General Tso's chicken is undeniably one of the most popular Chinese takeout dishes in North American, and most deifnitely one of our favorite dishes. The sweet, tangy, spicy and savory sauce pairs perfectly with the crispy and juicy fried chicken. The sticky and shiny glaze will win anyone over.
Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Keyword fried chicken, general tso
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 4servings
Calories 392kcal
Ingredients
Fried Chicken Batter
1lbsboneless, skinless, chicken thighcut into 1-inch cubes
1tbsplow-sodium soy sauce
1/2tspsalt
1/2tspblack pepper
1/3cupcornstarch
1whole egg
General Tso's Chicken Sauce
1/2cuplow-sodium soy sauce
2/3cupgranulated sugar
1/3cupchicken broth
3tbsprice vinegar
1/2tspsesame oil
2tbspgarlicminced
1tspgingerminced
2stripesorange peel
3 1/2tbspcornstarch
1fresh small red chillide-seeded, chopped
5tbspwater
3tbspgreen onionschopped
sesame seedsfor topping
Instructions
Place the cubed chicken in a mixing bowl. Add the low-sodium soy sauce, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add the beaten egg into the chicken bowl and combine well. Add 2/3 cup of cornstarch into the chicken and egg mixture. Combine until the cornstarch is well mixed into the eggs and all the chicken cubes are well covered with the batter. Let marinade and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
To make the General Tso sauce, combine the low-sodium soy sauce, chicken broth, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Prepare the cornstarch slurry by mixing cornstarch and water in a bowl. Heat two tablespoons of oil on a pan or a wok on high heat and stir fry the garlic, ginger, chillies, and the strips of orange peel for about 30 seconds or until the ginger and garlic and fragrant and tender. Put heat on medium high and add the sauce mixture into the pan. When the sauce boils, add the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and mix well. Once the sauce boils and becomes thicker, remove the orange peel strips, remove sauce from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Fill a deep saucepan with about 1 1/2 inch of oil and heat over high heat. Once the oil reaches about 375 degrees Fahrenheit, slowly and gently add the chicken into the oil one by one. We recommend to work in batches in order to not overcrowd the pan and lower the temperature of the oil. Let fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden. Remove chicken from oil and drain off excess oil using paper towels. Place the fried chicken on a drying rack and let cool for about 5 minutes. Put the chicken back into the hot oil and fry for another 1 minute and a half or until golden brown and crispy. Repeat steps with other chicken batches. Note cooking time may vary depending on the size of the chicken cubes and the temperature of the oil. If you do not have a meat thermometer, we suggest to cut one chicken in half after the first batch of frying to ensure that it is well cooked.
Add the fried chicken into the mixing bowl with the General Tso sauce. Toss until well combined and every fried chicken is evenly covered with the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add warm water one tablespoon at a time into the sauce before mixing in the chicken until it reaches the desired consistency. Top with toasted sesame seeds and green onions and serve with rice.