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general tso chicken

General Tso's Chicken

Make this takeout favorite at home from fresh chicken breast and Chinese pantry staples.
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients
  

for step one:

  • 1 egg white, beaten (save yolk for future use)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon Sambal Olek
  • 1 1/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breast tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces

for step two:

  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • for step three:
  • 3 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1- inch knob ginger, grated
  • 1 spring onion, whites, and greens chopped
  • 3-4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3-4 tablespoons chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons Chiu Chow chili oil or other chunky chili oil/chili crisp
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

to serve:

  • hot white rice, steamed broccoli (I highly recommend making or at least starting the rice before you get started and keeping it warm until ready to serve)

Instructions
 

Step one:

  • Whisk together the egg white, soy sauce, Shaoxing, soy sauce, baking soda, corn starch, and sambal oelek until smooth. Add the chicken, toss to coat. Set aside.

Step two:

  • Whisk together the ingredients in step two's list in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Step three:

  • Whisk together the ingredients in step three's list in another medium bowl (I'm sorry, this recipe dirties a lot of bowls.)
  • Heat the sauce in a medium skillet until it begins to reduce. If it gets too thick or gloppy, whisk in small amounts of more stock. Turn off the skillet when cooked and set aside.

Step four:

  • Meanwhile, heat about 1/2-1 inch canola oil in the bottom of a large skillet. (if you haven't already, now is a good time to steam that broccoli)
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the marinade) and toss one at a time in the dry ingredients from step two. Toss to evenly coat. Repeat for all chicken. Fry the chicken in batches, as needed (we did 2 batches) until golden, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Drain the chicken in paper towel-lined plates.
  • Return the sauce to heat and warm through.
  • Add the drained chicken to the skillet with the sauce, toss to coat.
  • Serve immediately with broccoli and hot rice.