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General Tso's Chicken
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5 from 5 votes

General Tso's Chicken

This recipe is quite quick and easy to prepare making it a delicious weeknight meal everyone will enjoy.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Passive Time30 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Francine Lizotte
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese, Fusion
Keyword Chicken, Comfort Food, Dairy Free, Easy Recipe, Fried Food, Poultry, Spicy

Ingredients

SAUCE

  • 3 tbsp. orange juice tips & tricks
  • 2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp. chili oil see Recipe
  • 3 tbsp. canola oil
  • 2 large green onions (green parts for garnish), chopped
  • 3 whole dried red chilies
  • 1/2 tbsp. minced ginger
  • 1/2 tbsp. pressed garlic
  • 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp. cornstarch

CHICKEN

  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch, or as needed
  • 5 cups canola oil for frying, or as needed tips & tricks
  • sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions

  • In a bowl, add orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and chili oil; whisk well.
  • Place chicken pieces in a bowl and add 2 tbsp. sauce. Stir well before seasoning with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; stir again. Marinate the meat for 30 minutes.
  • Half an hour later, dredge the chicken pieces with cornstarch until well coated and set aside.
  • In a Dutch oven over medium high heat, add oil and when the temperature reaches 385ºF/196ºC, working in batches, carefully add the chicken pieces. Fry them for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Using a spider strainer, transfer the fried pieces to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
  • To finish the sauce; in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat, add oil and when it gets hot, add green onions (white parts) and dried red chilies; sauté for only 1 minute.
  • Add ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce and stir well before adding the chicken broth mixed with 1 tbsp. cornstarch. Stir until the sauce thickens, about 45 seconds.
  • Add fried chicken pieces and stir to coat, heating them through quickly - don't leave them too long otherwise they'll lose their crispiness.
  • Serve over white rice and garnish with green onions (green parts) and sesame seeds.