American
SpicyGeneral Tso's chicken
Sweet and spicy crispy chicken
General Tso's: American-Chinese crispy chicken in a sweet, tangy and spicy glaze with dried chillies
General Tso's chicken is the star of American-Chinese takeaway, created by Hunanese chefs in Taiwan and reinvented in New York's Chinatown restaurants in the 1970s; today it comes in white cartons from Manhattan to small-town Ohio. Chunks of chicken thigh are coated in egg and cornflour, fried until shatteringly crisp, then tossed in a glossy sauce of soy, vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic and dried red chillies. The usual mistake is pouring the sauce on too early or letting the chicken sit in it: the crust melts away. Thicken the sauce first, then toss the hot chicken in for no more than 30 seconds and serve. The chicken is done at 74 °C, when the pieces are firm and white inside. Serve with steamed rice and broccoli. Chef's tip: fry the chicken twice, the second time for 1 minute in hotter oil; the double fry keeps it crunchy under the glaze.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 560 kcal
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 ½ lb boneless chicken thighscut in 3 cm pieces
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 ⅞ oz cornflour
- 1 litre vegetable oilfor frying
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh gingerfinely chopped
- 3 spring onionssliced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Toss 1 ½ lb boneless chicken thighs with 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 egg white, then add 2 ⅞ oz cornflour and mix until every piece is coated and dry-looking. Rest for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Whisk 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 4 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp cornflour and ½ cup water in a jug.
Step 3: Heat 1 litre vegetable oil in a wok or deep pan to 350°F. Fry the chicken in batches for 4–5 minutes until pale golden and cooked through, reaching 165°F. Drain on a rack.
10 minStep 4: Raise the oil to 375°F and fry all the chicken again for 1 minute until deep golden and crisp. Drain.
2 minStep 5: Pour all but 1 tbsp oil out of the wok (let it cool before disposing). Over medium heat, fry 8 dried red chillies, 3 cloves garlic and 1 tbsp fresh ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant; don't let the chillies blacken.
1 minStep 6: Stir the sauce and pour it in. Simmer, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until thick and glossy, then stir in 1 tsp sesame oil.
2 minStep 7: Add the chicken and toss for 30 seconds until coated. Scatter with 3 spring onions and 1 tsp sesame seeds and serve at once with rice. The dried chillies are for flavour; eat round them.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does general Tso's chicken take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of boneless chicken thighs?
- Chicken breast, same weight (cook a few minutes less so it stays juicy).
- What can I use instead of light soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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