss-cross pattern. Gently tuck the spaghetti under the liquid.
- Spread the chicken all over the spaghetti.
- Stir the sauce once again and pour it all over the chicken.
- Close the lid on sealing position. Set pressure cook or manual for 4 minutes at high pressure. When the cook time is up, manually release the pressure in bursts. Open the lid only after all pressure has released and pin has dropped. Turn on saute and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce reduces and coats the spaghetti well. Cancel Saute. Skip this step if making it for meal prep as the sauce will get absorbed by the pasta while cooling.
- 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!
Video
Notes
- Gluten-free Variation: Use gluten-free noodles and tamari instead of soy sauce for a gluten-free Kung Pao spaghetti. (Make sure to check the ingredients of the tamari to make sure it does not contain wheat.)
- Vegetarian Variation: Leave out the chicken or substitute it with cubed extra-firm tofu. Gently stir it in after pressure cooking so it retains its shape.
- Release pressure in bursts: Which means, depending on your cooker model, press down or turn the pressure knob partially to release pressure 1-2 seconds at a time, then stop. Repeat this until most of the pressure has released and its intensity has gone down. This prevents the starchy pasta water from spraying through the nozzle.
- Reduce the liquid after pressure cooking: When cooking pasta in an Instant Pot, you will always see excess liquid after pressure cooking. If you're eating right away, simmer the pasta for 2 to 3 minutes until that sauce reduces and coats the pasta. If making this for meal prep, leave it along as the liquid will be soaked by the pasta as it cools.
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