General Tso's Chicken

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003

Show: Emeril LiveEpisode: America's China Town

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (39)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(39)

Cook Time:
--
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
4 servings

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Ingredients

1 large egg white
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine, or dry sherry
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Vegetable oil, for frying
12 dry red chile peppers
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup roughly chopped lightly toasted cashews
Green onions, sliced on the bias, garnish
Hot steamed white rice, accompaniment

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together the egg white, 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of the wine, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.

To make the sauce, in another bowl, whisk remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of the chicken stock until smooth. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons chicken stock, 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, the vinegar, and sugar and whisk to combine. Set aside until ready to finish the dish.

In a large wok or pot, heat enough oil to come 3 inches up the sides to 350 degrees F.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and carefully slide into the hot oil. Fry, turning, until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Discard all but about 1 tablespoon of the oil from the wok. (Alternatively, in a clean wok or saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.) Add the chile peppers and stir-fry until nearly black. Add the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and 1/2 cup green onions. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the chicken stock sauce, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Arrange the chicken on a platter and pour the sauce over it. Garnish with the cashews and additional green onions. Serve with hot rice.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe General Tso's Chicken
Serena Westlake, LA 10-05-2009
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The cooking wine taste is too strong and much flavor
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

We didn't like this recipe. I'm a huge Emeril fan but i'm disappointed with this recipe.
recipe General Tso's Chicken
Anna Palm City, FL 10-03-2009
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Doesn't Quite Make It
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

This was not true General Tso's chicken. The texture and taste were just not there. The taste was just okay. It simply didn't... do it for us.Read more
recipe General Tso's Chicken
Val Ashburn, VA 08-23-2009
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Not the stuff from the take out box!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was really good - didn't taste like the General Tso's at the local take out place, but in a way tasted much much better.... It wasn't heavy and bogged down with oil, sugar and who knows what else. I didn't have the red peppers, so left them out. Also, we don't do alcohol, so I just substituted additional stock for it. Came out kinda thick so next time I will cut back on the cornstarch. Also, I have made this recipe with Shrimp too and it rocks!Read more
recipe General Tso's Chicken
mary ishpeming, MI 07-17-2009
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yummmmmm
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

this came out great. it was even better the next day for lunch.i did add a bunch of veggies to it and served it over fried... rice (more veggies sneaky yeh?).i will definatly make this many more times.i read the reviews and doubled the sauce, which i thought came out just right . thanxRead more
recipe General Tso's Chicken
andrea ely, NV 06-27-2009
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Tastes Great without the Chilis
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

We have a toddler, so I left out the chilis. I did use a little extra red pepper flakes to add in some more flavor. The sauce... does a great job of coating the chicken, but if you want extra for your rice you need to double the sauce. Even without the chilis it has a great flavor, similar to what you get with cashew chicken. I'm not a fantastic cook, but this turned out great! It's just as good as the asian place in my town. When the kiddies get older I will follow others advice and only use 1 or 2 chilis to keep the spiciness in check.Read more
recipe General Tso's Chicken
chris Berlin, MD 12-28-2008
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HOT HOT HOT
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I have made this several times. I think I finally have the right amount of red peppers. 12 is way tooo many. I used 2 now.... Need to double the sauce and I used chicken breast instead of thighs. Read more