General Tso’s Chicken Recipe

Trust us, this recipe is way more than the name suggests it to be. General Tso’s Chicken is a popular American-Chinese preparation that boasts of a deliciously sweet and slightly spicy deep-fried chicken in a light glazed sauce. The dish was named after popular Qing Dynasty statesman and military leader, Zuo Zongtang, who – by the way – never had a bite of this dish and neither have his descendants. However, the preparation traces back its origin to a classic Hunan chicken dish (Hunan being the General’s hometown).

Anywho, this dish is just the perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and piquant flavours. So we suggest you bring your chopsticks out and fire up the stove to make yourself some General Tso’s Chicken for your next dinner!

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General Tso's Chicken Recipe

A sweet and spicy chicken dish.

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Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Chinese

Prep Time

25 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Servings

people MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 pinch white pepper
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped green onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 dried whole red chilies
• 1 strip orange zest
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Course Main Dish Cuisine Chinese Prep Time 25 minutes Cook Time 25 minutes Servings people MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 4 cups vegetable oil for frying 1 egg 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon white sugar 1 pinch white pepper 1 cup cornstarch 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 tablespoons chopped green onion 1 clove garlic, minced 6 dried whole red chilies 1 strip orange zest 1/2 cup white sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 3 tablespoons chicken broth 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 teaspoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons peanut oil 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1/4 cup water

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Instructions

1. Heat 4 cups vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken cubes; sprinkle with salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and white pepper; mix well.
3. Mix in 1 cup of cornstarch a little bit at a time until the chicken cubes are well coated.
4. In batches, carefully drop the chicken cubes into the hot oil one by one, cooking until they turns golden brown and begin to float, about 3 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow to cool as you fry the next batch.
5. Once all of the chicken has been fried, refry the chicken, starting with the batch that was cooked first. Cook until the chicken turns deep golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
7. Stir in the green onion, garlic, whole chillies, and orange zest. Cook and stir a minute or two until the garlic has turned golden and the chilies brighten.
8. Add 1/2 cup sugar, the ginger, chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and peanut oil; bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
9. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into the water, and stir into the boiling sauce. Return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about 1 minute.
10. Stir the chicken into the boiling sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes until the chicken absorbs some of the sauce.
11. Serve with steamed rice.