General Tso's Chicken

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General Tso's chicken is probably one of the first dishes that I thought to myself, “I could legit eat this every day, might as well learn to make it”. It’s one of those dishes that are a special treat. I don’t order out every day and I don’t have Chinese food every time I order out. My broke ass can’t afford that, let alone ordering from the good Chinese spot.

So, I figured I’d add this dish to my list because there are those times I just want General Tso’s but just don’t want to spend $15 plus tax plus tip plus delivery fee and, oh and by the way there’s a $30 minimum. Girl, please! Ordering out is a luxury and most of the time a waste of money, depending on how hungry you are and if it’s pay day. But we don’t have to worry about that now because we can make it ourselves!

Okay, so this sauce is extremely unique. The ratios are there for a reason so you can’t just wing it and hope for the best; it will not taste right, believe me, I’ve tried. You might find that this is similar to other recipes out there, just tweaked a bit. General Tso’s is pretty darn general, no pun intended, and there’s a very small margin for creativity in the sauce. Either it taste like it or it taste like an Asian dish that’s not General Tso’s. That being said, stick to the recipe and all should go fine!

This sweet, sticky & sometimes spicy dish is a favorite of many. It’s super easy to make and the best thing about it is, since the secret is in the sauce, you can switch up the recipe in so many different ways. Instead of chicken, use shrimp or tofu. Grill it instead of frying. Add more veggies. You can make it as healthy or unhealthy as you please and it will still be a bomb-ass dish!

I’d love to know other variations of General Tso’s you’ve tried! How’d it turn out? Leave me a comment below & let’s chat about it!

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General Tso's Chicken

by Jasmine Nichole Sanders

The most beloved Chinese dish on the menu and my absolute fave!

Ingredients

Marinade

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp dry sherry
2 eggs
2 chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
Coating
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
4 cups vegetable oil, for fying
Sauce
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup rice wine vingear
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
10-12 dried arbol chilies
1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli

Instructions

Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken. Let chicken marinate for at least 30 mins.

Heat frying oil in a large pot or skillet. While oil is heating up, mix coating ingredients in a large ziplock baggy. Add a few pieces of chicken to the baggy, zip it tight and shake until chicken is fully coated. Using tongs, drop chicken pieces into hot oil one by one. Fry chicken until golden brown. If you are pan frying, flip chicken over halfway through cooking process. Remove chicken from oil with a slotted spoon and repeat with remaining chicken. Set fried chicken aside.

Using sauce ingredients, in a bowl mix soy sauce, sherry, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, corn starch and stock until sugar and starch are completely dissolved. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat, then saute garlic and onions for about 2 minutes. Add broccoli and chilies and continue cooking for an additional minute. Pour sauce in skillet and cook until sauce begins to thicken and broccoli softens. Turn heat to low and add fried chicken, tossing in sauce making sure chicken is completely coated.

Remove from heat, garnish with seseame seeds and green onion and serve over white or brown rice.

Details

Prep time: 45 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Yield: 6-8