General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken is a sweet, spicy and tangy Chinese dish. Crispy tender pieces of chicken in a addictive sauce is served over rice and topped with sliced green onions. Serve with roasted broccoli or chow mein. Not only is this recipe lighter than the traditional recipe but super easy too!

Course Mains & Entrees

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword chicken, chicken stir-fry, stir fry, take out

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 509

Author Laurie McNamara

Ingredients

FOR THE MARINADE:

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1⅓ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

FOR THE SAUCE:

1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons hoisin
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup bone broth or chicken stock
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce or low-sodium tamari
1 medium lime juiced

FOR THE STIR-FRY:

1/3 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons avocado oil or other oil safe fro high temp cooking
3 cloves minced fresh garlic
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes plus more for serving
3 green onions sliced, for serving
2 cups cooked rice for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

MARINATE THE CHICKEN:

In a bowl measure and add baking soda, garlic powder, kosher salt and low-sodium soy sauce. Stir to combine.
Add in diced boneless skinless chicken thighs. Toss to coat and set off to the side.

MAKE THE SAUCE:

In a bowl, measure and add in white pepper, cornstarch, tomato paste, hoisin, honey, bone broth or chicken stock, low-sodium soy sauce and the juice from a medium lime. Whisk to combine.

MAKE THE STIR-FRY:

Add 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other oil safe for high temp cooking. Heat on medium-high. Check to see if the oil is hot enough, by placing the end of a wooden chop stick in the oil. If bubble surround it, it’s ready.
Once the oil is hot, measure and add 1/3 cup cornstarch into a resealable bag. Add in the marinated chicken. Seal the bag and toss to get every piece coated. Do this right before you start cooking and not any earlier to avoid the chicken from absorbing the cornstarch and clumping together.
Once coated, immediately use tongs to add the chicken to the prepared pan in an even layer. If you need to work in batches of two, you can do that with great results.
Cook 2 to 3 minutes on all sides or until golden and the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink. Add a little more olive oil (1/2 a tablespoon) if needed.
Transfer the chicken to a paper towel lined plate.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add in the remaining oil, minced fresh garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until soft.
Pour in all of the sauce and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir often until thickened. Meanwhile, add rice to bowls.
Add the chicken to the thickened sauce, stir and toss until coated. Serve immediately over rice with a sprinkle of green onion.

Notes

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on SimplyScratch.com should only be used as a general guideline.

Nutrition