**General Tso's Chicken: A Culinary Masterpiece**
A culinary masterpiece that tantalizes taste buds and ignites a symphony of flavors, General Tso's chicken reigns supreme as a beloved dish enjoyed worldwide. Originating from the vibrant streets of Taiwan, this delectable dish has captured the hearts of food enthusiasts with its enticing aroma, crispy texture, and a harmonious blend of sweet, savory, and slightly spicy notes.
This comprehensive guide presents a collection of meticulously crafted recipes, each offering a unique interpretation of this iconic dish. From the classic General Tso's chicken recipe that stays true to its traditional roots to innovative variations that infuse contemporary culinary techniques, this article caters to every palate and skill level.
Embark on a culinary journey as we delve into the secrets of preparing the perfect General Tso's chicken. Discover the art of selecting the finest ingredients, the techniques for achieving the ideal balance of flavors, and the secrets to creating that irresistible crispy coating.
Whether you're a seasoned home cook or just starting your culinary adventure, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to recreate this iconic dish in the comfort of your own kitchen. So, gather your ingredients, prepare your palate, and get ready to experience the delectable delight that is General Tso's chicken.
GENERAL TSAO'S CHICKEN II
A genuinely mouthwatering dish with an Asian kick that will knock your chopsticks off! Don't be fooled by other General Tsao impostors: this is simply the best Chinese chicken you will ever have. With a flair of peanut oil, a streak of sesame, a dash of orange, and a sweet spot for hot, this is sure to be a favorite. Just don't forget to deep-fry twice! Serve with steamed broccoli and white rice.
Provided by ChefDaddy
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian Chinese
Time 50m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Heat 4 cups vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken cubes; sprinkle with salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and white pepper; mix well. Mix in 1 cup of cornstarch a little bit at a time until the chicken cubes are well coated.
- In batches, carefully drop the chicken cubes into the hot oil one by one, cooking until they turns golden brown and begin to float, about 3 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow to cool as you fry the next batch. Once all of the chicken has been fried, refry the chicken, starting with the batch that was cooked first. Cook until the chicken turns deep golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir in the green onion, garlic, whole chiles, and orange zest. Cook and stir a minute or two until the garlic has turned golden and the chiles brighten. Add 1/2 cup sugar, the ginger, chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and peanut oil; bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
- Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into the water, and stir into the boiling sauce. Return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about 1 minute. Stir the chicken into the boiling sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes until the chicken absorbs some of the sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 633.5 calories, Carbohydrate 54.9 g, Cholesterol 101.1 mg, Fat 36.5 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 24.3 g, SaturatedFat 6.1 g, Sodium 1191.6 mg, Sugar 17.7 g
GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN II
Make and share this General Tso's Chicken II recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Tonkcats
Categories Chicken Breast
Time 35m
Yield 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, water or chicken and cornstarch mixture, dry sherry, sesame oil, garlic and ginger; set aside. Combine egg and cornstarch mixture well.
- Add chicken and toss to coat. Heat oil until hot; fry chicken in batches until crisp and brown (do not crowd pan). Drain on paper towels.
- Pour off all but 2 teaspoons oil from pan.
- Add chilies and toss for a few seconds.
- Return chicken to pan with soy sauce mixture and cook until glazed (1 to 2 minutes). Add pea pods; cook 1 more minute. Serve immediately.
- If reheat ing, cut down on cooking time. Serves 6 to 8.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 576.7, Fat 39.3, SaturatedFat 8.2, Cholesterol 185.7, Sodium 1041.4, Carbohydrate 8, Fiber 1.3, Sugar 2.1, Protein 45.3
GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN
Invented in 1950s Taiwan by chef Peng Chang-Kuei, this crowd-pleasing fried chicken dish was adapted for American palates with a chile-spiked sweet-and-sour sauce and has since become a Chinese takeout classic.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken Chicken Thighs
Time 35m
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Combine chicken, egg white, soy sauce, wine, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Whisk together cornstarch, flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in another bowl. Let stand while making sauce.
- Make the sauce: Whisk soy sauce into cornstarch. Then whisk in wine, sugar, vinegar, and broth.
- Heat 1 1/2 inches oil in a deep pot (preferably cast-iron) to 350 degrees. Working in batches, remove chicken from marinade (do not worry about removing excess liquid) and toss in cornstarch mixture. Carefully add to oil and cook until crisp and light golden brown, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over medium. Add chiles, garlic, ginger, and scallion whites. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Add chicken and toss to coat in sauce. Remove from heat. Stir in sesame oil. Garnish with scallion greens and serve immediately with broccoli and rice.
GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN
There's been a lot of rumor about the origins of this dish; I'll let others fight it out and just focus on its deliciousness! I think that the human palate is drawn to the combination of savory, sour, sweet, salty and spicy. I think that's why we all love this dish. There's a huge difference between the popular sambal oelek and Chinese chili garlic sauce. Sambal is very easy to find but it's twice as hot as chili garlic. So, if you are using sambal, use half the amount.
Provided by Jet Tila
Categories main-dish
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- For the chicken: Place your broccoli florets in a medium bowl and add 2 tablespoons water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside until ready to use.
- Heat the oil in a 4-quart (3.8-liter) Dutch oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) using a frying thermometer. Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Mix 1 1/2 cups (335 grams) of the tempura flour and 1 cup (240 milliliters) water into a thick batter. It should look like thick pancake batter. Dredge the chicken cubes in the 1 cup (223 grams) of tempura flour and then coat them in the batter. Fry them in two batches until golden brown and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the chicken on paper towels or a rack.
- Heat a wok or large skillet to high and add 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of oil. When you see the first wisps of white smoke, stir in the fried chicken, onion, chiles, broccoli, and 1/3 of the ginger and garlic and cook them for about 30 seconds.
- For the sauce: While the chicken cooks, add the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, sugar, white vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch slurry, red food coloring if using, 1/3 cup water and the remaining chopped ginger and garlic into a 1-quart (946-millileter) saucepan and bring the heat up to medium. Whisk gently as it comes to a simmer. Allow it to simmer and keep whisking it for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and reserve it.
- Stir in the sauce and allow it to coat the chicken and simmer. Cook it, folding all the ingredients until they are well coated, about 2 minutes. Garnish with the scallions.
GENERAL TSAO'S CHICKEN
An Asian chicken recipe without the typical oriental taste. This recipe was voted one of the top 10 dishes in Columbus by Columbus Monthly Magazine, as prepared by Chef Paul Kaewprasart of the Siam Oriental Restaurant. I modified it slightly, and it goes great over white rice as a main dish for any number of people.
Provided by Chuck Cade
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian
Time 50m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- To Make Sauce: In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Mix together. Add garlic, ginger, sugar, 1/4 cup soy sauce and white wine vinegar. Then add chicken broth and monosodium glutamate and stir all together until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until needed.
- To Prepare Chicken: In a separate bowl, combine chicken, 1/2 cup soy sauce and white pepper. Stir in egg. Add 1 cup cornstarch and stir until chicken is evenly coated. Add oil to help separate chicken pieces. Divide chicken into small quantities and deep fry at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
- To Make Mixture: Place a small amount of oil in wok and heat until wok is hot. Add scallions and dried chile peppers and stir-fry briefly. Remove sauce from refrigerator and stir. Add sauce to wok. Then add fried chicken and cook until sauce thickens (add cornstarch or water as needed until sauce is as thick as you like it).
Nutrition Facts : Calories 841.5 calories, Carbohydrate 60.7 g, Cholesterol 162.8 mg, Fat 40.5 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 56.5 g, SaturatedFat 5.8 g, Sodium 2056.6 mg, Sugar 26.4 g
GENERAL TSAO'S CHICKEN II
A genuinely mouthwatering dish with an Asian kick that will knock your chopsticks off! Don't be fooled by other General Tsao impostors: this is simply the best Chinese chicken you will ever have. With a flair of peanut oil, a streak of sesame, a dash of orange, and a sweet spot for hot, this is sure to be a favorite. Just don't forget to deep-fry twice! Serve with steamed broccoli and white rice." - ChefDaddy
Provided by punji
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 50m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Heat 4 cups vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken cubes; sprinkle with salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and white pepper; mix well. Mix in 1 cup of cornstarch a little bit at a time until the chicken cubes are well coated.
- In batches, carefully drop the chicken cubes into the hot oil one by one, cooking until they turns golden brown and begin to float, about 3 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow to cool as you fry the next batch. Once all of the chicken has been fried, refry the chicken, starting with the batch that was cooked first. Cook until the chicken turns deep golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir in the green onion, garlic, whole chiles, and orange zest. Cook and stir a minute or two until the garlic has turned golden and the chiles brighten. Add 1/2 cup sugar, the ginger, chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and peanut oil; bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
- Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into the water, and stir into the boiling sauce. Return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about 1 minute. Stir the chicken into the boiling sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes until the chicken absorbs some of the sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1705.4, Fat 161.4, SaturatedFat 21.8, Cholesterol 125.4, Sodium 1197.1, Carbohydrate 42.8, Fiber 1.1, Sugar 20.1, Protein 25.8
Tips:
1. Use high-quality chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs are the best options for this recipe. 2. Make sure the chicken is dry: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before coating it in the cornstarch. This will help the chicken to get crispy. 3. Use a light hand when coating the chicken in cornstarch: Too much cornstarch will make the chicken gummy. 4. Fry the chicken in batches: Do not overcrowd the pan when frying the chicken. This will cause the chicken to steam instead of fry. 5. Use a high-quality oil for frying: A neutral oil, such as vegetable oil or canola oil, is best for frying. 6. Do not overcook the chicken: The chicken should be cooked through, but not overcooked. Otherwise, it will become tough. 7. Make the sauce while the chicken is frying: This will save time and ensure that the sauce and chicken are ready at the same time. 8. Use fresh ingredients for the sauce: Fresh ginger, garlic, and green onions will give the sauce the best flavor. 9. Taste the sauce before serving: Adjust the seasonings to taste. You may want to add more soy sauce, rice vinegar, or sugar. 10. Serve the chicken and sauce immediately: This dish is best served hot.Conclusion:
General Tso's chicken is a delicious and popular Chinese dish that can be easily made at home. By following these tips, you can make a General Tso's chicken that is crispy, flavorful, and authentic.
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