Monday, March 3

GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN

General Tso’s Chicken is a perfect combination of sweet and spicy flavors. Breaded, fried chicken tossed with garlic and hot chilis in a sticky, sweet and savory sauce? There are worse things to eat. It seems like everyone I know loves General Tso’s Chicken. There’s something about the crispy stickiness of the chicken that’s super addictive, and the heat from the dried chilies creates a tongue tingling sensation that leaves you wanting more. Even someone like me, who can’t handle spicy foods, can’t get enough of the stuff. As it turns out, General Tso’s chicken isn’t all that hard to make. Just gotta cut up some chicken, marinate it, bread it, fry it, and saute it with a thick, homemade spicy/sweet sauce. This is probably one of the best and easiest recipes around, you will be surprised at how little time it takes to prepare. I decided to use the boneless skinless chicken thighs like our local Chinese restaurant does, and I wasn’t disappointed. However, if you want to use chicken breasts that would work fine as well. The sauce keeps it nice and simple with only a few necessary ingredients to create the perfect generals sauce. For the frying – it’s your choice if you want to use a deep fryer or wok. If you are looking for an amazing recipe for General Tso’s chicken give this one a try. Serve on top of white rice. Enjoy!

GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN
This fantastic recipe has been permanently added to my Asian food cooking repertoire - which sadly is too short!
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
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INGREDIENTS

CHICKEN:
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1” chunks 
  • 5 dried red chili peppers, depending on your heat level
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • oil for frying
SAUCE:
  • 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

WHAT TO DO
  • In a large mixing bowl combine cornstarch and beaten eggs. Mix well to create a batter. Add chicken bits and coat thoroughly.
  • To make the sauce- in a small bowl combine rice vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.
  • Heat deep fryer or wok to 375 degrees and deep fried chicken bits in batches. Drain on paper towels.
  • Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to your wok. Add dried chili peppers to your wok and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken bits to the wok and stir fry for a couple minutes.
  • Add sauce mixture to the wok and cook stirring until the sauce becomes thickened and bubbly. Garnish with green onions and serve with rice.
If you'd like to one up your recipe, try this decadent sauce in place of the easier version! Both are great, but this is more along the lines of the restaurant sauce. Simply wonderful!

INGREDIENTS FOR DECADENT SAUCE!
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock, or substitute water
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 teaspoon chili paste
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
In a small bowl, combine the chicken stock, tomato paste, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, chili paste, sesame oil, sugar, and the 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Stir until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. Set the sauce aside. Add this sauce instead of the other, cook until it becomes thickened, bubbly and oh so delicious! Enjoy!

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3 comments:

  1. Ronda, your General Tso's Chicken sounds wonderful and looks delicious! I have never tried to make it, but now I want to try! I'm so glad you shared this at Treasure Box Tuesday- pinning and tweeting! :)

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    Replies
    1. Joy,
      I must admit, I spent entirely too much time today looking through all of the links on Treasure Box Tuesday. I am in awe of these talented individuals!

      Ronda

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  2. HOLY MOLY. This looks amazing! I'm pinning it right this second!

    ReplyDelete