Who doesn't love Chinese food? It seems like one of the most popular menu items at Chinese restaurants is General Tso's chicken.
I love trying to make copycat recipes and homemade versions of what you might typically order in a restaurant. When I set out to find a recipe for General Tso's chicken, I knew it would be slightly time consuming to make, but I didn't know how perfect the first recipe I tried would be!
If you ever want to make an amazing homemade meal on the weekends or on a night where you have a little bit of extra time for dinner, you have to make this!
The first time my husband and I tried it, I looked at what he had put on his plate and gave him a look of, "are you really going to eat all of that?" Alas, he did, and got seconds! Needless to say, I made it again that week :)
When I deep-fry food, I started off using my compact Cuisinart deep fryer. This one works perfectly, but I noticed that I couldn't put much in it at a time. I got this new Waring Pro deep fryer and I love it!! I can put much more in it at a time, and instead of one small basket, I can use two small baskets or a large basket. Plus, deep fryers are perfect for my Fried Ravioli ;)
I love trying to make copycat recipes and homemade versions of what you might typically order in a restaurant. When I set out to find a recipe for General Tso's chicken, I knew it would be slightly time consuming to make, but I didn't know how perfect the first recipe I tried would be!
If you ever want to make an amazing homemade meal on the weekends or on a night where you have a little bit of extra time for dinner, you have to make this!
The first time my husband and I tried it, I looked at what he had put on his plate and gave him a look of, "are you really going to eat all of that?" Alas, he did, and got seconds! Needless to say, I made it again that week :)
When I deep-fry food, I started off using my compact Cuisinart deep fryer. This one works perfectly, but I noticed that I couldn't put much in it at a time. I got this new Waring Pro deep fryer and I love it!! I can put much more in it at a time, and instead of one small basket, I can use two small baskets or a large basket. Plus, deep fryers are perfect for my Fried Ravioli ;)
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Prep Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients (for marinade and sauce):
Ingredients (for frying):
**See directions below if you would like to add broccoli.
Directions:
**For the broccoli:
Source: Brown Eyed Baker
Prep Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients (for marinade and sauce):
- 1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Ingredients (for frying):
- 3 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups cornstarch
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 cups vegetable oil (or however much is required for your deep fryer)
**See directions below if you would like to add broccoli.
Directions:
- For the marinade, whisk the hoisin sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch and water in a 4-cup measuring cup or bowl. Place 6 Tablespoons of this marinade in a gallon ziploc bag, and add the chicken. Seal and place in the fridge until ready to coat the chicken. Set aside the remaining marinade.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat until simmering. Saute the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes until fragrant. Add 2 cups of the marinade to the skillet and whisk constantly until the mixture becomes dark and thickened. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.
- Whisk the egg whites in a shallow bowl until the edges of the bowl become foamy. In another shallow dish, combine the cornstarch, flour, and baking soda. Drizzle in the remaining marinade and mix until it resembles coarse meal.
- Drain the chicken from the marinade on a paper towel-lined plate. Pat the chicken dry. Add some of the chicken to the egg whites and stir to completely cover. Then, dredge the chicken in the cornstarch mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer the chicken to a plate or piece of waxed paper and continue until all chicken is coated. (If you don't let it sit, the coating may come off in the fryer.)
- Heat the oil in a compact deep fryer (like I mentioned above) or a Dutch oven to 350 degrees F. Fry the chicken, (as many as you can fit in the fryer without letting the chicken sit on top of each other or get too close to each other) for 3 minutes, or until slightly golden. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Repeat with the remaining chicken, making sure to return the heat level to 350 degrees F each time.
- Warm the sauce over medium heat until simmering. Turn off the heat and add the fried chicken pieces (and broccoli, if desired). Toss to coat and serve!
**For the broccoli:
- Cut a head of broccoli into bite-sized pieces. In a large frying pan, add the broccoli and about 1/4 cup of water. Allow the broccoli to steam over medium heat, about 8 minutes, covered. If the water seems to evaporate too quickly, you may add another Tablespoon or two of water.
- When ready to serve, add to the sauce with the chicken. Toss to coat, and enjoy!
Source: Brown Eyed Baker
