Description
A classic Chinese-American favorite, General Tso’s Chicken features crispy battered chicken pieces coated in a tangy, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce. Perfect as a flavorful main dish served over rice or steamed vegetables.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 chicken breasts, cubed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (or cornstarch)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic salt
- 3/4 cup oil, for frying
Sauce
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp red chili pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Cube the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. In a bowl, mix the all-purpose flour (or cornstarch), paprika, and garlic salt. Coat each chicken piece evenly in the flour mixture to create a crispy breading.
- Fry the Chicken: Heat 3/4 cup of oil in a deep skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Fry the breaded chicken pieces in batches to avoid overcrowding, cooking until they are golden brown and fully cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per batch. Remove and drain on paper towels.
- Make the Sauce: In a separate saucepan, combine sugar, water, white distilled vinegar, salt, soy sauce, and red chili pepper flakes if using. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Simmer the Sauce with Chicken: Once boiling, add all the fried chicken pieces into the sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken beautifully.
- Serve: Remove from heat and serve hot, ideally over steamed rice or with your choice of vegetables.
Notes
- For an extra crispy coating, use cornstarch instead of all-purpose flour.
- Adjust the red chili pepper flakes to control the heat level.
- Use a deep frying pan or wok for best results while frying.
- Drain fried chicken on paper towels to remove excess oil before saucing.
- Serve immediately to enjoy the chicken at its crispiest.