General Tso's Chicken

My heart beats for Chinese takeout, try out my favorite recipe for the easiest general tso's chicken. Also, don't forget to purchase cookies!

General Tso’s Chicken is my favorite dish to order at the local Chinese takeout restaurants. I can remember going to Fairlane mall with friends or my family after school and stopping by the food court.

Apparently, the dish was also Tso Tsung-t’ang’s favorite and that is why it is rumored that this dish was named after the 19th-century general. This Hunanese dish includes bite-sized chicken pieces lightly fried and tossed in a tangy yet sweeter dark sauce thanks to hoisin sauce. Hoisin is a sauce that I love to keep in the kitchen because it can be used for a quick stir fry or chicken like this dish. Also a great dipping sauce for gyozas sometime!

The key to the perfect, crispy breading is to coat each piece of chicken in an equal mixture of cornstarch and all-purpose flour. Don’t want to use cornstarch? Try arrowroot, potato starch, tapioca, or rice flour. The spice level is very mild in this recipe. To add a little spice, I like to use red chili peppers when making the sauce or simply add chili oil, extra red pepper flakes, or togarashi.

Don’t forget to serve this dish with steamed broccoli, sesame seeds, green onions, and warm white rice.

What You Need:

• 2 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces

• 2 Large Eggs Yolks, beaten

• 1 tsp Light Soy Sauce

• 1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce

• 1 tsp Shaoxing Rice Wine

• 2 Large Egg Yolks

• ⅓ cup All-Purpose Flour

• ⅔ cup Cornstarch

• Peanut or Vegetable Oil, for frying

• 1 tsp of Kosher Salt

• 1 tsp Ground White Black Pepper

• 2 tsp Sesame Oil

• 2 tbsp Fresh Garlic, minced

• ⅓ cup Green Onions, thinly chopped

• 1 tsp Fresh Garlic, minced or paste

• ½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper, add more for heat

• 3/4 cup Chicken Broth

• 2 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar, light is also fine

• ½ cup Soy Sauce

• 2½ Tbsp Hoisin Sauce

• 1 tbsp Cornstarch

What to Do:

1. Place eggs yolk, soy sauces, rice wine, kosher salt and white pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until fully combined. Add in chicken and mix until fully incorporated.

2. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 15-20 minutes.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and cornstarch for dredging the chicken.

4. Heat enough oil to cover the chicken breasts in the frying pan of your choice. This should take about 3 to 5 inches of oil depending on your pan or pot. Heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Time to coat the chicken: I like to take a smaller bowl and add half of the chicken and half of the dry mix. Mix the chicken until each piece has been lightly covered. Add more dry mix if needed but make sure that the coating isn’t clumpy. This will help the chicken stay light and crispy without ruining the oil for frying.

6. Fry pieces of chicken in small batches to prevent overcrowding for 5 minutes or until each piece is browned. Repeat until all have been cooked and be sure to drain any extra oil.

7. Once the chicken has cooked, heat a saucepan or wok and add the sesame oil.

8. Once the oil is hot, add in chilis and green onion and cook until fragrant. Add in minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Adding is last will prevent it from burning.

9. Mix all of the sauce ingredients (in order) in a small bowl. Be sure to mix the cornstarch until it has fully dissolved.

10. Add the sauce to the pan and cook on medium heat until it has thickened. Once the sauce has reached the preferred thickness, toss fried chicken bites in the sauce until fully coated.

11. Serve warm with chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and steamed broccoli. And don't forget the rice! Tag @elle.thefoodie in your pictures.

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