General Tso's Chicken
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and America's Test Kitchen.
Crisply fried chicken thigh pieces are tossed in a sweet-sour, lightly spiced sauce with garlic, ginger and dried chillies, served with broccoli and rice.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Marinate the chicken. Toss the chicken with the egg white and soy sauce and leave for 15-30 minutes, which seasons the meat and helps the coating stick.
- 2
Make the craggy coating. Whisk together the cornflour, flour and baking powder, then add 2 tbsp of the marinade liquid and rub it through with your fingers to form small clumps - this gives the coating a rougher, crunchier texture than a smooth batter. Dredge the chicken in it, pressing the coating on, then set the pieces on the rack.
- 3
Fry in batches. Heat 4-5cm of oil in a heavy pot to 175°C. Fry the chicken in 3 batches for 4-5 minutes each until golden, crisp and the centre reaches 74°C, draining on the rack and letting the oil return to 175°C between batches.
- 4
Steam the broccoli. Steam the broccoli florets for 3-4 minutes until bright green and just tender.
- 5
Make the sauce. Stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, stock and cornflour with the sesame oil.
- 6
Stir-fry the aromatics and sauce. Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high, add the dried chillies for 15 seconds, then the garlic, ginger and spring onion whites for 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce mixture and stir until it boils and turns thick and glossy, about 1 minute; the balance of flavour comes from the soy, vinegar and sugar.
- 7
Toss and serve. Take the wok off the heat, add the fried chicken, and toss quickly to coat - tossing it in off the heat keeps the coating crisp rather than softening it in the hot sauce. Scatter with the spring onion greens and sesame seeds, and serve with the broccoli and rice.
Storage
Best eaten fresh, as the coating softens on standing. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat in a hot oven or air fryer until piping hot (74°C) to help recrisp the coating. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why this label?
35 g protein for 520 kcal = 6.7 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 27% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Low saturated fat: 1.4 g saturated fat per 100 g, 5.7% of energy (limits ≤ 1.5 g and ≤ 10%)
- Low sugars: 4.8 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 229 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
9 g per serving
18 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 36 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- heavy pot or deep casserole (at least 24 cm, 5 litres)
- frying thermometer
- wire rack over a tray
- tongs or spider strainer
- wok or large frying pan
- medium bowl
- steamer or saucepan for the broccoli
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 520 kcal |
| Protein | 35 g |
| Carbohydrate | 35.3 g |
| of which sugars | 10.9 g |
| of which free sugars | 9 g |
| Fat | 26.5 g |
| of which saturates | 3.3 g |
| Fibre | 3 g |
| Salt | 2.32 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
6.7 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
