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Calories · Chinese

Calories in kung pao chicken

A typical restaurant serving of kung pao chicken (one plate portion, about half a takeout order, rice not included, about 300 g) is about 390 calories, usually 290–780.

Restaurant portions vary; this is a typical estimate, not a label. Also called gong bao chicken, kung po chicken.

~390
Kung pao chicken

The usual range

Drawn on one 0–2,000 scale shared by every dish page, so plates compare at a glance.

Protein, carbs and fat

  • Protein29 g
  • Carbs21 g
  • Fat21 g

One serving

Serving
one plate portion, about half a takeout order, rice not included
Weight
~300 g
Per 100 g
~129

The dish

About kung pao chicken

Kung pao chicken is diced chicken stir-fried with peanuts, chilies and vegetables in a glossy sauce. A restaurant analysis puts it lower per bite than battered dishes; the full takeout container is roughly double this plate.

Ways it comes

One dish, a few numbers

Kung pao chicken · rough numbers

  • A whole takeout order~780

What moves the number

Why one plate is 290 and another 780

  • Peanuts and the oil they are stir-fried in
  • Sweet-savory sauce
  • Eating a whole takeout order (about 600 g) instead of half

Ordering lighter

If you want a lighter plate

  • Share the order and add steamed vegetables
  • Ask for less oil
  • Choose steamed rice over fried rice

Side by side

Next to other Chinese dishes

Chinese · typical restaurant servingAll about Chinese food →

  • Siomai (siu mai)~160four pieces, one steamer basket · usually 120–260
  • Wonton soup~170one bowl with broth and a few wontons · usually 120–380
  • Steamed dumplings~230eight steamed pork dumplings, dipping sauce not included · usually 180–400
  • Fried spring rolls~290two takeaway meat spring rolls, dipping sauce not included · usually 140–450
  • Beef and broccoli~320one plate portion, rice not included · usually 250–600
  • Xiao long bao~360one basket of 6 pork soup dumplings · usually 270–480
  • Kung pao chicken~390one plate portion, about half a takeout order, rice not included · usually 290–780
  • Mapo tofu~420one restaurant plate, rice not included · usually 300–550
  • Chicken chow mein~510one takeaway portion · usually 380–750
  • Orange chicken~520one entrée portion, rice not included · usually 380–850
  • Sweet and sour pork~520one main portion, rice not included · usually 400–800
  • Peking duck~570a share of roast duck with six pancakes, sauce, cucumber and spring onion · usually 420–800

In PlateDiary

A rough number for the dishes you save — only if you want one.

Off unless you turn them on

Calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and, when PlateDiary AI reads your photo of the table, each dish gets one rough “~” number. Accept it or change it; a number you correct is remembered for that dish. With Calories off, the app looks exactly as it did before.

A read sends small pictures of the cut-out dishes, with the place's name as a hint — never the table photo, faces or your location. Calorie numbers never go to analytics, and nothing is written to a health app. PlateDiary AI starts with free tries; here is how it works.

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How these numbers were made

Method and sources

Last reviewed

Restaurant portions and cooking vary, so these are typical estimates for one serving, built from the sources below. Treat it as a rough number: your plate may land anywhere in the range.

If you manage a health condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.

AI helped draft this page; every number was checked against the sources.

  1. USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) — Restaurant, Chinese, kung pao chicken, FDC 167676 (order 604 g)
  2. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS) — Kung pao chicken, FDC 2706796

Questions

Questions people ask.

How many calories are in kung pao chicken?

A typical restaurant serving of kung pao chicken (one plate portion, about half a takeout order, rice not included, about 300 g) is about 390 calories, usually 290–780. The number depends mostly on the portion and how it is cooked.

How many calories are in a whole takeout order of kung pao chicken?

About double the plate here: a full container of about 600 g lands near 780 before rice.

Is kung pao lighter than orange chicken?

Yes: about 390 for a 300 g plate, against about 520 for 200 g of orange chicken, because it is not battered.

What changes the calories in kung pao chicken?

Peanuts and the oil they are stir-fried in. Sweet-savory sauce.

How can I order kung pao chicken lighter?

Share the order and add steamed vegetables. Ask for less oil.

Can PlateDiary show calories for the dishes I eat out?

Yes, if you want it to: calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and each dish you save from a photo of the table gets one rough “~” number you can accept or change.