General Tso’s Chicken

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General Tso’s Chicken is one of the most popular Chinese Food takeout dishes that is sweet, slightly spicy, and so easy to make at home!

General Tso's Chicken is one of the most popular Chinese Food takeout dishes that is sweet, slightly spicy, and so easy to make at home!
General Tso’s Chicken is a Chinese-American restaurant staple that is super easy to make at home. My family loves this lighter, not fried version of the popular, usually high-calorie dish that doesn’t make you feel guilty when you come back for seconds. And I promise you will come back for seconds!

Some recipes for General Tso’s Chicken are really complicated, with different breading steps and the need to deep fry twice. This recipe is as delicious but takes only half the time to make and is lighter than your normal take-out because the chicken is only lightly coated in cornstarch and stir-fried instead of deep-fried.

You have to try this healthier version of your Chinese take-out favorite!

General Tso's Chicken is one of the most popular Chinese Food takeout dishes that is sweet, slightly spicy, and so easy to make at home!

Not only is this recipe so easy and delicious, it just so happens to come from my friend Char’s new cookbook: The Healthy Wok Chinese Cookbook which is available for preorder now! Charmaine has agreed to giveaway one (1) cookbook to a very lucky reader so check out the details below! I was lucky enough to be one of her recipe testers so I got my hands on a copy before it comes out and I have to say her book is my most used cookbook at the moment.

Charmaine shows how easy it is to make your favorite Chinese takeout dishes at home. Not only are her recipes easy and accessible, they’re also healthier without compromising taste. You will find yourself instantly inspired to get in the kitchen and fire up your wok!

You’ll find all your Chinese take-out favorites in this book, like Orange Chicken, Fried rice, Sweet and Sour Chicken, and Egg Drop Soup. It’s a perfect guide for everyone who wants to learn more about Chinese cooking and make their favorite Chinese dishes at home. This always results in better quality and fresher, healthier dishes.

The Healthy Wok Chinese Cookbook
A few notes about this recipe:

  • You might ask yourself do I really need a wok to cook Chinese food? A wok has many advantages over a normal frying pan. It requires less oil and distributes the heat more evenly, for example. If you’re just starting your Chinese cooking journey you can use a normal pan but if you want to get serious about Chinese cooking I really recommend buying a wok. The best choice is a carbon steel wok. Check out Charmaine’s cookbook for more wok tips!
  • Soy sauce is a Chinese cooking staple. Soy sauce is used in many Asian cuisines instead of salt and as a condiment. If you’re watching your salt intake use low-sodium soy sauces. Most soy sauces contain wheat, so if you are on a gluten-free diet, use tamari soy sauce instead.
  • Don’t skip the Hoisin Sauce! It’s sweet and salty in taste and sometimes referred to as Chinese barbecue sauce. Hoisin sauce is a key ingredient in this and many other Chinese recipes. This is what gives General Tso’s Chicken its authentic flavor!
  • Don’t be tempted to swap out the rice vinegar! White rice vinegar is less acidic and milder in flavor than white wine vinegar. It is also a little bit sweet because of the glutinous rice.
  • Peanut oil is my first choice for stir-frying because it has a high smoke point (450°F).

General Tso's Chicken is one of the most popular Chinese Food takeout dishes that is sweet, slightly spicy, and so easy to make at home!

More easy dinner recipes:

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General Tso's Chicken is one of the most popular Chinese Food takeout dishes that is sweet, slightly spicy, and so easy to make at home!
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General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken is one of the most popular Chinese Food takeout dishes that is sweet, slightly spicy, and so easy to make at home!

Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Author Julia

Ingredients

FOR THE MARINADE

  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 pinches ground white pepper
  • 2 boneless chicken breast halves cut into bite-size pieces

FOR THE SAUCE

  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 3 tsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp hoisin sauce
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp soy sauce

FOR THE STIR-FRY

  • 2 tbsp peanut oil
  • ¼ dried red chile
  • ½ tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 scallion chopped

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch, salt, and white pepper. Sprinkle over the chicken, tossing to coat, and marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, make the sauce by combining the ketchup, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, and soy sauce, mixing it well. Set the sauce aside.

  3. In a wok over medium-high heat, heat the peanut oil.

  4. Add the chicken and stir-fry in batches until fully cooked and slightly brown.

  5. Add the chile and pour in the sauce. Stir to coat the chicken in the sauce.

  6. Turn off the heat and transfer the dish to a serving plate. Garnish with the sesame seeds and chopped scallion.

Recipe Notes

Reprinted with permission from The Healthy Wok Chinese Cookbook

Win a copy of my friend Charmaine’s new cookbook!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open until Tuesday, May 23rd, 2017 at 12:00 AM EST. The giveaway is only open to residents of the U.S.. The winner will be chosen randomly. We will email the winner, and if the winner does not respond in 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. The prize is one (1) copy of The Healthy Wok Chinese Cookbook: Fresh Recipes to Sizzle, Steam, and Stir-Fry Restaurant Favorites at Home by Charmaine Ferrara ($14.97 retail value).

General Tso's Chicken is one of the most popular Chinese Food takeout dishes that is sweet, slightly spicy, and so easy to make at home!

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