General Tso's Chicken

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General Tso's Chicken: Step by Step

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1. Toss the chicken with the Shaoxing wine and soy sauce and leave 15 minutes, then mix in the egg.

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2. Combine the cornflour, plain flour and baking powder and toss the chicken through until thickly and unevenly coated — the craggy bits fry crispest.

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3. Whisk the sauce ingredients except the slurry together and set aside.

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4. Heat the oil to 175°C / 350°F and fry the chicken in three batches for 4 minutes each until golden. Rest on a rack for 5 minutes.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

5. Raise the oil to 195°C / 385°F and fry everything together for 90 seconds until deep golden and very crisp. Drain on a rack.

   Mark done Start 90 sec timer

6. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok over medium heat and fry the dried chillies for 30 seconds until they darken slightly.

   Mark done Start 30 sec timer

7. Add the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then pour in the sauce and bring to a boil.

   Mark done Start 30 sec timer

8. Add the slurry and cook for 60 seconds until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon heavily.

   Mark done Start 60 sec timer

9. Add the chicken, toss for 20 seconds, and serve at once scattered with spring onion and sesame seeds.

   Mark done

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Tips That Matter

• Rest the chicken between fries. That five minutes lets steam escape and is why the second fry works.
• The sauce should be sticky, not runny. If it pools on the plate, it needed another 30 seconds.
• Broccoli florets, blanched and tossed in at the end, are the standard accompaniment.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the red chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.

What to Serve With It

A cold lager or a Gewürztraminer · Serve with steamed rice and blanched broccoli · Finish with pineapple

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Vegan Fried Rice.

Leftovers and Storage

Refrigerate 3 days. Re-crisp the chicken at 200°C / 390°F for 8 minutes before re-saucing.

What's in a Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (how much frying oil the food takes up cannot be known from the recipe). Why some recipes have none.

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