Authentic General Tso's Chicken

An authentic General Tso's Chicken recipe straight from a Chinese native and culinary expert. Skip the sweetened Americanized versions and try the real deal!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 2268kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

For the marinade:

2 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine
1 large egg white
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 3/4-inch cubes

For the sauce:

3/4 cup chicken stock or water
1/4 cup Shaoxing cooking wine
2 tablespoons Chinkiang black vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons tapioca flour (tapioca starch)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

To make the chicken:

4 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cup tapioca flour
3 tablespoons garlic minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
1/4 cup dried red chiles
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons scallions thinly sliced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken cubes, toss to combine, and marinate for 20 minutes.
Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a separate bowl.
Heat vegetable oil in a wok over high heat until shimmering around 375 degrees F. Put the tapioca flour in a large bowl, add marinated chicken, and toss to coat. Be sure to coat each piece generously.
Fry the chicken in the hot oil in two batches until they are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Remove all about 2 tablespoons of the oil from the wok. Add garlic and ginger to the wok and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add chiles and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
Whisk the sauce mixture to recombine and add to the wok. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
Transfer chicken to the wok and toss to coat. Stir in sesame oil. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.

Notes

Excerpted from Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees: Essential Techniques of Authentic Chinese Cooking. Reprinted with permission from author and publishing company.

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