What is General Tso’s Chicken?
General Tso’s Chicken is also known as General Tao’s Chicken. If you have never tried it, it has been called the spicy cousin to Orange Chicken. In the American Chinese takeout versions, they are both deep-fried (except in our version is crunch baked) but General Tso’s Chicken is characterized by the sweet and spicy sauce that is kicking with garlic and ginger. After devouring this General Tso Chicken recipe for the first time, you might find yourself craving General Tso’s chicken, dreaming about General Tso’s Chicken, even falling in love with General Tso’s Chicken. But that’s okay, because this chicken is baked and then broiled to crispy perfection and not fried, so its worthy of all your guiltless affection. In full disclosure, the chicken won’t get as crispy as when fried, but it’s being smothered in the best sauce anyway, so I can assure you, you won’t even notice.
General Tso’s Chicken Recipe Ingredients
How to make General Tso Chicken
General Tsos Chicken Tips and Tricks
Here are some tips and tricks that make this the Best General Tso’s Chicken Recipe!
- Heat your baking sheet first. We first line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray then place this baking sheet in oven. This allows the baking sheet to get piping hot so when we add our chicken, it immediately begins to crisp up. In my original General Tso Chicken recipe, I placed the chicken on a greased baking rack on top of a baking sheet, which you are still welcome to do, but I find that method super tedious when adding and flipping the chicken to make sure they don’t fall in between the cracks. This new method gets them just as crispy as long as you broil both sides of the chicken. 2. Use the marinade for both the marinade AND the base of the sauce – no double work here! Our marinade/sauce consist of mostly pantry friendly ingredients: low sodium soy sauce, Japanese rice wine, water, toasted sesame seed oil, Sriracha/ Asian hot chili sauce, garlic and ginger. We separate out some sauce for our marinade and the rest is the base of of our sauce. 3. What is rice wine and where can I buy it? The only marinade/sauce ingredient you might have a question about is the rice wine. Rice wine should become a pantry staple if you do much Asian cooking because it is used in MANY of my recipes, not just this General Tso’s Chicken. Rice wine is NOT rice vinegar- DO NOT switch them out. Rice wine adds a sweetness and depth of flavor while also tenderizing the chicken. Rice vinegar, on the other hand will add an acidic flavor.
- Marinate for as little or long as you like. The extra step of marinating our chicken does wonders at tenderizing it and infusing it with flavor. You can marinate your chicken for as little as 20 minutes at room temperature or you can refrigerate it for up to 6 hours – whatever fits you schedule! 5. Don’t skimp on the ginger! Next, we whisk together all of breading ingredients consisting of flour, ground ginger, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons ground ginger which sounds like a lot but I promise it is AMAZING! The ginger cuts through the sweetness of the sauce and adds the character General Tso’s Chicken zing. 6. My easy breading technique! Instead of draining the chicken, dipping them in an eggs wash and then dredging in four, I’ve created a simple technique you will love! Drain your chicken from the marinade while the chicken is still in the bag (I do this by holding it over the sink with an opening that isn’t large enough for the chicken to escape, but large enough for the marinade), then add your eggs TO the bag. Toss in the bag until the chicken is evenly coated and viola! 7. Shake, shake, shake and hand toss! Working in in batches, we remove the coated chicken from egg bag and dab off excess egg with paper towels then add it to the breading bag and shake, shake shake! This way your hands don’t become a gooey mess. After the chicken has been shook, I like to use a dry hand and rub any pieces in the breading that might not be evenly coated evenly. 8. Broil to get crispy. We evenly line our chicken on our hot baking sheet, lightly spray with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes. Now comes the key to crispy chicken – broil! Broil your chicken until golden in some spots then flip over and broil another 2-3 minutes. The chicken will not be as crispy as when fried but it will be deeeelicious. 9. Don’t overcook the Caramel Sauce! While chicken is baking, we whisk ¼ cup water and 1 cup sugar together in a large nonstick skillet and bring it to a boil for approximately 1 minute, whisking constantly. You don’t want to overcook or it will harden! At this point, we add reserved sauce all at once and simmer until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Now that is more than you ever wanted to know about General Tso’s Chicken! But I hope you make this recipe soon and it will having YOU say, “This General Tsos’ Chicken is one of my favorite recipes EVER!”
Serving General Tso Chicken
General Tso Chicken is delicious topped with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes served over rice. Here are more side-serving ideas:
Rice: Steamed white or brown rice, or try fried rice for an extra flavorful base-but I don’t think it needs it! Low-carb: Cauliflower rice, quinoa, broccoli rice, or a blend of brown rice and any of the aforementioned options. You can also use low-carb noodles such as zoodles or spaghetti squash. Vegetables: To add color, crunch, and nutrition, pair the dish with stir-fried or steamed vegetables like broccoli, bell peppers, or snow peas. Salad: If you skip the stir-fried veggies, try a side salad instead such as ramen noodle Salad, crunchy Asian Salad, Chinese salad, or Asian pineapple salad. Noodles: Serve the chicken over lo mein or chow mein noodles for a different take. Side Dishes: Complement the meal with classic Chinese sides or appetizers like wontons soup, egg drop soup, egg rolls wontons, crab rangoons.
Storing leftover Homemade General Tso Chicken
How to store: This recipe is best served fresh because it is at peak crispiness and sauciness, and the chicken is the juiciest. Leftover chicken is not quite crispy or as flavorful, but can still be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. How to reheat on the stove: Leftovers, even small portions, are best reheated on the stove. To reheat, heat a drizzle of vegetable, canola, or peanut oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
LOOKING FOR MORE CHINESE CHICKEN RECIPES?
Sweet and Sour Chicken Orange Chicken Sweet Fire Chicken Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken Honey Lemon Chicken Szechuan Chicken Baked General Tso’s Sticky Wings
Recipe adapted from Rock Recipes Tag @CarlsbadCravings and Use #CarlsbadCravngs Leave a Review, I Always Love Hearing From You! Carlsbad Cravings© Original
