General Tso’s Chicken Recipe
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Servings
6
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Calories
272 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Dinner
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Cuisine
Chinese
General Tso’s Chicken Recipe
Description
The chicken is marinated with soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, egg, salt, and pepper before being coated in a flour and corn starch mixture resembling thick tempura batter. It is fried in oil at 350°F until crisp and golden. After frying, excess oil is drained and aromatics such as sliced onion, garlic, and ginger are stir-fried in sesame oil.
The pre-mixed sauce of vinegar, soy sauce, water, sugars, honey, oyster sauce, and dried mild Thai chiles is added and brought to boil, finishing the savory-sweet sauce with a mild heat. The chicken pieces are then combined with the sauce to coat evenly.
This dish works well as a main course served over rice for a satisfying meal. It is best eaten freshly made but can be prepared up to an hour in advance. Stored leftovers keep for up to three days in the refrigerator but may not freeze well. Reheating is recommended in a wok with sesame oil to maintain texture and flavor.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 7-9 ounce chicken breast cut into ½” pieces
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil Lee Kum Kee Pure brand
- 1 egg large
- ½ cup corn starch
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- cooking oil for frying
For the Sauce:
- ¼ yellow onion thinly sliced
- 4 garlic finely minced cloves
- ½ fresh ginger peeled, thinly sliced piece
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand
- 10-12 Thai chile dried, mild
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil Lee Kum Kee Pure brand
- corn starch used as slurry with water
Instructions
- For the chicken in a large bowl toss the chicken with the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, egg, salt, and pepper until combined and place in the refrigerator while prepping up everything else.
- For the sauce whisk together the vinegar, water, soy sauce, sugar, honey, oyster sauce, and Thai chiles until combined and set aside.
- Next, take the chicken out of the fridge and mix it with corn starch and flour until completely combined and then add 1 piece of chicken at a time until half of it is in a deep fryer or a large pot or wok with cooking oil at 350°. Cook the chicken in 2 batches so that it does not stick together.
- Set the chicken aside on a plate or sheet tray lined with paper towels to drain off any excess oil.
- For the sauce, drain off all of the frying oil and add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and stir fry the onions, garlic, and ginger over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Next, add the pre-mixed sauce into the wok and bring to a boil. Immediately pour in the water mixed with corn starch and mix to thicken the sauce.
- Once thick, add in the cooked fried chicken and toss until coated in the sauce.
- Serve with sesame seeds and green onions.
Notes
- Prepare the chicken and sauce separately up to 1 hour ahead; keep both warm before combining to serve.
- Reheat leftovers in sesame oil over medium heat until hot, or in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; avoid freezing for best quality.
- Use white or dark meat chicken with bone and skin removed, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- The batter should resemble thick tempura for proper frying texture.
- Make a slurry by mixing equal parts water and corn starch to thicken the sauce as needed.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 272 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 272kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 13g | 26% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 54mg | 18% |
| Sodium | 1232mg | 51% |
| Potassium | 237mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
| Vitamin A | 111IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 14mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 15mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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