Johnny Chang’s Kung Fu Chicken is a signature dish at Grace’s in Houston, featuring crispy chicken bites in a spicy-sweet Asian glaze served alongside pork fried rice. The exact proprietary recipe is closely guarded, though owner Johnny Carrabba shares select family favorites in his cookbook, A Gift from the Heart.
Because the official restaurant recipe isn’t published online, you can recreate the famous Houston dish at home using a highly rated copycat approach that mirrors its signature flavor profile.
JOHNNY CHANG’S KUNG FU CHICKEN copy cat recipe
CHICKEN
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup cornstarch
Salt and black pepper to taste
Avocado oil for frying
- Toss the chicken chunks in the cornstarch, salt, and pepper until well coated.
- Heat about 1 inch of oil in a DEEP pan or wok over medium-high heat.
- Fry the chicken 5-7 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. DO NOT CROWD pan – cook in batches as necessary.
- Remove chicken and drain on paper towels.
SAUCE & GLAZE
1/3 cup BRAGG’S liquid aminos
1/3 cup PACKED brown sugar
1/4 cup QUALITY honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon FRESH grated ginger or 1 teaspoon Garden Gourmet ginger paste
3 cloves garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon Garden Gourmet garlic paste
1–2 FRESH Thai red chilies or serrano peppers, taste, FINELY sliced
Zest and juice of 1 small orange
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
Sliced Green onions, for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish
- In a saucepan, combine the liquid aminos, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, chilies and orange juice/zest.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the water for a slurry.
- Whisk slurry into the sauce and let simmer until thick and sticky.
- Toss the fried chicken into the sauce, stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes until fully coated.
- Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
- Serve with your favorite fried rice.