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General Tso's Chicken Recipe

General Tso's Chicken Recipe

One of the most popular  Chinese recipes on my website is General Tso’s  Chicken. I am frequently asked by readers about the origins of the recipe and the history of General Tso’s Chicken.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 People
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Sauce/Chicken Marinade

  • 3 tablespoons of soy sauce – light or all-purpose
  • 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar sub-white wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons of chili paste any (Sambal Oelak is great)
  • 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of cornflour/cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup of chicken stock/broth

Chicken

  • 600 g/1.4 lb chicken thighs skinless and boneless, sliced into 1″ (2.5 cm) pieces.
  • 1 teaspoon of ginger finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic finely grated
  • 1 cup of cornflour/cornstarch
  • 1 – 4 cups of oil for frying

Stir Fry Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons of oil peanut, vegetable, or canola
  • 2 teaspoons of ginger finely chopped
  • Two garlic cloves cut finely
  • 1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes red pepper flakes

Garnishes (At Least 1 Recommended)

  • thinly sliced green onion
  • seeds from sesame

Method
 

  1. Sauce-Marinade: Combine the sesame oil, vinegar, hoisin, and soy.
  2. Marinate Chicken: Remove 2 tsp of the Sauce-Marinade and combine with the chicken. Stir in the garlic and ginger and let the chicken marinade for half an hour.
  3. Dust chicken: Toss the chicken in the cornflour, making sure to keep the pieces apart so they coat completely.
  4. Shake off excess: Pour the leftover cornflour into a sieve and shake to get rid of it (or take handfuls and shake so the cornflour gets between your fingers).
  5. Finish Sauce: Add cornflour and sugar to the leftover Sauce-Marinade (that you prepared in Step 1). Add the chicken stock and continue to blend.
  6. Heat oil: In a deep skillet (or big saucepan, depending on your comfort level), heat 2 cm (4/5″) of oil to 200°C/390°F.
  7. Fry: Cook chicken for 3 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy and golden. Empty into a plate lined with paper towels.
  8. New/clean skillet: Wipe off the oil and put the skillet back on the burner. Alternately, use a different sizable skillet.
  9. Stir Fry Sauce: In a big skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. When the garlic turns light golden, add the ginger and chili flakes and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce, bring it to a simmer, and stir it every now and then until it gets thick enough to make a trail across the bottom of the pan.
  10. Toss: Add the chicken and toss briskly to coat; the chicken will stay crisper the faster you work! Move to a serving plate, top with a garnish, and serve right away with your preferred rice.