General Tso`s Chicken
- Women`s Corner
- October 18, 2022
In 2015, food delivery site Grubhub released a dataset that revealed America's favorite meals to order in. General Tso's was not only the most popular Chinese dish but it was also the 4th most popular dish overall. We are not surprised! This dish of crispy chicken tossed in a sweet and savory sauce is a Chinese-American classic. Though the typical preparation calls for deep-frying, we went for the easier stir-fry route for less mess from frying while still retaining all of the crispiness you're used to.
We've reworked this recipe to be even more flavorful than ever before, with a very light cornstarch coating on the chicken that clings to the savory sauce perfectly. We're using hoisin sauce for *bold* flavor, lime juice (instead of rice wine) for acidity, and red pepper flakes (instead of actual hot chili peppers) but you can use the more classic ingredients if you have them in your pantry. With freshly minced garlic and a touch of honey, this General Tso's is a little sweet, a little spicy, and entirely satisfying.
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces
- 1/4 c. plus 1 tbsp. cornstarch, divided
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
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- 3/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets (about 4 c.)
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
- 2 c. Cooked rice, for serving
Method: In a large resealable plastic bag, add chicken and ¼ cup cornstarch. Season with salt and pepper and shake to coat. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil. Shake off excess cornstarch and add chicken to oil. Cook, in batches, until golden, about 7 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add garlic and red pepper flakes cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, making sure to scrape up any brown bits with a wooden spoon.
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In a medium bowl, whisk hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, and lime juice with remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until combined. Add to skillet and simmer until slightly thickened, 1 minute. To sauce, add broccoli and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet and stir to coat. Simmer for 1 more minute. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve over rice.
This recipe is taken from https://www.delish.com/cooking/