The most requested Chinese take out menu option in America is General Tso's chicken. An easy meal to make, it's a recipe with lightly coated chicken in a thick, sweet sauce.
1teaspoonred pepper flakes(or more for extra spice)
½teaspoonfresh ginger paste
¼teaspoononion powder
Instructions
Place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl.
Mix the cornstarch, salt, ginger, garlic powder and pepper in a small bowl. Then add this to the chicken and mix well to combine, completely covering the chicken. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes while the oil heats.
Add a 1/2 inch of oil to a frying pan and warm it over medium high heat.
When the oil is hot, in 2 batches, shake the excess flour off of the chicken and fry chicken until the outside is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (165ºF). Remove the chicken from the frying pan and place on a wire rack (with paper towels underneath) so that it stays crisp. Repeat with the second batch of chicken.
Wipe out the pan you fried the chicken in and allow it to cool off slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients.
Pour the sauce into the frying pan and place over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Watch it closely so it doesn't burn. Once it starts to thicken it will thicken quickly.
Add in the chicken. Toss to coat and heat through.
Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
*There are different strengths of vinegar. The bottle should read diluted to 4.1% acidity.**You can also use chicken broth in place of water, but if you do, I recommend unsalted chicken broth.Use boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs in this recipe.Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 6, with 1 serving being 1/6 of the recipe. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**