Absolutely delicious. Most flavorful General Tsao’s Chicken that I have ever had. Followed the recipe as directed with one exception. Had to substitute red pepper seeds for the whole chilies. I used about a teaspoon full. This gave the meal a nice amount a heat without overpowering my children’s palate. Thank you for sharing!
If I could give this recipe 10 stars, I would do so! This was absolutely DELICIOUS! The whole family tore it up, NO leftovers. Definitely of restaurant quality, if not better. I have tried many homemade oriental recipes and NONE are as good. I’m not sure what the purpose is of double frying, but will continue to do so as I don’t want to chance it affecting the awesome outcome.
This was fantastic! I will definitely make this again. I am glad I got the ingredients ready as other posters suggested as the sauce comes together rather quickly. I rated this 4 stars but I wish I could give it 4 and a half. It was great but it was a little too sweet for me. Next time I will reduce the sugar. Overall a terrific dish and well worth the effort!
The only adaptations I made were to toss broccoli in during the last minutes of thickening the sauce, and since the sauce needed only 3 tbs of chicken broth, I made a cup of bullion, used the 3 tbs and then used 1/4 c of the rest to mix with the cornstarch to thicken. I also did put the (white breast) chicken chunks in a fryer, then finished them for 10 minutes or so in a 425 degree oven before tossing them into the sauce.
Yes, you can use plain chicken, but that’s stir fry with Tsao’s sauce, this is the real thing! You won’t find a restaurant in town that can beat this recipe. I used to work in a Chinese restaurant in high school,their food was wonderful, but this is the best. Definitely use dried red chilies and fresh grated ginger.
Ingredients:
4 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 egg
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 pinch white pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons chopped green onion1 clove garlic, minced6 dried whole red chilies
1 strip orange zest
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water.
Directions:
Heat 4 cups vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken cubes; sprinkle with salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and white pepper; mix well. Mix in 1 cup of cornstarch a little bit at a time until the chicken cubes are well coated.
In batches, carefully drop the chicken cubes into the hot oil one by one, cooking until they turns golden brown and begin to float, about 3 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow to cool as you fry the next batch. Once all of the chicken has been fried, refry the chicken, starting with the batch that was cooked first. Cook until the chicken turns deep golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir in the green onion, garlic, whole chiles, and orange zest. Cook and stir a minute or two until the garlic has turned golden and the chiles brighten. Add 1/2 cup sugar, the ginger, chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and peanut oil; bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into the water, and stir into the boiling sauce. Return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about 1 minute. Stir the chicken into the boiling sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes until the chicken absorbs some of the sauce.
Note:
The nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of the batter ingredients. The actual amount of the batter consumed will vary. We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and the specific type of oil used.
source:allrecipes.com
