Copycat General Tsos Chicken Recipes

COPYCAT GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN RECIPE

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, 2 tbsp cornstarch and the chicken broth.
• Place chicken in a large Ziploc bag and pour 6 tbsp of the hoisin mixture over chicken.
• Seal bag and allow to marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat.
• Add chopped whites of green onions, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and sauté 1 minute.
• Add 2 cups of hoisin sauce mixture (reserve remaining little bit) to skillet, season with salt and white pepper to taste and cook, stirring constantly until mixture has thickened.
• Remove from heat, cover with lid.
• In a shallow dish, vigorously whisk egg whites until foamy, set aside.
• In a separate shallow dish, whisk together cornstarch, flour and baking soda, then add remaining hoisin sauce mixture and stir until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Heat 4 cups oil in a dutch oven over medium heat to 350 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, remove chicken from refrigerator and remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess marinade.
• Transfer to a large plate lined with several paper towels. Cover with more paper towels and pat dry.
• Place half of the chicken into the egg whites and toss to coat, then lift and allow excess to run off and immediately transfer to cornstarch mixture.
• Toss in cornstarch mixture. Coat evenly, then transfer to a plate and repeat coating process with remaining chicken.
• Fry coated chicken in batches in hot oil, until chicken is golden brown and has cooked through, about 3 - 4 minutes, turning chicken once during frying.
• Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain and repeat frying process with remaining chicken.
• Warm sauce over medium-low heat until heated through.
• Place chicken in a large bowl and toss with warm sauce to evenly coat.
• Serve warm topped with sliced green onions and optional sesame seeds if desired.

GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat 4 cups of peanut oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl; whisk in 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and the cornstarch. Mix in the chicken until all the pieces are coated with batter. Drop into the hot oil a piece at a time; cook until the chicken is golden brown on the outside and no longer pink on the inside, about 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Stir together the vinegar, wine, sugar, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and the banana ketchup in a small bowl until smooth; set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir in the dried chile peppers and cook for a few seconds until the peppers brighten. Stir in the onion, garlic, and orange zest. Cook and stir until the onion is beginning to brown. Stir in the sauce; bring to a boil before adding the fried chicken. Reduce the heat to medium and stir until the chicken pieces are well coated with the sauce, a few minutes longer. Serve sprinkled with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the chicken: Place your broccoli florets in a medium bowl and add 2 tablespoons water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside until ready to use.
• Heat the oil in a 4-quart (3.8-liter) Dutch oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) using a frying thermometer. Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Mix 1 1/2 cups (335 grams) of the tempura flour and 1 cup (240 milliliters) water into a thick batter. It should look like thick pancake batter. Dredge the chicken cubes in the 1 cup (223 grams) of tempura flour and then coat them in the batter. Fry them in two batches until golden brown and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the chicken on paper towels or a rack.
• Heat a wok or large skillet to high and add 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of oil. When you see the first wisps of white smoke, stir in the fried chicken, onion, chiles, broccoli, and 1/3 of the ginger and garlic and cook them for about 30 seconds.
• For the sauce: While the chicken cooks, add the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, sugar, white vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch slurry, red food coloring if using, 1/3 cup water and the remaining chopped ginger and garlic into a 1-quart (946-millileter) saucepan and bring the heat up to medium. Whisk gently as it comes to a simmer. Allow it to simmer and keep whisking it for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and reserve it.
• Stir in the sauce and allow it to coat the chicken and simmer. Cook it, folding all the ingredients until they are well coated, about 2 minutes. Garnish with the scallions.