General Tso's Chicken (Heriteau)
Submitted by Ixel26
General Tso’s chicken made with dark-meat thighs: crispy-fried pieces tossed in a ginger-scallion soy sauce with chili paste, rice vinegar, and sesame oil finish.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
15 minREADY
40 minDark-meat chicken is what separates this General Tso’s from the average takeout version. Boneless chicken thighs stay juicy through the hot oil fry and the quick sauce toss, where boneless breast would turn dry and stringy.
The two-sauce setup is the chef’s shortcut worth copying. Sauce 1 is the savory ginger-soy-stock base that bubbles up in the hot wok and thickens with cornstarch. Sauce 2, a quick drizzle of rice vinegar, chili paste, and toasted sesame oil, gets added at the very end so its top notes stay bright and don’t cook off into the sauce.
The egg-and-cornstarch coating is a classic Chinese velvet technique. It seals in moisture and crisps to a delicate golden crust in just 3 minutes of frying.
Have everything lined up wok-side before you start. Once the oil is at 400F (205C), there’s no pausing to measure.
Chef Tips
- Test the oil with a day-old bread cube. If it browns in just under a minute, you’re at the right temperature.
- Don’t crowd the wok. Fry in two batches if needed, the oil temperature drops fast and you’ll end up with pale, greasy chicken.
- Drain the fried pieces well on paper before returning them to the wok. Extra frying oil will break the sauce.
- Smash the ginger slices with the flat of a knife before adding them to Sauce 1 so they release more flavor.
Variations
- Add a handful of dried red chilies with Sauce 1 for the traditional Hunan-style heat.
- Swap Thai chili paste for sambal oelek or gochujang for a different chili profile.
- Serve over steamed jasmine rice with stir-fried broccoli to soak up the sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the egg, oil, and cornstarch.
In a blender or food processor, or by hand, combine the ingredients for Sauce 1.
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for Sauce 2.
Place the measured ingredients beside the wok in the order in which they are to be placed in the wok.
Warm 2 serving dishes, one lined with paper towel, in a 250 degree F oven.
Fill the wok to a depth of 1½ to 2 inches with vegetable oil.
Heat the oil to high (400 degrees F), or until a day-old cube of bread browns in just under 1 minute.
Heat another 4 minutes to stabilize the temperature.
Put the chicken pieces into the oil one at a time until all are in.
Stir-fry 3 minutes.
Remove the pieces from the oil, draining well over the wok, and keep warm in the oven on the paper-lined dish.
Empty the oil from the wok.
Reduce the heat to medium (350℉/180℃) and stir in Sauce 1.
As soon as it bubbles, stir in the chicken.
Sprinkle Sauce 2 over the chicken, stir-fry minute more, then turn into the serving dish.
Scrape the sauce over the chicken and serve at once.
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