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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » General Tso’s Chicken

    General Tso’s Chicken

    November 24, 2019 by Tiffany Leave a Comment

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    General Tso’s Chicken with a pop of orange zest and spicy habanero added to a tasty glaze over crispy fried tempura chicken.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

    General Tso's Chicken

    If you’re looking for recipes with habanero, this is perfect!

    This is one of those meals we all love, but it takes a little bit of time to make an extra-large batch for our big family so we don’t have it often enough.

    We like to eat it with my Japanese fried rice recipe, but steamed white rice is good too!

    General Tso’s Chicken Ingredients

    • Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
    • Cornstarch
    • Large Eggs
    • Salt
    • Soy Sauce
    • White Sugar
    • Peanut Oil
    • Chicken Broth
    • Rice Vinegar
    • Habaneros
    • Orange Zest or Orange Peel
    • Ground Ginger
    • Garlic
    • Canola Oil
    • Cold Water
    Habaneros

    Habanero Spiciness

    The habaneros add a little heat and the great thing about these peppers is the range of spiciness that can be achieved.

    For mild heat, leave the habaneros whole, and for hot, cut the habaneros in half.

    The inside lining of the pepper is where the spiciness lies.

    How to Cook General Tso’s Chicken

    After coating your chicken in the tempura batter, work in SMALL batches as you place it in the fryer.

    A fryer works better than a large pan of oil.

    Tempura Batter

    The tempura batter sticks. I mean, really sticks.

    The way around this is to spray Pam or whatever nonstick cooking spray you use, all over the inside of the fryer basket and on the bottom before adding more chicken.

    Be sure to break up the chicken as soon as it hits the oil. Otherwise, it likes to stay in a clump on the basket at the bottom.

    It’s important to keep stirring periodically to get the chicken cooked evenly.

    Tempura Chicken

    The chicken turns out golden and crispy after 4-5 minutes.

    How to Make General Tso Sauce

    General Tso's Sauce

    While I’m frying the chicken I get the sauce going in a wok. Allow the wok to get hot first with a teaspoon of oil.

    Begin by placing the garlic, habaneros, and orange peels in the bottom of the wok.

    Then add in the remaining ingredients, saving the cornstarch thickener for last after the sauce is boiling.

    General Tso's Chicken in Wok

    After the sauce is thickened, add the tempura chicken and stir to coat it. We often leave some crispy tempura chicken plain and eat it like nuggets.

    The kids definitely like that!

    General Tso's Chicken

    Try these other great Asian cuisine recipes:

    • Air Fryer Orange Chicken
    • Chicken Stir Fry
    • Instant Pot Ginger Pepper Steak
    • Instant Pot Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs
    • Japanese Steakhouse Ginger Sauce
    • Omurice
    • Peking Egg Rolls
    • Teppanyaki Fried Rice

    Enjoy!

    General Tso's Chicken

    General Tso’s Chicken

    General Tso's Chicken with a pop of orange zest and spicy habanero added to a tasty glaze over crispy fried tempura chicken.
    No ratings yet
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    Course: Main Dishes
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 6 Servings
    Author: Tiffany

    Ingredients

    Chicken & Batter

    • 1 lb Chicken Breast, diced
    • 1 cup Cornstarch
    • 2 Large Eggs
    • Canola Oil, for frying
    • Salt to taste

    Sauce

    • ¼ cup Soy Sauce
    • ½ cup White Sugar
    • ¼ cup Peanut Oil
    • ½ cup Chicken Broth
    • 2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
    • 2 Whole Habaneros, or slice in half for more spice
    • 2 tsp Orange Zest or 2 Slices of Orange Peel
    • 1 tsp Ground Ginger
    • 2 tsp Garlic, minced
    • 1 tsp Canola Oil

    Sauce Thickener

    • 2 tsp Cornstarch
    • 2 tsp Cold Water

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat canola oil in a deep-fryer set to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Scramble egg with 1 cup cornstarch to make the batter. Add diced chicken and coat.
    • Working in batches, add chicken to oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Once cooked, place on a towel-lined plate and season with salt.
    • In a wok, add 1 teaspoon of canola oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, whole habaneros, and orange zest and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut oil, and ground ginger. Bring to a boil.
    • Add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to a small bowl and add 2 teaspoons of cold water. Stir to dissolve cornstarch and add to boiling sauce. Stir as the sauce thickens and reduce the heat. Add chicken to the sauce and stir to coat. Serve with rice.

    Recommended Products

    TBWHL Spider Strainer Skimmer Ladle,304 Stainless Steel,6.3 Inch
    Hamilton Beach Deep-Fryer
    Presto Deep-Fryer
    Habanero Peppers, 0.25 Lb
    Sweese Salad/Pasta Bowls – Set of 6, White
    Bamboo Chopsticks
    Kenmore Wok, 14-inch

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn referral fees from products I love and recommend at no extra cost to you.

    Notes

    If looking for more spice, slice open habaneros prior to adding to the sauce.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 423 kcalCarbohydrates: 40 gProtein: 27 gFat: 17 gSaturated Fat: 3 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12 gCholesterol: 127 mgSodium: 841 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 18 g
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    Filed Under: Chicken, Main Dishes

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    About Me

    Welcome, I'm Tiffany! My love for cooking began in the kitchen with my grandmother at the age of 5. Some of the recipes have been passed down to me and others I create as I go. Simply Happenings was created to share quick and delicious meals for your family highlighting air fryer and Instant Pot recipes. Enjoy! Read More…

    • Links in this post/page are Amazon Affiliate links to products I love and recommend. I earn a referral fee at no extra cost to you.

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