General Tso's Chicken
Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 502kcal
General Tso’s chicken is a popular Chinese dish made with lean white meat tossed in a sticky coating and stir fried with a spicy chili sauce.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 ½ pound (684 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Shaoxing wine, optional
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup (72 g) cornstarch
- 2 cups (480 ml) vegetable oil
Sauce
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) oyster sauce
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) honey
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Chinese black vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted chicken broth, or stock
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon (10 ml) hot chili oil
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch
Stir-fry
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) minced ginger
- 10 dried red chilis
- ¼ cup (11 g) green onions, 1 ½" long pieces
- ¼ teaspoons white sesame seeds
Special Equipment
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken - Cut the chicken breast into about 1-inch pieces.
- Season the Meat - In a medium bowl, combine chicken, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine (if using), salt and pepper.
- Coat the Pieces - Toss the seasoned chicken with cornstarch to coat evenly.
- Heat the Oil - In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 cups of vegetable oil over medium-high heat, until it reaches 350°F (177°C).
- Fry the Chicken - Fry in batches. Shake off any excess cornstarch from the chicken. Carefully add it to the oil, frying until golden brown, about 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined sheet pan to drain any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Discard the oil from the wok, and carefully wipe with paper towels to clean. If needed, wash and dry the pan.
- Make the Sauce - In a medium bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, honey, vinegar, chicken broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili oil, and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Make the Stir-fry - Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger, dried chilis, and green onions, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the sauce, stir and cook until thickened, 60 to 90 seconds—season with salt, pepper, and chili oil to taste. Add the fried chicken pieces, and stir to coat evenly.
- To Serve - Garnish with sesame seeds and serve hot.
Notes
- Stir-fry Method: If you prefer not to deep fry the chicken, then marinate and stir-fry with no additional cornstarch coating. Heat a wok over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and cook chicken until no longer pink, 3 minutes. Proceed with cooking the sauce.
- Black Vinegar Substitute: Use rice vinegar.
- Shaoxing Wine Substitute: Dry sherry or Japanese MIrin rice wine.
- Storing: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Cover and reheat in a microwave on high heat in 15 to 30-second increments until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1671mg | Potassium: 690mg | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 3.2mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Recipe Link