General Tso’s Chicken (Crispy Chicken Without Deep-Frying)

An easy General Tso’s chicken recipe that yields crispy chicken without deep-frying. It also uses much less sugar while maintaining a great bold taste. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll skip takeout next time because it’s so easy to make in your own kitchen and the result is just as good. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

Today I want to share my interpretation of General Tso’s Chicken that yields a great taste like the restaurant version, but is more practical for any cook to make in their home kitchen. The best things about this recipe are:

• You will use much less oil to cook the chicken. No deep-frying required. The chicken will end up super crispy and stay that way, even after it’s been tossed in the sauce.
• The tangy sauce is well balanced, rich, and sticky. It also uses less sugar than the mainstream recipes out there.
• No wok required! You can use a regular skillet to make this dish taste great.

Ingredients

What cut of chicken to use

I always prefer to use chicken thighs for General Tso’s chicken, because it yields a very juicy result without worrying about overcooking. Although you can use chicken breast and create awesome results, as well.

Just remember to cut the chicken into 1” to 1 1/4” (2.5 to 3 cm) pieces. The size of the chicken pieces matters because you want the surface to turn crispy with the inside just cooked through at the same time.

The best vinegar to use

Many General Tso’s chicken recipes call for rice vinegar. But if you really want the rich tangy taste like the restaurant version, you should use Chinkiang vinegar instead.

Chinkiang vinegar (Zhenjiang vinegar, 镇江香醋) is a type of Chinese black vinegar. It is made from various grains and is aged until the color turns dark brown or inky black. It has a rich, pungent, and tart flavor, sometimes with a hint of sweetness. It has a fermented malty taste and a woody character that distinguish it from the light-colored and fruity rice vinegar.

These days it’s quite easy to find it in an Asian market and even at regular grocery stores. You can also shop for it on Amazon.

Mise en place

When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:

• Chopped aromatics (ginger, garlic)
• Marinated chicken coated with cornstarch
• Mixed sauce
• Dried chili pepper 

How to cook General Tso’s Chicken

To cook General Tso’s chicken, you need to:

1. Spread out the chicken pieces in a hot pan
2. Pan fry the chicken until golden brown
3. Transfer the cooked chicken onto a plate and let it cool off a bit
4. Saute the aromatics
5. Pour in the sauce
6. Once the sauce thickens, add the chicken back and toss everything together.

Note, it’s very important to remove the chicken from the pan. Letting the chicken cool off a bit before adding it back into the skillet is a crucial step for keeping the coating crispy. Plus, your pan will become very hot after you fry the chicken. I usually remove the pan from the heat for a few seconds before adding the aromatics, so it won’t burn the ingredients. 

How to make crispy chicken without deep frying

Here is the trick to creating crispy chicken with a crunchy coating that is like the takeout you’d get from Chinese restaurants, without making a mess. 

Simply use the formula: oil + salt + egg + cornstarch

This combination creates a dry batter that is suitable for pan-frying. Normally, deep frying requires at least a few cups of oil. For this recipe, you only need a regular skillet and 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of oil to pan-fry the chicken. Not only does it yield an extra crispy exterior and juicy, flavorful meat, but the chicken also stays crispy even after you coat it with sauce.

Perfect party food

This General Tso’s chicken makes a great party food. The batter holds up really well and the chicken will remain crispy even if you let the dish sit for a while after cooking. If you’re hosting a dinner party and have multiple stir-fried dishes, you can make this one in advance and keep it in the oven on low heat until you’re ready to serve it. 

This dish is so addictive that I can finish one pound of chicken in one sitting. I highly doubt you’ll have any leftovers when you cook it. But just in case you do need to reheat the dish, here is a good way. You can preheat your oven to 350 F and spread the chicken onto a baking dish. Once the chicken is heated through, it will be pretty crispy again. 

More Chinese takeout recipes

• Kung Pao Shrimp (宫爆虾球)
• Beef with Oyster Sauce (蚝油牛肉)
• Chinese Lemon Chicken
• Crispy Peanut Butter Chicken
• Easy Egg Foo Young
• Salt and Pepper Chicken

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General Tso’s Chicken (Crispy Chicken Without Deep-Frying)

4.91 from 51 votes

An easy General Tso's chicken recipe that yields crispy chicken without deep-frying. It also uses much less sugar while maintaining a great bold taste. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll skip takeout next time because it’s so easy to make in your own kitchen and the result is just as good. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

To make this dish gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos instead of light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine, and use rice vinegar to replace Chinkiang vinegar.

Author: Maggie Zhu

Course: Main

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: takeout

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

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Ingredients

• 1 lb(450 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs , cut into 1-inch (2-cm) pieces (or breasts)
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 egg , beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

Sauce (or pre-made General Tso’s Sauce)

• 1/3 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (or soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Stir fry

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 7 to 8 dried Chinese chili peppers (*Footnote)
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 4 cloves garlic , minced

Instructions

• Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set it aside.
• Combine the chicken pieces, vegetable oil, and salt in a big bowl. Mix well and let it marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the beaten egg into the bowl with the chicken. Stir to mix well. Add the cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken until it forms an uneven coating with a little dry cornstarch left unattached.
• Heat the stir-fry oil in a heavy-duty skillet until hot, until it just starts to smoke. Add the chicken all at once and spread it out into a single layer in the skillet. Separate the chicken pieces with a pair of tongs or chopsticks.
• Cook without touching the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom turns golden. Flip to brown the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a big plate and remove the pan from the stove. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Place the pan back onto the stove and turn to medium heat. You should still have 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Add the dried chili pepper, garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir a few times until it releases its fragrance.
• Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Pour it into the pan. Stir and cook until it thickens, when you can draw a line on the bottom with a spatula without the sauce running back immediately.
• Add back the chicken pieces. Stir to coat the chicken with sauce, 30 seconds. Transfer everything to a plate immediately. Serve hot as a main dish.

Notes

1. You can use dried Chinese or Korean chili peppers in the dish. They add aroma to the sauce but don’t really add spiciness. If you want the sauce to be spicy, you should cut the peppers in half to release the seeds. Or you can add a small pinch of cayenne pepper to the sauce mixture.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 411kcal, Carbohydrates: 29.5g, Protein: 25.2g, Fat: 20.6g, Saturated Fat: 4.3g, Cholesterol: 112mg, Sodium: 891mg, Potassium: 251mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 12.8g, Calcium: 27mg, Iron: 2mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Don’t forget the last step! Leave a comment below, and tag me @OmnivoresCookbook and #OmnivoresCookbook on Instagram!