General Tso’s Chicken

General Tso's ChickenToday is a snow day! I didn’t even have to wear my pajamas inside out or put ice cubes in the toilet like all my students told me I had to. I have to admit I thought about it though. Yes, I swear I am a grown up. BUT, I love that I can have a grown up job at a school and still get to feel the excitement of a snow day. Best. Thing. Ever! It’s like a bonus weekend in the middle of the week! Plus, we found out last night, which makes it even more amazing because I knew I could sleep in from the moment my head hit the pillow.

General Tso's ChickenAnywho, snow days when I’m stuck inside are also perfect days for cooking and blogging (luckily for you!). On a cold and snowy day like today, a sweet and spicy general tso’s chicken will surely warm you up! This recipe is kind of a hodgepodge of a bunch of different recipes I’ve tried mixed together to my own taste. Plus, it’s made from ingredients I usually have at my house so major bonus points for not needing to go to the store for most of this!

General Tso's ChickenThere’s a light coating on the chicken, which is wonderful to give it an extra little crunch without the frying. I’ve done the frying thing and oh-my-goodness is it delicious. You can certainly use the same sauce with a fried version of the chicken. However, in an attempt to cut down on the fat, I try to stick with the less oil version of this recipe, which also is *AMAZING*. It’s a happy mix between plain chicken (which would also work) and the fatty stuff that makes my mouth drool. I’ll save the fried stuff for only very special occasions.


General Tso's ChickenI love to have general tso’s chicken with steamed broccoli. You can also saute in a bunch of veggies…sugar snap peas, carrots, onions, bell peppers to name a few delicious choices. I bet that you can even use the sauce with only veggies to make a general tso’s veggie stir fry. SHOCK AND AWE! I know…mind blown. I’m just that good. It’s okay to admit it.

General Tso's Chicken
Serves 3
A sweet and spicy chicken
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Chicken Ingredients
  1. 1/4 cup corn starch
  2. 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  3. salt and pepper, to taste
  4. 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  5. 1 pound uncooked chicken, cubed
  6. 1 head broccoli, cut into florets and steamed (optional)
Sauce Ingredients
  1. 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  2. 3 tablespoons honey
  3. 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  4. 2 teaspoons corn starch
  5. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
  7. 1/2 cup water or chicken stock
Instructions
  1. Mix together the chicken coating: 1/4 cup corn starch, baking soda, and salt and pepper. Coat the chicken by tossing it with corn starch mixture.
  2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add coated chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
  3. While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, honey, soy sauce, corn starch, garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup of the water or chicken stock sauce. Add sauce mixture to the skillet once the chicken is cooked. Bring to a simmer and simmer until thickened. If the sauce is too sticky or thick, you can add the remaining 1/4 cup of water or chicken stock to slightly thin it.
  4. Add the steamed broccoli, optional.
  5. Serve over rice.
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