General Tso's Chicken

One of my all time favorite Chinese take-out dishes is General Tso's Chicken. The cravings of the tender, crispy, sweet and spicy chicken can be so real that you actually can't control your fingers from dialing the memorized number of Asia Cafe down the street.

Unfortunately I'm kidding; I haven't dialed or even had Chinese takeout since I stopped eating wheat three years ago. The silver lining though is that I have become great at making homemade replicas that are just as crave-worthy and always MSG and gluten free. (My repertoire consists of orange chicken, fried rice, coconut shrimp, beef/chicken teriyaki, beef & broccoli, etc; Just to give you a sneak preview of what may be to come on the blog!)

I recently made this chicken for my boyfriend and his parents and we all LOVED it. It's one of those meals that inhibits your ability to even form words other than exclamations such as "wow" or "Mmmmmm".

I'll even go on a limb and say it is better than your favorite takeout place......

I made some fried rice to serve with it and it was such a satisfying, delicious meal. It's fun to make too, because it mimics your favorite restaurant and you feel so accomplished making it at home. You can compete with the pros! 

Just looking at these photos is taking me on a tasty time travel in my head and I can't wait to make this dish again. It would be a delicious snack to make for the Superbowl (bummed would be an understatement about the Pats but I still have faith in my team and the GOAT) and you can leave a pile of toothpicks for guests to pick pieces with. I'm confident, to say the least, it would all disappear before halftime.

You can alter the amount of red pepper to achieve your personal spice preference. The amount below was, in my opinion, a perfect balance of sweet and spicy. You could also use chicken breasts instead of thighs, but the thighs are usually more tender. Lastly, for a healthier version, you could avoid the dredging and frying and just cook the chicken in a pan and toss in thickened sauce - I prefer the frying though.... This is supposed to be a "take-out" treat!




General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients:
Oil for frying
1 egg, scrambled
1 1/2 lb chicken thighs, chopped to 1-2" pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Pepper
1/2 cup cornstarch
For the sauce:
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
2 tsp orange zest
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chicken broth (or I used a dry hard cider)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp rice vinegar
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce, or tamari for gluten free
3 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2-3 tbsp of water

Directions:

• Heat enough oil in a large skillet to cover the pan, about 1/2" deep over medium/medium high heat. Around 375 degrees. 
• Toss chicken in egg and season with salt, sugar and a few dashes of pepper. 
• Sprinkle cornstarch on chicken and toss to coat. It will look like a yellowish gooey coating - perfect. 
• In batches, fry the chicken without overcrowding for 2 minutes on each side until they are golden and cooked through. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate. 
• While chicken is cooking, to make the sauce, heat a splash of oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add the green onions, garlic, ginger and orange zest and cook and stir for a minute or two (this will smell fantastic). 
• Add in the red pepper flakes and stir for a few seconds, then add all remaining ingredients except for the cornstarch/water. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, then add in the cornstarch mixture and return to a boil to thicken. 
• Toss the chicken in the boiling sauce and cook to heat through, just a minute or so.