Name: Sheet Pan Kung Pao Chicken + Meal Prep
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: [b]For the sauce:[/b]; 6 tablespoons low sodium-soy sauce (or coconut aminos for paleo); 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (for paleo, use homemade or leave out); 2 tablespoons honey; ½ teaspoon fresh minced ginger; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper chili flakes; 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot starch for paleo); ½ cup water, plus more as needed to thin out sauce; [b]For the chicken and vegetables[/b]; 2 medium skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" inch cubes; Salt and black pepper, to taste; **4-6 dried red chilis (to taste) found in Asian supermarkets or the International section of a large chain grocery store - see NOTE); 1 medium zucchini, chopped into halves; 1 red bell pepper; 1/3 cup roasted unsalted cashews; sesame seeds, for garnish; [b]For meal prep[/b]; Rice, quinoa or zoodles; Lunch containers for meal prep

Sheet Pan Kung Pao Chicken is the perfect easy one pan baked meal with all the flavors of the popular Chinese restaurant takeout dish. Best of all, it’s perfect for busy weeknights and simple to customize with paleo friendly options.

Sheet Pan meals are still ruling at our house. They are just too darn convenient since you don’t have to stir or keep an eye on things like you do on the stove top. Plus if you cover your pan with some parchment paper or foil, it makes cleanup a breeze.

This Sheet Pan Kung Pao Chicken is another fun twist on a popular restaurant takeout dish. I made it the same day I made this Cashew Chicken Sheet Pan and couldn’t wait to share it here.

There’s very little active time so it’s a perfect meal to make on a busy weeknight.

And in case you are following a gluten free or paleo friendly diet, I’ve listed out some substitutes you can use instead:

gluten free tamari (this is the one I use) or coconut aminos for a paleo version
hoisin sauce – use a gluten free sauce or you are totally free to make your own paleo-friendly version.
honey (use raw for paleo)
garlic and ginger

(If you happen to have Gluten free oyster sauce or vegetarian mushroom sauce [both are not paleo-friendly] on hand, they would also work very well in this recipe for an extra umami kick.)

prep this sheet pan kung pao chicken ahead of time:

One of the best parts about this dish is how quickly it all comes together…especially if you have everything prepped ahead of time or even the night before.

Cut the chicken into chunks and place into a zip-top freezer bag in the fridge the night before
Chop the veggies and place in zip-top bags or resealable containers in the fridge the night before
Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and store in a small glass resealable container in the fridge the night before
If you plan on serving this with zoodles (paleo), quinoa or steamed rice – those can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
A great Sunday meal prep recipe and leftovers work great for school lunchboxes or work lunch bowls – I use this lunch container

Yields 4 Servings

Sheet Pan Kung Pao Chicken + Meal Prep

Sheet Pan Kung Pao Chicken is an easy all in one meal with all the flavors of the popular Chinese restaurant takeout dish. Best of all, it’s perfect for busy weeknights and simple to customize with paleo friendly options.

10 minPrep Time

20 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

For the sauce:

6 tablespoons low sodium-soy sauce (or coconut aminos for paleo)

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (for paleo, use homemade or leave out)

2 tablespoons honey

½ teaspoon fresh minced ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper chili flakes

2 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot starch for paleo)

½ cup water, plus more as needed to thin out sauce

For the chicken and vegetables

2 medium skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" inch cubes

Salt and black pepper, to taste

**4-6 dried red chilis (to taste) found in Asian supermarkets or the International section of a large chain grocery store - see NOTE)

1 medium zucchini, chopped into halves

1 red bell pepper

1/3 cup roasted unsalted cashews

sesame seeds, for garnish

For meal prep

Rice, quinoa or zoodles

Lunch containers for meal prep

Instructions

For the sauce:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, red pepper chili flakes, garlic, ginger, cornstarch and water until combined. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat and set aside.
For the chicken and vegetables
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or foil coated with cooking spray and set aside.
Season chicken with salt and black pepper then drizzle spoonfuls of sauce over the chicken coating well on both sides. Reserve at least half of the sauce for later.
Cook in preheated oven for 8 minutes then remove the pan.
Arrange the dried red chilis, zucchini, bell peppers and cashews in a single layer around the chicken. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and drizzle spoonfuls of the sauce and toss everything to coat. Return to the oven and cook for another 8-12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.**
Remove pan from oven and drizzle with remaining sauce. Serve over rice or quinoa and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
For meal prep Make rice, noodles, zoodles or quinoa and divide into lunch containers. Top with chicken and store in fridge for up to four days.

Notes

**If you can't find dried red chili peppers, add an additional 1 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes