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Chinese General Tso's chicken sitting over white rice with habaneros in a round white bowl. Two chopsticks are sitting on top of the bowl. A small gray bowl of habaneros and fortune cookies with sliced green onion sprinkled on the white background

Chinese General Tso's Crispy Chicken

Tiffany
This is a General Tso's chicken recipe with a pop of orange zest and habanero added to make a spicy sauce over crispy fried tempura chicken.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 423 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Chicken & Batter

  • 1 pound Chicken Breast diced
  • 1 cup Cornstarch
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil for frying
  • Salt to taste

Sauce

  • ¼ cup Soy Sauce
  • ½ cup White Sugar
  • ¼ cup Peanut Oil
  • ½ cup Chicken Broth or Stock
  • 2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
  • 2 Whole Habaneros or slice in half for more spice (the spiciness is inside the pepper)
  • 2 teaspoons Orange Zest or 2 Slices of Orange Peel
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • 2 teaspoons Garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon Canola Oil

Sauce Thickener

  • 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons Cold Water

Instructions
 

  • Preheat canola oil in a deep-fryer set to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Scramble egg with 1 cup cornstarch to make the tempura batter. Add diced chicken and coat.
  • Working in batches, add chicken to oil. It will be drippy. Cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Once cooked, place on a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt to taste.
  • While I'm frying the chicken I get the General Tso's sauce going in a wok (a large skillet works too) over medium-high heat. Allow the wok to get hot first then add a teaspoon of oil.
  • Begin by placing the garlic, habaneros, and orange peels in the bottom of the wok with the oil. Cook for about a minute.
  • Add in the remaining sauce ingredients.
  • Make the cornstarch slurry by adding 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to a small bowl and adding 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. Top with green onions and serve with white rice.
  • We often leave some crispy tempura chicken plain and eat it like nuggets. The kids really like that!

Notes

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

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 27gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 841mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18g