Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 4
Pan-fried chicken pieces smothered in a sweet, sticky sauce made with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, dried red chillies, and rice wine vinegar. A breeze to make, not fussy, kid-friendly, and a very versatile dish.
Ingredients
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1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces
1/2 c cornstarch
1/2 c all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large Egg whites
1/2 c oil (vegetable or canola oil)
Sauce:
2/3 c hoisin sauce
1/3 c rice vinegar
1/3 c low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 c light brown sugar, packed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger, or 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or more, to taste
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
How to make General Tso’s Chicken
Step 1: In a bowl, add the sauce ingredients. Whisking well to combine. Set aside.
Step 2: Into a large ziplock bag, add the cornstarch, flour, and salt and pepper. Shake well to combine.
Step 3: In another bowl, beat the egg whites.
Step 4: Coat the pieces of chicken in egg whites and spoon them into the ziplock bag, letting the excess egg whites drip back into the bowl. Shake the bag again to evenly coat the chicken pieces in cornstarch mixture.
Step 5: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add and cook the chicken in batches for about 2 to 3 minutes on both sides until the coating is golden brown. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
Step 6: Pour in the sauce and simmer until the mixture is warm and thick.
Step 7: Before serving, toss the chicken in the sauce.
Step 8: Garnish with chopped green onions and serve with hot white or brown rice.
Notes:
Substitute chicken with extra-firm tofu. Place the tofu between paper towels. Put something heavy on top and leave for several minutes to excess moisture out of the tofu.
Make this in an Air-Fryer. Preheat to 400 degrees, evenly distribute the coated chicken pieces inside and spray with olive oil. Cook for about 15 minutes.
If using a slow cooker, combine the ingredients, prepare the chicken as directed above but cook for just a minute on very high heat on both sides. Use cooking spray to grease the slow cooker, add the chicken pieces, and pour in half of the sauce over. Cook for 2 to 3 hours on low, then stir in the rest of the sauce. Once done, garnish with chopped green onions.
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 2480mg | Potassium: 809mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2.8mg
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces
- 1/2 c cornstarch
- 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large Egg whites
- 1/2 c oil (vegetable or canola oil)
- Sauce:
- 2/3 c hoisin sauce
- 1/3 c rice vinegar
- 1/3 c low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 c light brown sugar, packed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground ginger, or 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or more, to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
Step 1: In a bowl, add the sauce ingredients. Whisking well to combine. Set aside.
Step 2: Into a large ziplock bag, add the cornstarch, flour, and salt and pepper. Shake well to combine.
Step 3: In another bowl, beat the egg whites.
Step 4: Coat the pieces of chicken in egg whites and spoon them into the ziplock bag, letting the excess egg whites drip back into the bowl. Shake the bag again to evenly coat the chicken pieces in cornstarch mixture.
Step 5: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add and cook the chicken in batches for about 2 to 3 minutes on both sides until the coating is golden brown. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
Step 6: Pour in the sauce and simmer until the mixture is warm and thick.
Step 7: Before serving, toss the chicken in the sauce.
Step 8: Garnish with chopped green onions and serve with hot white or brown rice.
Notes
Substitute chicken with extra-firm tofu. Place the tofu between paper towels. Put something heavy on top and leave for several minutes to excess moisture out of the tofu. Make this in an Air-Fryer. Preheat to 400 degrees, evenly distribute the coated chicken pieces inside and spray with olive oil. Cook for about 15 minutes. If using a slow cooker, combine the ingredients, prepare the chicken as directed above but cook for just a minute on very high heat on both sides. Use cooking spray to grease the slow cooker, add the chicken pieces, and pour in half of the sauce over. Cook for 2 to 3 hours on low, then stir in the rest of the sauce. Once done, garnish with chopped green onions.
