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
- 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
- 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
- Rice quinoa or zoodles
- Lunch containers for meal prep
- 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.
- 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.
Make rice, noodles, zoodles or quinoa and divide into lunch containers. Top with chicken and store in the fridge for up to four days.
**If you can't find dried red chili peppers, add an additional 1 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes
More sheet pan takeout favorites:
One Pan Teriyaki Chicken with Veggies
Beth -
I made this last night, it was so easy delicious. my husband Loved it. He is even taking leftovers to work for lunch today. PS sorry if this Posts in all caps i can’t Get it to type both upper & Lower case.