General Tso's Chicken

This General Tso's Chicken has extra crispy chicken that's smothered in a sweet, savory, and tangy sauce with delicious bites of broccoli! You'll love making this Chinese Food takeout recipe at home.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: people

Calories: 568kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

1 quart peanut oil can sub vegetable oil
2 cups broccoli florets
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs can sub breasts

Chicken Dredge

½ cup flour
½ cup cornstarch
2 eggs + 2 Tbsp. sauce mix

Sauce

1/4 cup cornstarch
2 Tablespoons cold water
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic minced
2 Tablespoons white vinegar can sub rice vinegar
2 teaspoons chili paste see notes
1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
Pinch red pepper flakes optional

Garnishes

Green onions
Sesame seeds optional

Instructions

For the Sauce: Combine the corn starch and water in a medium bowl (or, I Iike to use a container that I can cover and shake). Add remaining sauce ingredients and stir or shake to combine. Set aside.
For the Chicken Dredge: In a medium bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch. In another bowl, whisk 2 eggs and 2 Tablespoons of the sauce mixture.
Dice the chicken into cubes and pat dry. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, and then into the flour mixture.
Add 1 quart of oil to a 3 ½ or 4 quart dutch oven, or use a deep fryer. Heat over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 365 degrees. Fry the chicken in batches, until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the chicken and place on wire cooling racks so that the bottom stays crispy. Place wax or parchment paper underneath the racks to catch excess grease.
Take 2 Tablespoons of peanut oil from the dutch oven or deep fryer and place it in a large skillet. Sauté the broccoli for about 5 minutes or until it’s reached your desired level of doneness. Remove and set aside.
Add the sauce mixture to the skillet and bring it to a gentle boil. It will thicken quickly so watch it carefully. Once it’s almost reached your desired level of thickness, reduce the heat to low, add the chicken and stir to coat. Add the broccoli, stir to combine, and remove from heat. Garnish with green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and serve!

Notes

Sambal Oelek is a great brand of chili paste. I have made this recipe without hoisin sauce or chili paste and it’s still good, but both add a nice balance and depth of flavor to the sauce so I recommend using them if possible.

Use regular soy sauce, dark will be too overpowering. (Dark soy sauce is labeled.)

Storage

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Leftovers can be heated in a skillet or microwave. If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of chicken broth or water. Note that the chicken won't be as crispy the second time around, but the taste is still great!

Nutrition