General Tso's Chicken

• servings: 4 servings
• total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs ((450g, cut into 1-inch pieces))

1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine

1 tablespoon water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup low sodium chicken stock

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

3 cups broccoli florets ((about 8 ounces/225g))

4 cups peanut oil ((for frying, plus 1 tablespoon; can substitute canola or vegetable oil))

5-6 dried red chili peppers

2 cloves garlic ((minced))

2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine

2 tablespoons cornstarch ((mixed into a slurry with 2 tablespoons water))

Directions

Marinate the chicken pieces in a bowl with the Shaoxing wine, water, salt, white pepper, and sesame oil. Mix until the chicken absorbs all the liquid. Next, add the toasted sesame seeds, all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Stir to coat, and set aside.

Make the sauce mixture by combining the low-sodium chicken stock, dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce, brown sugar and rice wine vinegar in a bowl or measuring cup. Set aside.

In a wok or pot, boil 6 cups water, and blanch the broccoli for 30 seconds to a minute, depending on whether you like your broccoli soft or crunchy. Drain in a colander and set aside. To keep it super green, you can also transfer them to an ice bath, and then drain and set aside.

Heat the frying oil in a small but deep pot to 335 degrees F/170 degrees C. Carefully drop the chicken pieces into the oil in small batches. Make sure the batter/sesame seeds have really coated all sides of the chicken before frying. The chicken should float at the top of the oil. Fry until light golden brown (about 5 minutes) and transfer to a wire rack or plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Be sure to manage the oil temperature using a thermometer, as it will drop every time you add raw chicken. Continue frying in batches. Once all of the chicken has been fried once, fry the chicken a second time for 3 to 5 minutes until super crispy. Be careful not to burn it!

Heat a clean wok over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil along with the dried chilies. Cook the chili peppers for about 5 seconds. Add the minced garlic and Shaoxing wine.

Next, add the General Tso’s Chicken sauce you prepared earlier. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and stir in the cornstarch slurry until it thickens to a glossy sauce. Add the chicken and broccoli, and toss until everything is coated in the sauce. Plate and serve immediately with steamed rice!

Nutrition

• Calories: 513 kcal
• Total Fat: 34 g
• Saturated Fat: 24 g
• Cholesterol: 108 mg
• Sodium: 497 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 29 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Total Sugars: 12 g
• Protein: 25 g