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General Tso's Chicken

If there's one dish that turns takeaway sceptics into believers, it's General Tso's chicken. Crunchy little nuggets of chicken thigh, fried until golden, then tossed through a glossy sauce that's equal parts sweet, tangy and chilli-hot. It's the dish we all secretly order first when the menu comes out, and it's every bit as good made at home.

This version keeps things properly achievable for a weeknight. You'll double-fry the chicken for that shatteringly crisp coating, then build the sauce in the same wok so every piece gets coated in that sticky, glossy finish. A scatter of spring onion and toasted sesame seeds at the end and you've got a takeaway favourite that beats delivery hands down.

Serve it over steamed rice with some blanched greens on the side and you've got yourself a proper family dinner that'll have everyone going back for seconds.

Servings
4
Prep Time
20
mins
Cook Time
25
mins
Ingredients
17
Total Time
45
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Pantry bits

  • Wok or deep heavy-based saucepan
  • Cooking thermometer
  • Wire rack
  • Slotted spoon
  • Mixing bowls

Ingredients

  • 600g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3cm pieces
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 3 tbsp cornflour, plus 4 tbsp extra for dusting
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
  • 4 dried red chillies, snipped in half
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
  • 3 spring onions, sliced (whites and greens separated)
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (or rice vinegar)
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, to serve
  • Steamed rice, to serve

Instructions

  1. Toss the chicken pieces with the beaten egg, 3 tbsp cornflour, plain flour and salt until well coated. Set aside for 10 minutes.
  2. Whisk together the soy sauce, black vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste and chicken stock in a small bowl. Set this sauce mixture aside.
  3. Heat about 5cm of vegetable oil in a wok or deep saucepan to 170°C. Dust the marinated chicken pieces in the extra cornflour, shaking off excess, and fry in batches for 3-4 minutes until pale gold. Remove to a wire rack.
  4. Increase the oil temperature to 190°C and fry the chicken again in batches for 1-2 minutes until deep golden and very crisp. Drain on paper towel.
  5. Carefully pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok. Add the dried chillies, garlic, ginger and spring onion whites, and stir-fry over medium heat for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  6. Pour in the sauce mixture and bring to a simmer, stirring, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.
  7. Add the fried chicken back to the wok and toss quickly to coat every piece in the glossy sauce. Drizzle in the sesame oil and toss once more.
  8. Tip onto a serving plate, scatter with spring onion greens and toasted sesame seeds, and serve immediately over steamed rice.

Other recipes

Perkedel (Indonesian Potato Fritters)
Rawon (Javanese Black Beef Soup)
Nasi Uduk (Indonesian Coconut Rice)

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