General Tso's Chicken

This recipe for General Tso's chicken is battered crispy chicken pieces tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce. A take-out classic that's simple to make at home and even better than what you'd get in a restaurant!

Course Main

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 20

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 365kcal

Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the chicken:

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
2 eggs lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn starch
vegetable oil for frying
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons green onions sliced

For the sauce:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon corn starch

Instructions

Place the eggs in a bowl; add salt and pepper to taste.
Mix together the flour and corn starch and place in a shallow bowl or on a plate.
Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pot to 350 degrees F.
Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then coat in the flour mixture. Repeat the process for all of the chicken pieces.
Fry 8-9 pieces of chicken at a time for 5 minutes or until browned. Repeat with all the remaining chicken.
While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce.
Heat the 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
Whisk together the chicken broth, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce and corn starch.
Add the liquid mixture to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
Add the chicken pieces to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions and serve.

Notes

This chicken is best served immediately, as the coating will absorb the sauce and get softer as it sits.
Use a frying thermometer to make sure your oil stays at 350 degrees F. If the oil is too hot, the outside of the chicken can burn before the inside cooks through. If the oil is too cold, the chicken will absorb more oil and be heavy and greasy.
When you remove the cooked chicken from the hot oil during the frying process, place it on a plate covered with clean paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
Be careful not to fry too many pieces of chicken at the same time to avoid the pieces sticking or clumping together. I typically fry batches of about 6-8 pieces at a time.

Nutrition