Description
General Tso’s Chicken is a delectable Chinese-American dish featuring crispy fried chicken thighs coated in a vibrant sauce that balances sweet, savory, spicy, and tangy flavors. This recipe uses a marinade and a thickened sauce with soy, hoisin, chili paste, ginger, and garlic, making it a perfect flavorful meal served hot, ideally with steamed rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Marinade
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (light or all-purpose, NOT dark soy)
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or substitute white wine vinegar)
- 2 tsp chili paste (such as Sambal Oelek)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Chicken and Coating
- 600g / 1.4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2.5cm / 1″ pieces (breast or tenderloin can be used)
- 1 tsp finely grated ginger
- 1 tsp finely grated garlic
- 1 cup cornflour / cornstarch
- Oil for frying (1 to 4 cups peanut, vegetable, or canola oil)
Sauce and Stir Fry
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock or broth
- 2 tbsp oil (peanut, vegetable, or canola)
- 2 tsp finely chopped ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- Finely sliced green onion, for garnish
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Sauce Marinade: In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, chili paste, and toasted sesame oil to make the sauce marinade.
- Marinate Chicken: Remove 2 tablespoons of the sauce marinade and mix it with the chicken pieces. Add the grated ginger and garlic to the chicken, mix well, and marinate for 30 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Coat Chicken with Cornflour: Sprinkle cornflour over the marinated chicken and toss until each piece is thoroughly coated, making sure the pieces remain separated to ensure even coating.
- Remove Excess Coating: Transfer the coated chicken to a colander and shake gently to remove any excess cornflour to prevent clumping during frying.
- Finish the Sauce: To the remaining sauce marinade (from step 1), add brown sugar and cornflour, mix well, then incorporate the chicken stock. Stir until smooth and set aside.
- Heat Oil for Frying: In a deep skillet or large pot, heat 2 cm (around 4/5 inch) of oil to 200°C (390°F). Use peanut, vegetable, or canola oil for frying.
- Fry Chicken: Fry the chicken pieces in the hot oil for about 3 minutes, turning halfway through, until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Clean Skillet for Sauce: Discard the frying oil, wipe the skillet clean, and return it to the heat, or use a fresh large skillet.
- Stir Fry Sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in the skillet. Add the finely chopped garlic, ginger, and red chili flakes, sauté for about 30 seconds until the garlic is light golden and fragrant.
- Simmer Sauce: Pour in the prepared sauce mixture, bring to a simmer, and stir occasionally until the sauce thickens enough to leave a clear path when drawn across the pan’s base.
- Toss Chicken in Sauce: Quickly add the fried chicken pieces to the sauce and toss to coat evenly. Work swiftly to maintain the crispiness of the chicken.
- Garnish and Serve: Transfer the coated chicken to a serving plate, garnish with finely sliced green onions and sesame seeds, and serve immediately with steamed rice or your choice of sides.
Notes
- This recipe video demonstrates the step-by-step process to achieve perfect General Tso’s Chicken with balanced flavors and crispy texture.
- Using light or all-purpose soy sauce is critical to avoid overpowering the sauce with dark soy’s bitterness.
- Adjust oil quantity depending on your frying vessel size but ensure enough depth for frying chicken pieces evenly.
- Marinating the chicken with ginger and garlic infuses aromatic flavor essential for authentic taste.
- To maintain crispy chicken, toss quickly when combining with the thickened sauce and serve hot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 465 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 974 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 143 mg
