Your Favorite Take-Out Meal – General Tso’s Chicken

General Tso’s Chicken has been around since the mid 20th century and originated in the Chinese-American community where Chinese immigrants adapted their traditional cooking techniques to suit the average American’s taste buds. 

This tangy dish gets all its’ flavor from the delicious sauce it’s coated in that includes soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, chili and sugar. The spiciness of the chili packs a punch of flavor that will absol satisfy. 

Although General Tso’s Chicken is not widely recognized in China, it holds a significant place in American-Chinese culture. The dish graces the menus of countless Chinese restaurants throughout the United States.

Typically served with white rice and optionally topped with green onions and sesame seeds, this meal will be sure to fill you up and is extremely simple to make. 

If you’d like to make this recipe for yourself, follow the steps below!

Recipe

1. Heat oil over medium pan for frying. While the oil is heating up, coat the chicken in cornstarch, making sure to coat all sides.
2. When the oil is ready, add chicken to pan and fry on both sides until golden brown and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Set aside and drain on a paper towel to remove any exvess oil.
4. Next, heat a pan over medium heat and add about a tablespoon of oil.
5. Add the garlic, ginger and chili paste (tip: you can also use fresh chilis or red pepper flakes). Let cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
6. Add the sauce mixture and incorporate thoroughly.
7. Let cook and thicken for about 2-3 minutes.
8. When the sauce is a good consistency, add the chicken back to the pan and coat thoroughly.
9. Allow the sauce to coat every inch of the chicken.
10. If you are using, top with green onions and sesame seeds.
11. Serve with rice and enjoy!!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup oil, for frying
• 2 tbsp minced ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp chili pepper paste
• 5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1-1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1-1/2 tbsp cornstarch, for sauce
• Green onions sliced thinly, to garnish
• Sesame seeds, to garnish