General TSO'S Chicken

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General Tso's Chicken

1- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp. soy sauce 
1 Tbsp. sherry 
1 large egg, beaten 
1/2 c. cornstarch 
peanut, corn, or canola oil for deep-frying 
1/4 c. chicken broth, or equivalent in bouillon
1/4 c. soy sauce 
3 Tbsp. sherry 
1/4 c. sugar 
1 1/2 Tbsp. rice vinegar 
1 Tbsp. cornstarch 
6 Tbsp. cold water 
1 tsp. minced garlic 
10-15 small whole dried red chilies, optional


At least 1 hour before serving, coat the chicken. Place a large wire cake rack over a baking sheet. Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Add the soy sauce and sherry and mix well. Add the egg and mix again until well coated. Put the 1/2 cup cornstarch in a shallow bowl. A few pieces at a time, roll the chicken in the cornstarch. (This is messy!) Place on the wire rack without the pieces touching each other. Set the bowl of cornstarch aside. Let the chicken sit untouched for about 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the broth, soy sauce, sherry, sugar, and vinegar, stirring to dissolve the sugar as much as possible. In another small bowl, dissolve the 1 tablespoon cornstarch in the water.* In a gallon-size food storage bag, place the cornstarch you set aside, and shake to coat the chicken pieces again. You will probably have to add more cornstarch. If cornstarch starts to stick together, discard and use new.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer with a basket until very hot (about 400 degrees on a deep-frying thermometer). Use enough oil to cover the chicken pieces when frying. In batches without crowding, deep-fry the chicken pieces until the coating sets, about 30 seconds. Remove the chicken and count to 10. Return the chicken to the oil and cook until golden, about 15 seconds. Remove from the oil, count to 10, and deep-fry a third time until the coating is crisp and golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to a platter and set aside while deep-frying the remaining chicken. 

In a large, nonstick skillet, add about 2 Tbsp. of the oil from the wok. Discard remaining oil. Add the chilies, if desired. Cook until the chilies are dark red (the longer they cook, the darker they get and the spicier the dish, so adjust the cooking time according to taste). Stir the soy sauce mixture into the skillet, then stir in the garlic. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 seconds. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat them with the sauce. Serve immediately.

*If you would like more sauce for your chicken, you may want to double all of this.


ENJOY!!