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As with all Chinese recipes, all of the time is in the prep. Take your time and have fun with it, you’ll be glad you did. If you don’t own a Wok, a large frying pan will work fine too.
General Tsao's Chicken
A genuinely mouthwatering dish with an Asian kick that will knock your chopsticks off! Don't be fooled by other General Tsao impostors: this is simply the best Chinese chicken you will ever have. With a flair of peanut oil, a streak of sesame, a dash of orange, and a sweet spot for hot, this is sure to be a favorite. Just don't forget to deep-fry twice! Serve with steamed broccoli and white rice.
Persons
6
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 Cups Grapeseed Oil (750ml Bottle)
- 1 Cup Cornstarch
- 1 Tsp White Sugar
- 1 Egg - Beaten
- 1.5lb Boneless Chicken Thighs - Cut into 1" Cubes
Sauce
- 4 Tbs Cornstarch
- 4 Tbs Peanut Oil
- Pinch of Pennsylvania Pepper Blend
- 2 Tsp Pacific Flake Salt
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1 Cup White Sugar
- 2 Tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
- 4 Tsp Sesame Lemongrass Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
- 2 Cloves Garlic - Minced
- 1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
- 2 Tbs Orange Zest
- 6 Thai Red Chile Peppers (Birdseye Chile)
- 6 Tbs Chicken Broth
- 6 Tbs Scallions - Cut into 1/4 inch pieces
Notes
Thai Red Chile Peppers are very spicy and can be hard to come by. You can usually find them in an Asian Market or some Grocery Stores. If you can't find them, you can substitute with dried chiles or a different species of pepper but you will have to adjust the quantity to get the proper heat.
We use Chicken Thighs because they stay jucier than white meat chicken but either cut of meat will work in this recipe and is simply based on preference. Be sure to not cut the chicken too small though, it will overcook and get hard very quickly.
Instructions
Fry the chicken
- Heat 3 cups Grapeseed oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken cubes; sprinkle with salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and Pennsylvania pepper; mix well. Mix in 1 cup of cornstarch a little bit at a time until the chicken cubes are well coated.
- In batches, carefully drop the chicken cubes into the hot oil one by one, cooking until they turn golden brown and begin to float, about 3 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow to cool as you fry the next batch. Once all of the chicken has been fried, refry the chicken, starting with the batch that was cooked first. Cook until the chicken turns deep golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Make the Sauce
- Heat 2 tablespoons Grapeseed oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir in the green onion, garlic, whole chiles, and orange zest. Cook and stir a minute or two until the garlic has turned golden and the chiles brighten.
- Add 1/2 cup sugar, the ginger, chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and peanut oil; bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
- Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into the water, and stir into the boiling sauce. The sauce will become very thick, almost like a paste. This is exactly what you want to happen.
- Return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about 1 minute.
- Stir the chicken into the boiling sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes until the chicken absorbs some of the sauce.
Calories
618
25%
Fat
31 g
47%
Saturated
7.3 g
35%
Carbs
61 g
20%
Protein
21 g
Fiber
0.7 g
0%
Sodium
711 mg
29%
Trans fat
0.1 g
Cholesterol
138 mg
46%
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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Toasted Sesame Lemongrass Ginger Oil
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Pennsylvania Pepper Blend
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Pacific Flake Salt – Unrefined
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Grapeseed Oil
$15.95 – $25.95 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page