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General Tso's Chicken

prep time:30 minutes
cook time:20 minutes
Marinate Time15 minutes
total time:1 hour 5 minutes
The secret to General Tso's that stays crispy even in sauce is the double-fry - 350F to cook it through, 375F for the crunch, plus cornstarch in both the marinade and the dredge. The sauce has both rice vinegar and white vinegar, which gives it that specific sweet-sour balance you can't get with just one.
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Ingredients

For the Chicken & Marinade

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large egg white
  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon MSG
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

For the Dredge

  • 3/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon MSG

For the Sauce & Assembly

  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 6-8 whole dried red chiles like Tien Tsin
  • 1 head broccoli cut into florets and blanched
  • Neutral oil for frying

Instructions

  • Whisk egg white until frothy, add Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. Combine with cornstarch, salt, MSG, and white pepper to make batter.
  • Coat chicken pieces in batter, marinate 15 minutes.
  • Mix sauce ingredients in bowl until sugar and cornstarch dissolve.
  • Combine dredging ingredients in separate bowl.
  • Heat oil to 350F in deep pot.
  • Dredge marinated chicken pieces in dry coating mixture.
  • Fry chicken in batches 4 minutes until golden. Drain on wire rack.
  • Increase oil to 375F, fry chicken again 2 minutes until deep golden. Drain.
  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok, stir-fry garlic, ginger, and dried chiles 30 seconds.
  • Add sauce mixture, simmer 1-3 minutes until thickened.
  • Toss double-fried chicken in sauce until coated.
  • Serve with blanched broccoli.

Notes

Ensure oil returns to proper temperature between batches. Serve immediately while chicken is crispy.