General Tso’s Chicken (Crispy Chicken Without Deep-Frying)
4 standard portions
Source field check · Original source retained
Dietary & allergen details
Based on listed recipe ingredients. No certification is implied.
- Celery: not fully checked
- Gluten-containing cereals: not fully checked
- Wheat: not fully checked
- Crustaceans: not fully checked
- Eggs: not fully checked
- Fish: not fully checked
- Lupin: not fully checked
- Milk: not fully checked
- Molluscs: not fully checked
- Mustard: not fully checked
- Tree nuts: not fully checked
- Peanuts: not fully checked
- Sesame: not fully checked
- Soya: not fully checked
- Sulphites: not fully checked
Check the actual product labels and preparation. Substitutions can change this information.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts) (, cut into 1" (2-cm) pieces )
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil ((or vegetable oil))
- 1 egg (, beaten)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup chicken stock ((or vegetable stock))
- 2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine ((or dry sherry))
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce ((or soy sauce))
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce ((or soy sauce))
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil ((or vegetable oil))
- 7 to 8 dried Chinese chili peppers ((*Footnote))
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 4 cloves garlic (, minced)
Method
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Combine the chicken pieces, vegetable oil, and salt in a big bowl. Mix well and let it marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the beaten egg into the bowl with the chicken. Stir to mix well. Add the cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken until it forms an uneven coating with a little dry cornstarch left unattached.
- Heat the stir-fry oil in a heavy-duty skillet until hot, until it just starts to smoke. Add the chicken all at once and spread it out into a single layer in the skillet. Separate the chicken pieces with a pair of tongs or chopsticks.
- Cook without touching the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom turns golden. Flip to brown the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a big plate and remove the pan from the stove. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Place the pan back onto the stove and turn to medium heat. You should still have 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Add the dried chili pepper, garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir a few times until it releases its fragrance.
- Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Pour it into the pan. Stir and cook until it thickens, when you can draw a line on the bottom with a spatula without the sauce running back immediately.
- Add back the chicken pieces. Stir to coat the chicken with sauce, 30 seconds. Transfer everything to a plate immediately. Serve hot as a main dish.