General Tso's Chicken

Submitted by Nimz_

"This recipes is different from some of the others posted here so I thought I'd add it. The sauce carmalizes nicely and has a great flavor. The original recipe is from Chinesefooddiy with some alterations by me. Hope you enjoy."

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• Sauce

• 1 1⁄2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 1⁄2 cup cornstarch
• 4 -5 garlic cloves, minced (or more to taste)
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons gingerroot, minced
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1⁄4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup cooking wine

• Meat

• 1 1⁄2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
• 1⁄4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup cornstarch (plus more)
• canola oil (for frying)
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 16 small dried hot peppers (or 1 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes)

directions

1. In a medium sauce pan heat the chicken broth and water to a low boil.
2. Add the cornstarch and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved.
3. Add the sugar, soy sauce, seasoned rice vinegar, cooking wine, garlic and ginger, stirring constantly.
4. Set aside.
5. In a separate bowl mix the soy sauce and eggs together.
6. Add the cornstarch and whisk until smooth (Add additional cornstarch if needed to make the sauce thick enough to adhere to the chicken).
7. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
8. Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a large skillet.
9. Deep fry the chicken at 350 degrees until crispy (about 2-3 minutes).
10. Drain on paper towels and set aside and keep warm.
11. Place a small amount of oil in the skillet and heat until hot.
12. Add the onions and peppers and stir-fry briefly, about 1-2 mintues.
13. Stir sauce and add to the pan. Place chicken in the sauce and cook until sauce thickens (about 5 minutes).

Reviews

[crecre120]

I made this for my 5 year old because he loves"Chinese chicken" as he calls it. It turned out very well, I did not use the chiles but did use red pepper flakes, use 1/2 brown sugar and 1/2 white sugar and reduced the amount to 1/2 cup total. It turned out awesome! Added steamed broccoli and basmati rice for a complete meal, family loved it, this one is a keeper. Also used boneless skinless chicken thighs for juicier chicken. Only gave 4 stars because it still came out a tad bit too salty for my taste, but will tweak recipe when I make it again.

 

[Debbie R.]

The batter is 5-star, but sadly the sauce isn't. When I first made it, the cornstarch wouldn't dissolve in the broth. So I dumped it and instead used part of the liquid to make a cornstarch slurry. That solved the lumps-of-cornstarch problem. However, I wish I had read Midwest Maven's review and lowered the total content of cornstarch because I felt the sauce was on the too-thick side. However, I have to reiterate the great nature of the chicken coating: it really sealed in the juices and is a winner. ZWT6

 

[Lavender Lynn]

As previously noted, the proper way to handle the cornstarch is to mix it with the quarter-cup of water and add this to the sauce last, while the mix is in a gentle boil. Also, ours came out too salty, though that could be our fault for not using low-sodium soy sauce and chicken broth. The glaze came out smooth and beautiful, and aside from saltiness, was very good. Made for Zaar World Tour.

 

[Andi Longmeadow Farm]

This glorious food was our savior for dinner over the weekend. We adored this, and found it perfect! I had no problems with the cornstarch making a mess, I just kept whisking until the sauce was smooth, and set it aside. The rest was perfect, and so happy I didn't have to go outside to get food! This was a real joy to put together, and didn't change anything. Perfect, loved it! Made for *Everyday is a Holiday* February 2010

 

[Midwest Maven]

This tasted great and I would definitely make it again, but I did have a problem with the sauce. I had to make the sauce 3 times before it turned out as not a lumpy mess. I'm not sure if the amounts are off, but I would recommend boiling the chicken broth alone and then adding the cold water mixed with cornstarch to that. This is what I did, but I reduced the cornstarch to 1/4c. and dissolved it in the 1/4c. water. This worked beautifully, made a smooth sauce, and thickened it to the same consistency I've seen when I've ordered this dish out. I also added some thawed out broccoli to the dish at the end to get some yummy veggies in there. Except for the one little hiccup, we loved this chicken, thanks. Made this for the 8th Annual Photo Swap.