Description
Spicy General Tso’s chicken blends Chinese-American culinary traditions with bold, tangy flavors. Crispy battered chicken pieces glazed in a sweet-spicy sauce promise a restaurant-quality meal you can easily recreate at home.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 boneless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 120 ml (4 fl oz) low-sodium soy sauce
- 60 ml (2 fl oz) rice vinegar
- 30 ml (1 fl oz) hoisin sauce
- 120 ml (4 fl oz) chicken broth
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil (for frying)
- 30 g (1 oz) brown sugar
- 2 tsps minced garlic
- 5 g (0.2 oz) minced ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- sliced green onions for garnish (optional)
- sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Coating Preparation: Uniformly dust chicken pieces with cornstarch, kosher salt, and black pepper, ensuring complete coverage for a crisp exterior.
- Searing Stage: Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, quickly browning chicken in small batches until golden and slightly crisp, approximately 3-4 minutes per batch.
- Sauce Creation: Whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes until smooth and well-integrated.
- Slow Cooking Process: Transfer seared chicken to slow cooker, pour prepared sauce over the pieces, gently stirring to coat evenly. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours (or high heat for 2 hours) until chicken is tender and sauce is richly developed.
- Finishing Touches: Stir chicken to redistribute sauce, creating a glossy and appetizing presentation. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve alongside steamed jasmine rice or preferred side vegetables.
Notes
- Coat Chicken Carefully: Use cornstarch mixture to create a crispy, light exterior that prevents soggy texture and helps sauce adhere perfectly.
- Batch Fry Strategically: Cook chicken in small groups to maintain high oil temperature, ensuring each piece gets golden-brown crispiness without overcrowding the pan.
- Sauce Balance Matters: Whisk sauce ingredients thoroughly to blend sweet, tangy, and spicy elements, creating a harmonious flavor profile that coats chicken evenly.
- Slow Cook Wisely: Low and slow cooking allows flavors to develop deeply, transforming chicken into tender, sauce-infused morsels that melt in your mouth.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg