**General Tso's Chicken: A Culinary Journey Through Chinese-American Cuisine**
General Tso's chicken, an iconic dish that has captivated taste buds worldwide, is a culinary symphony of flavors, textures, and aromas. This beloved dish, a staple of Chinese-American cuisine, tantalizes the palate with its crispy, golden-fried chicken enveloped in a sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy sauce. Originating from Hunan province in China, General Tso's chicken has undergone a remarkable transformation as it journeyed across the Pacific, adapting to American tastes while retaining its quintessential charm. Our comprehensive guide presents an array of General Tso's chicken recipes, each offering a unique interpretation of this classic dish. Embark on a culinary adventure as we explore the diverse flavors and techniques that make General Tso's chicken a timeless favorite. From the traditional Hunan-style General Tso's chicken to the modern interpretations with a twist, our recipes cater to every palate, promising an unforgettable dining experience.
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 TSO'S CHICKEN RECIPE
General Tso's Chicken is a Chinese takeout go-to. Make it all in one dish in the comfort of your home for a sweet and spicy treat!
Provided by Natalya Drozhzhin
Categories Easy
Time 30m
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Toss each piece with cornstarch. Set aside.
- In a separate dish, combine all the ingredients for your sauce together.
- Preheat a non-stick skillet with oil. Cook each chicken piece until all the sides are golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan. Leave about 1 tbsp of oil in the pan for cooking.
- Add the garlic, ginger and pepper flakes. Sautee for about 30 seconds.
- Add the sauce to the skillet and bring it to a simmer then add the chicken and toss to coat. Serve right away!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 413 kcal, Carbohydrate 24 g, Protein 20 g, Fat 26 g, SaturatedFat 6 g, Cholesterol 111 mg, Sodium 977 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 11 g, ServingSize 1 serving
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 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
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
Steps:
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg white, 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of the wine, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.
- To make the sauce, in another bowl, whisk remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of the chicken stock until smooth. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons chicken stock, 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, the vinegar, and sugar and whisk to combine. Set aside until ready to finish the dish.
- In a large wok or pot, heat enough oil to come 3 inches up the sides to 350 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and carefully slide into the hot oil. Fry, turning, until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.
- Discard all but about 1 tablespoon of the oil from the wok. (Alternatively, in a clean wok or saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.) Add the chile peppers and stir-fry until nearly black. Add the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and 1/2 cup green onions. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the chicken stock sauce, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- Arrange the chicken on a platter and pour the sauce over it. Garnish with the cashews and additional green onions. Serve with hot rice.
GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: vegetable oil, rice wine, soy sauce, boneless, skinless chicken thighs, flour, salt, vegetable oil, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, dried chili pod, rice wine, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, water, green onion, white rice
Provided by Michael Price
Categories Dinner
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup rice wine (240 ml), ¼ cup (60 ml) of soy sauce, and cubed chicken thighs. Stir and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour.
- In a separate large bowl, combine 1 cup of flour (125 g) and 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Remove chicken from wine/soy marinade and place in flour mixture. Mix thoroughly, until all the chicken pieces are coated.
- Fill a dutch oven or large pot at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep with vegetable oil. Heat oil to 365˚F (185˚C). Place chicken pieces in frying oil, stirring occasionally. Fry until they are golden brown, roughly 4-5 minutes. Remove chicken from oil and set aside to drain on paper towels or a wire rack.
- In a large skillet, bring one tablespoon of vegetable oil to medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger, stirring frequently for one minute.
- Add dried chili pods. Continue stirring for 30 seconds before adding rice wine, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sugar. Stir occasionally until mixture is bubbling.
- Add cornstarch slurry, stirring frequently. The sauce should begin to thicken in a minute or less.
- Add cooked chicken pieces, stirring them to coat with the sauce.
- Remove from heat and garnish with green onions and rice.
- Nutrition Calories: 4192 Fat: 434 grams Carbs: 55 grams Fiber: 3 grams Sugars: 18 grams Protein: 33 grams
- Enjoy!
GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN
Wow! This is even better than the BEST I have had in my fave Chinese restaurant. To make the meal go quickly prep everything the day or night before and store in the fridge. To make this easy to understand I have changed the terms to cornstarch slurry and sauce. The first is used to coat the chicken for frying, the second to coat the fried chicken. HTH I use a grater with small holes for the garlic or you can just zip all the sauce ingredients up in a blender or food processor. Enjoy! NOTE: I really appreciate all the reviews this recipe has received. I know that when making this it seems strange and like it just is not going to work. Trust that it will work even though the method and the way that the cornstarch slurry acts before cooking are so different. I was the same way the first time I made this. It does result in crispy pieces of chicken that are so like you find in a restaurant. The heat here is pretty much a balanced amount because some like it hot and some do not. Taste and add more heat as desired. Thanks again for trying this recipe. I hope that you have the great results that I have had time and again. Here is info, pics and heat levels of different chilies. http://www.foodsubs.com/Chilefre.html
Provided by Mamas Kitchen Hope
Categories Chicken Breast
Time 40m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Place sauce ingredients in a quart jar with a lid and shake to mix. If you make this ahead of time just refrigerate until needed, shaking it again when you are ready to use it. This also keeps your dirty dishes down.
- Mix cornstarch slurry in a large bowl- the mixture will be strange but trust me it works. It will be VERY thick almost paste like. Add ALL the chicken pieces and stir to coat. Using a fork remove ONE chicken piece at a time and let the excess mixture drip off. YES even though the mixture has a weird consistency it will not stick like paste and the excess will drip off. Add chicken to the hot (350 degree) oil and fry until crispy. Only cook 7 or 8 chicken pieces at a time. You do not want to lower the temp of the oil by cooking too many at a time. You can use a simple cooking or candy thermometer to judge the temp of the oil.
- Drain on paper towels. Want them extra crispy? Put them on a rack over a sheet pan. Keep warm- I just put them in the oven with the oven off. Repeating until all chicken is fried.
- In a separate wok or large skillet add a small amount of oil and heat to 400 degrees. Again, a candy thermometer works great. (Want less dishes? You can just drain the oil after you fry all the chicken, leave a small amount (about a tsp) in the pan and use the same pan if you like.)
- Add green onions and hot peppers and stir fry about 30 seconds.
- Stir (or shake jar) sauce mixture, and then add to pan with onions and peppers, cook until thick. Some reviews didn't kniw what "thick" meant. Thick like the same sauce you get at a restaurant.you want it to just coat the chicken. If it gets too thick, add a little water or other liquid. The thickness of the sauce should be similar to what you get when ordering this at a restaurant.
- Add chicken to sauce in wok and heat just until the chicken is hot enough for you. It may not even need a minute if you kept the chicken warm. The quicker you serve it the crispier the chicken stays.
- Don't be scared by any negative reviews. It's not rocket science though if you have never cooked with a cornstarch slurry it may feel like an experiment. Trust yourself! You've got this! If you have any doubts reread the recipe and get everything in order before you start to cook. I promise you will thank yourself and maybe even me! Enjoy!
- Oh it's great served over rice!
GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN
A favourite dish in Chinese restaurants, try making your own General Tso's chicken. It looks complicated but get all the components ready and it's quite easy
Provided by Diana Henry
Categories Dinner, Main course, Supper
Time 40m
Yield Serves 4 along with other dishes
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- For the chicken, mix the egg white with the potato flour in a bowl, then add the soy sauce, Shaohsing wine (or sherry) and the chicken. Turn the chicken over to coat it.
- For the sauce, mix together the tomato purée, 2-3 tbsp water, potato flour, soy sauces, rice vinegar, sugar and Shaohsing wine and set this aside. Snip the chillies into 5cm lengths, discarding the seeds.
- Heat the oil in a wok and cook the garlic, ginger and chillies over a medium heat until they're aromatic and beginning to soften, but not brown.
- Mix the cornflour and plain flour for the coating with salt and pepper and tip into a broad shallow bowl. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip it in the flour mix and set the pieces onto a tray.
- Pour enough oil into a deep pan to come 8cm up the sides. Heat until it reaches 200C (if you drop in a test piece of chicken, it should sizzle straight away). Carefully add half the chicken pieces and fry until they're crisp and golden - agitating the pieces to make sure they don't stick together - about 4 mins. Lift the pieces out with a slotted spoon onto a double layer of kitchen paper. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- Heat the wok, add the sauce mixture to the garlic, ginger and chillies in there and cook, stirring, until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Add the chicken and half the spring onions and warm everything through. Serve with the sesame seeds and the rest of the spring onions scattered on top. This doesn't give you huge servings so it's best to offer another dish with it, as well as boiled rice.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 430 calories, Fat 18 grams fat, SaturatedFat 4 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 34 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 10 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 30 grams protein, Sodium 3.1 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- For Crispy Chicken: To achieve crispy chicken, ensure the cornstarch coating is even and generous. This creates a barrier between the chicken and the sauce, preventing sogginess.
- Sauce Consistency: The sauce should be thick and glossy. If it's too thin, add a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and water) and cook until thickened. If it's too thick, add a little water or chicken broth.
- Fresh Ingredients: Use fresh ginger, garlic, and green onions for the best flavor. If using dried spices, adjust the quantity as they tend to be more concentrated.
- Rice or Noodles: Serve General Tso's chicken with steamed rice or noodles. To elevate the dish, consider using brown rice or whole wheat noodles for added nutrition.
- Garnish: Before serving, sprinkle some chopped green onions and sesame seeds on top of the dish for an extra layer of flavor and visual appeal.
Conclusion:
General Tso's chicken is a classic takeout dish that can be easily recreated at home with the right ingredients and techniques. By following the step-by-step instructions and incorporating the tips mentioned above, you can create a delicious and authentic General Tso's chicken that rivals your favorite takeout spot. Whether you're a seasoned cook or a beginner in the kitchen, this versatile dish is sure to impress your family and friends.
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