Kung Pao chicken (Chinese: 宮保雞丁; pinyin: Gōngbǎo jīdīng; Wade–Giles: Kung1-pao3 chi1-ting1; Zhuyin Fuhao: ㄍㄨㄥ ㄅㄠˇ ㄐㄧ ㄉㄧㄥ), also transcribed Gong Bao or Kung Po, is a spicy, stir-fried Chinese dish made with cubes of cooked chicken, peanuts, vegetables and chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns.

From its origins in Sichuan cuisine, the dish's popularity has spread throughout China, spawning a number of regional variations—some of which are less spicy than the classic version.

The dish's origins are uncertain, but are believed to be named after Ding Baozhen (1820–1886), a late Qing Dynasty official and governor of Sichuan Province.

[1] The name Kung Pao chicken is derived from this title, while the use of the character 丁 dīng in the name of the dish is a pun on his surname Dīng, a moderately common Chinese surname that can also be read to mean "small cube" (like the cubes the chicken is diced into for the dish).

[3] Sichuan peppercorns are then added; while Kung Pao chicken does not belong to the numbing-spicy mala flavor profile (Chinese: 麻辣味型; pinyin: málà wèixíng), a small amount of fresh toasted Sichuan peppercorns are traditionally used to balance the heat of the chilis.

The peanuts are dropped into the hot oil at the bottom of the wok, then deep-fried until golden brown before the other ingredients are added.