Recipes

General Tso’s Chicken

General Tso's chicken is enjoyed for its sweet and spicy sauce. Japones Chiles bring the recognizable heat. We finish with Toasted Sesame Seeds for a nutty nuance to the crispy, spicy-sweet chicken.

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 85 min

Total time: 90 min

General Tso’s Chicken
Copyright Recipe © 2015 Woodland Foods

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 1 Pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, sliced into 1-inch cubes

  • 2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce, divided

  • 2 Tablespoons Chinese Rice Wine

  • 2 Egg Whites

  • 1/4 Cup Low-Sodium Chicken Stock

  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons Hoisin Sauce

  • 1 Teaspoon Chili Paste

  • 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil

  • 1 Teaspoon White Sugar

  • 1 Tablespoon Chinese Black Vinegar

  • 1 1/2 Cups Cornstarch, plus 1 teaspoon, divided

  • 3 Cups Peanut Oil, plus 1 tablespoon, divided

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Sea Salt Flakes

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Peppercorns Dustless

  • 8 De-Stemmed Japones Chiles

  • 2 Cloves Garlic, minced

  • 1 Teaspoon Toasted Sesame Seeds

  • 2 Scallion, green parts thinly sliced

Directions

  1. Place chicken, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, rice wine and egg whites in re-sealable bag. Squish around to combine and place in refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.

  2. Whisk together chicken stock, tomato paste, hoisin sauce, chili paste, remaining 1 teaspoon soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in small bowl, stirring until sugar and cornstarch are dissolved and there are no lumps. Reserve.

  3. Heat 3 cups oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it sizzles when sprinkled with water.

  4. Pat chicken dry with paper towel and discard marinade. Place remaining cornstarch in shallow dish. Add salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add chicken and toss to coat, shaking off excess.

  5. Working in batches, fry chicken until golden brown outside and cooked through inside, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove chicken using slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.

  6. Discard oil, wipe Dutch oven with paper towel, leaving browned bits behind. Return Dutch oven to stove-top. Add remaining tablespoon oil and heat over medium heat. Add chiles and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in sauce mixture, raise heat to medium-high and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.

  7. Add chicken and toss to coat. When chicken is heated through, transfer to serving dish. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions and serve family-style, along with cooked white rice.