General Tso's Chicken
Description
General Tso's chicken is the perfect combination of crispy breaded deep-fried chicken pieces coated in a deliciously sweet, spicy, and tangy sauce.
Ingredients
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4 cups vegetable oil for frying
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1 large egg
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1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
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1 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon white sugar
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1 pinch white pepper
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1 cup cornstarch
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2 tablespoons vegetable oil
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3 tablespoons chopped green onion
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1 clove garlic, minced
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6 dried whole red chilies
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1 strip orange zest
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1/2 cup white sugar
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1/4 cup soy sauce
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3 tablespoons chicken broth
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2 tablespoons peanut oil
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1 tablespoon rice vinegar
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2 teaspoons sesame oil
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1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
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2 teaspoons cornstarch
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1/4 cup water
Directions
1
Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2
Whisk egg in large mixing bowl. Add chicken, salt, sugar, and pepper; mix well. Mix in cornstarch, a little bit at a time, until chicken is well coated.
3
Working in batches, carefully drop one piece of chicken at a time into the hot oil. Fry until chicken turns golden brown and begins to float, about 3 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and allow to cool as you fry the next batch.
4
Once all of the chicken has been fried, refry the chicken, starting with the batch that was cooked first. Fry each batch until chicken turns deep golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
5
To make the sauce: Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir in green onion, garlic, whole chiles, and orange zest. Cook and stir until garlic turns golden and chiles brighten, 1 to 2 minutes.
6
Add sugar, soy sauce, chicken broth, peanut oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger; bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in water until dissolved. Stir into the boiling sauce. Return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about 1 minute.
7
Stir chicken into the boiling sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook until chicken is heated through and has absorbed some of the sauce, about 3 minutes.