I’m not a huge fan of spicy, but I do love General Tso’s (pronounced General Chow’s) Chicken. This home-made version is every bit as good as from a Chinese restaurant, with none of the MSG, mystery meat or food colouring attached!
You can use cornstarch battered and fried chicken for this recipe, or use julienne’d strips of poached or grilled chicken for a healthier version. Either way, it requires a little bit of prep up front, but the cooking is EASY! It’s not as complicated as it looks. The only special tool you need is a citrus zester… don’t short yourself that sweet taste of orange by omitting it from the recipe. You won’t regret it.
General Tso’s Chicken (Sauce)
Print recipe | Serves | 4-6 |
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Cook time | 10 minutes |
| Total time | 20 minutes |
| Dietary | Gluten Free |
| Meal type | Main Dish |
| Misc | Pre-preparable, Serve Hot |
This home-made version is every bit as good as from a Chinese restaurant, with none of the MSG, mystery meat or food colouring attached!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup light oil (light olive oil or vegetable)
- 6 tablespoons green onion
- 1-2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (begin with 1 tsp, and add more to heat preference)
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 cup sugar (white or golden)
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 6 tablespoons chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1.5lb chicken (grilled or poached and julienned or cubed and fried in the cornstarch batter)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Thickening
- 5 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
Directions
| Step 1. |
In a saucepan, heat the oil, and sauté the green onion, garlic, red pepper, and orange zest until the garlic begins to brown nicely. |  |
| Step 2. | Add the remaining ingredients: chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, sugar. | |
| Step 3. |
Bring to a boil, and allow to simmer for three minutes, and increase red pepper seasoning to taste at this stage (if necessary). |  |
| Thickening | ||
| Step 4. | Mix the cornstarch and water, and pour into the sauce, stirring rapidly or whisking to ensure no lumps. Allow to simmer another 1-2 minutes, until the chalkiness of the cornstarch fully incorporates and becomes smooth. | |
| Step 5. | Mix the chicken into the sauce and serve with rice and vegetables. Garnish with sesame seeds, optionally. | |
in step 1 it mentions garlic but theres none in ingredient list. how much do i use?
love to try this and your sweet n sour and the batters
I apologize for that, Tim! Good catch, and thank you for letting me know! It looks like I used about 1 tablespoon of minced garlic in the photo… about 1 large clove. Happy cooking!