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Bob's General Tso's Chicken

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Submitted by MARYNORTHRUP

Chinese-American General Tso’s chicken with crispy deep-fried bites tossed in a sweet-and-tangy chili-garlic-ginger sauce. Better than takeout, ready in under two hours including marinade time.

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

20 min

COOK

15 min

READY

90 min

The American Chinese restaurant classic, made at home and finished in less than two minutes once the chicken hits the oil. The marinade-fry-glaze sequence is what gives this dish its signature snap: crisp coating, juicy interior, glossy sweet-spicy sauce coating every piece.

The egg white in the marinade is the move that makes the difference. Egg whites form a thin, foam-like coating around each piece of chicken breast that crisps up white and tender in the fryer, while the cornstarch underneath provides the structural crunch. Without the egg white, you get standard breaded chicken. With it, you get that distinctive General Tso’s coating.

Three dried chilies, garlic, and fresh ginger build the sauce’s aromatic backbone. They go into 2 tablespoons of leftover frying oil for just a minute, then the soy-vinegar-wine-sugar sauce hits the wok and thickens almost instantly thanks to the small amount of cornstarch built in.

Tossing the fried chicken back in for the final mix is fast on purpose. Any longer and the coating starts to soften from the sauce. The goal is sauce-coated, not sauce-soaked.

Chef Tips

  • Marinate for the full hour. The egg-white-and-cornstarch coating needs time to bond to the chicken or it slides off in the fryer.
  • Test oil temperature with a single chicken piece before adding the rest. It should sizzle vigorously and turn golden in about 1 minute. Slow browning means the oil’s too cold.
  • Fry in small batches. Crowding drops the oil temperature and gives you greasy, soft chicken instead of crisp.
  • Serve immediately over steamed rice. The coating loses crispness within 5 to 10 minutes once sauced.

Variations

  • Add 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce or oyster sauce to the sauce mixture for extra depth.
  • Swap dried chilies for 1 teaspoon chili oil or a pinch of red pepper flakes for less smoke and more heat.
  • Add broccoli florets, blanched separately, and toss in with the chicken for the classic restaurant presentation.

Ingredients

1 453.6
POUND G CHICKEN BREAST
boneless, skinless,, cut into 1inch pieces
1 15
TABLESPOON ML CORNSTARCH
1 1
LARGE EACH EGG WHITE
beaten frothy *
1 237
CUP ML VEGETABLE OIL
3 3
EACH EACH HOT CHILI PEPPER
dried, broken in half *
2 2
CLOVES EACH GARLIC
fine, chopped
1 1
EACH EACH GINGER ROOT
one inch piece, finely chopped *
1 15
TABLESPOON ML WHITE WINE VINEGAR
1 15
TABLESPOON ML WHITE WINE
1 5
TEASPOON ML CORNSTARCH
1 15
TABLESPOON ML BROWN SUGAR
1 5
TEASPOON ML SESAME OIL
¼ 1.3
TEASPOON ML SALT

Directions

In a glass bowl, place chicken pieces.

Combine 1 tablepoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Blend in beaten egg white. Pour over chicken and toss to coat well.

Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour.

In a small bowl, combine remaining soy sauce, vinegar, white wine, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch; mix until smooth. Stir in sugar, sesame oil and salt.

In a wok heat oil.

Deep-fry chicken, a few pieces at a time, about 1 minute, or until golden brown.

Remove and drain on paper towel.

Pour all but 2 tablespoons oil out of wok.

To the wok, add chili peppers, garlic and ginger; stir-fry 1 minute.

Pour sauce mixture into wok and cook, stirring, about 1 minute, until thickened.

Return chicken pieces to wok.

Mix well and serve immediately.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 213g (7.5 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 725 74% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 60g 92%
Saturated Fat 8g 42%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 96mg 32%
Sodium 911mg 38%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Sugars g
Protein 73g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 3% Iron 9%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free, Low Carb
 
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