General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients

• •500 g Chicken thighs (boneless)
• •100 g All-purpose flour
• •80 g Cornstarch
• •1 large Egg
• •500 ml Vegetable oil
• •15 whole Dried red chilies
• •4 cloves Garlic
• •2 inches Ginger
• •3 tablespoons Soy sauce
• •2 tablespoons Rice vinegar
• •2 tablespoons Rice wine (Shaoxing)
• •3 tablespoons Sugar
• •120 ml Chicken stock
• •1 teaspoon Sesame oil
• •3 stalks Scallions

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut chicken into 1.5-inch pieces. Mix flour, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. Beat egg separately.

   💡 Double-frying creates the signature crispy coating - once at lower temp to cook through, then at high temp for crunch.

2. 2

   Heat oil to 350F (175C). Coat chicken in egg, then flour mixture, shaking off excess. Fry in batches for 4 minutes until golden.

   💡 Don't overcrowd the oil - it drops temperature and makes coating soggy. Maintain oil temperature.

3. 3

   Drain chicken on a wire rack. Increase oil to 375F (190C) and fry again for 2 minutes for extra crispiness.

   💡 The second fry is what creates the restaurant-style crunch that holds up in the sauce.

4. 4

   Mince garlic and ginger. Slice scallions, separating whites from greens.

   💡 Have all components ready before cooking - this dish comes together quickly.

5. 5

   In a wok, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. Add dried chilies and stir for 30 seconds until darkened but not burnt.

   💡 Watch carefully - chilies burn quickly and become bitter. Remove immediately if they darken too much.

6. 6

   Add garlic and ginger whites, stir for 20 seconds. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and chicken stock. Simmer for 2 minutes.

   💡 The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon. Adjust sweetness to your taste.

7. 7

   Add fried chicken and toss to coat. Remove from heat, add sesame oil and scallion greens.

   💡 Toss quickly to evenly coat without making the coating soggy.

8. 8

   Serve immediately over steamed rice or as-is. Garnish with additional scallions.

   💡 The coating will soften if left in sauce too long. Serve immediately for best texture.