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Monday, November 14, 2011

General Tso's Chicken

I don't about you, but I love Chinese food. I could eat it every day. Unfortunately, take-out Chinese food isn't very healthy, especially my favorite dish, General Tso's Chicken.


After much searching and tasting, I have found a great recipe for homemade General Tso. It doesn't require deep frying and you can adjust it to your tastes. We like this so much, and I made it all the time!


This recipe can be made with chicken breast, tenderloins, thighs, shrimp (very good), pork, or tofu (never tried pork or tofu, but I bet it would be good). Its good over rice or noodles. You can add as many veggies as you want, but I usually just stick with broccoli. I have made it with broccoli, carrots, cabbage, broccoli slaw, corn, onions, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, edamame, etc.


General Tso's Chicken

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3-4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 head steamed broccoli (or other veggies)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
  • hot pepper flakes (optional)
  • sesame seeds (optional)
  • green onions, chopped, for garnish
  • hot rice, for serving
Instructions
  • In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and water (if you like it spicy, add red pepper flakes and/or siracha). Set aside.
  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Dredge the chicken in the cornstarch and shake off any excess. Cook the chicken in the olive oil until browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover with foil to keep warm.
  • Using a paper towel, wipe the skillet clean. Add the sesame oil and ginger. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Simmer mixture for 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens a bit. Add the chicken back into the skillet, toss to coat with sauce, and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Serve garnished with green onions, hot pepper flakes (if desired) and sesame seeds (if desired).


The chicken gets a nice crisp crust that mimic deep frying without all the fat

Sauce, simmering

Yummm!

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