Chinese cuisine
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General Tso’s Chicken

General Tso’s chicken is one of the most beloved and well known Chinese-American dishes. Chunks of crispy fried chicken coated in a perfectly balanced sweet and spicy sauce is irresistable. It was first created by Taiwanese chef Peng Chang-Kuei in the 1950’s, but later sweetened to satisfy the American palette. This favorite dish can easily be made at home.Try our delicious recipe that is good enough to beat any take-out.

General Tso’s Chicken
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Recipe
PRE TIME: 15 min
COOKING TIME: 30 min
TOTAL TIME: 45 min
4 SERVING
Ingredients:
  • FOR the CHICKEN
  • 2 lb. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 2⅓ cup Cornstarch
  • 1 large Egg, Lightly Beaten
  • 1/3 tsp. Sesame Oil
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1/3 tsp. Pepper
  • 1 tsp. Sugar
  • FOR the SAUCE
  • 1/2 medium Lemon, juiced (about 1 tbsp lemon juice)
  • 1 cup Water
  • 2 tbsp. Sugar
  • 3 tbsp. Ketchup
  • 2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
  • 2 tbsp. Rice Vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. Cornstarch
  • 7 piece Dried Red Chili Peppers
  • 1 tsp. Garlic, Minced
  • 1 tbsp. Scallions, Minced
Directions:
Step 1
Step 1
1
Dice chicken into 1-inch cubes. Marinate chicken with salt, sugar, pepper, sesame oil, egg and 6 tablespoons of cornstarch for 15 minutes.
Step 2
Step 2
2
Pour 2 cups of cornstarch onto a plate, place the chicken in the cornstarch, and toss to coat each piece evenly.
Step 2-1
Step 2-1
3
Pour 2 inches of oil into a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat until hot, shake off any excess cornstarch from the chicken pieces, and fry in hot oil in two batches, until crispy and golden brown. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
Step 3
Step 3
4
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium-high heat and sauté dried chili and minced garlic until aromatic.  Stir in ketchup, soy sauce, sugar and rice vinegar, add 1 cup of water and lemon juice, and bring mixture to a simmer.
Step 3-1
Step 3-1
5
In a bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry.  Stir slurry into the simmering sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes until sauce thickens and is reduced by half.  Add in chopped scallions and chicken, stir to coat, and remove from heat.
Step 3-2
Step 3-2
6
Top chicken with chopped fresh cilantro and serve over white rice.
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