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overhead shot of General Tso's chicken in bowl with chopsticks
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General Tso's Chicken

This chicken recipe is super simple and might make you question why you ever go out to order at a restaurant and don't just make at home.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 459kcal
Author Ryan Beck

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • cup cornstarch + 1 tbsp, divided
  • 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 6 dried red chili peppers
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar sugar
  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ tablespoon low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoon green onions, chopped
  • 1 cup basmati or jasmine rice

Instructions

  • Bring a pot of water to boil and cook rice according to instructions.
  • In small bowl, whisk together light brown sugar, soy sauce, chicken stock, rice wine vinegar, peanut butter, sesame oil, ginger, ¼ cup water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch and set aside.
  • Beat egg in mixing bowl. Add chicken cubes with granulated sugar, salt and pepper. Coat chicken with ⅓ cup cornstarch.
  • Heat 2 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half the chicken to skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until lightly browned. Add 1 tablespoon oil and repeat with remaining chicken. Remove and set aside.
  • Add garlic, green onions and dried chilis and cook for about 1 minute.
  • Return chicken to skillet and add sauce. Cook for a couple of minutes or until the sauce starts to bubble and thicken.
  • Sprinkle the chicken with some green onions and sesame seeds and serve over rice.

Notes

  • You can replace the chicken breasts with chicken thighs.
  • You control the amount of heat by the number of dried chilis you add.
  • If you don't have dried chilis, replace with ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of orange zest to brighten the dish up.
  • You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 900mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 2.9mg