General Tso’s chicken is found throughout the US in Chinese-American restaurants. The dish is an American invention, though it may stem from authentic Chinese recipes; the two chefs who popularized the dish came to the US from China. C.K. Peng made a version of the dish in New York, while T.T. Wang also served New Yorkers “General Ching's Chicken” in the early 1970s. This sweet, deep-fried dish of chicken with sauce is named after the Qing dynasty military leader, Zuo Zongtang, though it has no direct connection with the historical figure from China’s Hunan region
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
10 minutes
+ 20 minutes resting
+ 20 minutes resting
Cook Time
15 minutes
Total Time
45 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 1 large egg white
- 1½ tsp toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup and 1 Tbsp soy sauce, divided
- ¼ cup and 3 Tbsp cornstarch, divided
- 1 lb chicken thighs, skinless boneless, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp chili-garlic sauce
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, plus more as needed for frying
- 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- Steamed broccoli and cooked white rice, as needed for serving
Directions
- Whisk together the egg white, sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a medium bowl.
- Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and thoroughly coat on all sides.
- Let the mixture rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- In another medium bowl, add chicken broth, chili-garlic sauce, sugar, remaining ¼ cup soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, whisking to combine.
- Pour 1 tablespoon oil into a large saucepan set over high heat.
- Add the ginger and garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until both becomes fragrant.
- After stirring, add the broth mixture to the pan and cook about 3 minutes, until the texture of the sauce has thickened and gained a gloss.
- Lower heat to keep sauce warmed.
- In large, deep skillet, heat ½-inch oil over high heat until oil begins to shimmer.
- Carefully add chicken pieces one at a time, cooking about 4 minutes, turning once or twice, until thoroughly browned and very crisp.
- Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- Add the fried chicken and scallions to the pan of sauce, tossing to coat.
- Cook about 30 seconds and serve hot over steamed broccoli and rice.
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