Healthy General Tso's Chicken Recipe
This Healthy General Tso's Chicken features bite-sized chicken pieces coated in tapioca flour and lightly pan-fried until crisp. The sauce blends coconut aminos, maple syrup, molasses, tomato paste, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, garlic, and optional sriracha for a balanced sweet, savory, and mildly spicy flavor. The chicken is cooked in batches for even browning, then combined with the sauce to form a sticky coating. Sesame seeds and chopped green onion provide a final garnish. This recipe avoids traditional heavy breading and deep-frying, offering a lighter take on a classic dish.
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos or liquid aminos
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup or honey
- 1 Tbsp molasses or coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil toasted
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 to 3 tsp sriracha to taste, optional
Chicken:
- 2 large chicken breast 1 to 1.5 lbs), chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot flour
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
For Serving:
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 talks green onion chopped
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for the sauce to a bowl and whisk together until combined. Set aside until ready to use.
- Whisk the egg in a mixing bowl and add the chopped chicken. Use a spoon to stir the chicken and egg together until all of the pieces are well-coated.
- Add the tapioca flour to the mixing bowl with the chicken.
- Stir well until the chicken is coated in egg and tapioca flour. Note: the longer the chicken sits in this mixture, the more it will stick together, so try to cook it as soon as you can to avoid stickage.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add half of the chicken and cook (in a single layer), stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes. There’s no need to cook the chicken through just yet. Note: if the chicken is sticking together when you transfer it to the skillet, use two spoons to pull the pieces apart while it is cooking.
- Transfer the first batch of chicken to a plate, then brown the remaining chicken.
- Add the first batch of chicken back into the skillet so that all of the chicken pieces are in it. Pour in the sauce and bring it to a full boil.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is very thick and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green onion and sesame seeds.
- Serve general chicken with choice of cauliflower rice or steamed white or brown rice.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 410
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1of 4 | |
| Calories | 410kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 19g | 6% |
| Protein | 39g | 78% |
| Fat | 16g | 25% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 15g | 30% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.