General Tao Chicken
This is the recipe that everyone always asks me for. It’s also the one recurring dish that finds its way into most of our buffet dinner parties – and it’s always the first to disappear as well. Our guests have given the dish names of their own: sticky chicken, General Tso chicken, and “that yummy chicken”.
I first sampled General Tao chicken in 1996 in a gritty little restaurant in Montreal’s Chinatown. Love at first bite, I tell you. After that, I embarked on a mission of trial and error – and this lovely recipe is the result! Marinated chunks of juicy chicken fried in a light and crispy batter and then tossed in a sticky, slightly sweet and slightly spicy sauce.
So, here it is: the recipe for my most popular dish.
General Tao Chicken
This recipe has many steps but is relatively straightforward – and the end result is worth it! It serves 4 people; but is easily doubled or tripled. Serve with rice and stir-fried vegetables. For a healthier version, stir fry the chicken pieces without battering them and top with the sauce.
Battered Chicken:
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch (cornflour)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup low-sodium or light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thigh meat – cubed
- oil, for deep frying
The batter will bubble once mixed.
Mix everything except the chicken meat in a large bowl. The batter will be thin. After a minute, it will foam up slightly and be light. Toss the chicken in the batter. Cover it with cling film and put in the refrigerator to chill for at least 10 minutes (and up to 1 hour).
Deep fry the chicken pieces
Heat the oil until almost smoking (or up to the highest setting on your deep fryer). Drop the pieces of battered chicken into the hot oil one at a time. Do this very gently. Do not crowd the deep fryer (or pan) or the chicken will not crisp up. You may have to fry the chicken in batches.
Keep the chicken pieces warm in the oven
Preheat the oven to its lowest setting (175 F or gas mark 1/2). Remove the chicken from the oil when cooked through and dark golden brown (about 5-7 minutes). Drain off the excess oil. Spread the pieces on a pan covered in paper towels. Place the chicken in the oven to keep warm while you finish frying the chicken and make the sauce.
Sauce
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup finely peeled and grated fresh ginger (you can use jarred minced ginger)
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek, siracha or other hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup sugar (and 2 tablespoons water)
- 3 green onions (spring onions), thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Whisk the sauce ingredients together
Whisk the cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, water, ginger, garlic, hot sauce, paprika and water together in a bowl. Set aside.
Caramelize the sugar for the sauce
Heat (on high heat) the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a large, deep skillet. Watch it carefully. It will bubble. After 7-10 minutes, it will start to caramelize and turn brown. When the sugar starts to turn golden, quickly pour in the other whisked sauce ingredients and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth. Clumps of sugar may stick to the whisk, but these will melt off after a few minutes.
Once the sugar has caramelized, whisk in the other sauce ingredients
Continue cooking and whisking until the sauce is smooth, translucent and thick.
Carefully toss the chicken in the sauce
Carefully add the cooked chicken to the mixture. Add the green onions and sesame seeds. Turn carefully to coat with the sauce. Serve hot!
General Tao Chicken - Ready to Serve!
This is best served immediately because the chicken pieces only remain crisp for a little while once they are drenched in the sauce. However, it still tastes great when served as part of a buffet line. And of course, it makes for great left overs!
Enjoy!
Related Posts:
Filipino BBQ Chicken Recipe
Piri Piri Chicken Recipe
A Cheesy Chicken Recipe – Easy Filipino Food
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7 comments
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Danielle
September 24, 2011 at 5:01 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I made this tonight and while the spice and ginge flavors were good there was way to much sugar. A cup is about 5 times more than you would need. Also I waitied till the sugar just turned brown then added the sauce but it turned to a thick gelatinous substance even after whisking till it was all mixed, smooth and translucent. It just clung in such an odd way to the chicken.
Linda, the Hungry Host
September 24, 2011 at 5:14 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Doh! Sorry it didn’t work for you. Really weird though… That’s never happened for any of my recipe testers. I do know however that you have to have just barely enough sauce for the chicken so that it isn’t all goopy. The sauce should just coat the chicken. Too much sauce is messy and the sweetness would defo overpower… I like to toss the chicken so its JUST coated.
Linda, the Hungry Host
September 24, 2011 at 5:23 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Of course I was just thinking maybe I should try it with less sugar just to see… It’d be healthier for sure!
Melissa
October 10, 2011 at 2:45 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
This was delicious! We used 2/3 cup of sugar instead of the full cup with the 2 Tbs of water and the sauce came out just right! There was just enough to cover the chicken. We opted to serve it over brown rice with broccoli as a side. What a great meal!
Thanks
Linda, the Hungry Host
September 28, 2012 at 8:19 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
That sounds like a healthier version – I will give that a try!
Ashley
September 28, 2012 at 1:20 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Hello linda!
I made this last night for dinner and it was honestly one of my family’s favourite dishes I have ever made! The sauce turned out absolutely perfect for me and I loved your idea of keeping the chicken pieces warm in the oven while I finished everything
I served it with baby bok choy and rice, although there are many side dishes that would go wonderfully with this!
Thank you SO much for posting this! Will definitely be making this amazing meal again very soon!
Linda, the Hungry Host
September 28, 2012 at 8:21 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Glad you liked it! MM….I love baby bok choi! I like to make batches of the sauce so I can just freeze and thaw it and use it over chicken and other meats when I have left overs