Kung Po Prawns Recipe (Ready in 60 Min)

A hearty Chinese seafood built around prawns, peanuts and chilli — roughly 60 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 6 steps.

You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's pescatarian — fish but no meat.

How to make it

Mix the cornflour and 1 tbsp soy sauce, toss in the prawns and set aside for 10 mins. Stir the vinegar, remaining soy sauce, tomato purée, sugar and 2 tbsp water together to make a sauce.
When you’re ready to cook, heat a large frying pan or wok until very hot, then add 1 tbsp oil. Fry the prawns until they are golden in places and have opened out– then tip them out of the pan.
Heat the remaining oil and add the peanuts, chillies and water chestnuts.
Stir-fry for 2 mins or until the peanuts start to colour, then add the ginger and garlic and fry for 1 more min.
Tip in the prawns and sauce and simmer for 2 mins until thickened slightly.
Serve with rice.

You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan · Wok

Tips & common questions

How long does Kung Po Prawns take to make?

About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.

What can I use instead of soy sauce?

Try tamari (gluten-free). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.

Can I scale this recipe up or down?

Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.

How should I store leftovers?

Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.