Cooking Lucid
General Tso's Chicken
Crispy fried chicken glazed in a sweet, tangy, and mildly spicy sauce. An American-Chinese icon that's even better when made fresh at home.
Prep 20 min
Cook 20 min
Total 40 min
Serves 4
Ingredients
Step 1 — Marinate and batter the chicken
- 1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
Step 2 — Make the sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 4 dried red chilies
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 thumb ginger (minced)
Step 3 — Serve
- Steamed white rice
- Sesame seeds
- Sliced green onions
Instructions
- 1
Fry the chicken
Toss chicken with egg and soy sauce. Mix cornstarch and flour, dredge chicken pieces. Heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F. Fry chicken in batches 5–6 minutes until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
- 2
Make the sauce
Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, hoisin, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and broth. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok. Stir-fry chilies, garlic, and ginger 30 seconds. Pour in sauce and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- 3
Glaze and serve
Toss fried chicken in the sauce until evenly coated. Serve over steamed rice garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.
Nutrition per serving: 520 cal · 34g protein · 38g carbs · 26g fat · 1g fiber
For informational purposes only. Not medical or dietary advice. Verify ingredients for allergens, cooking times, and safe internal temperatures before serving.
