General Tso Chicken
This orange flavored chicken dish with a touch of sweet and spicy heat, is a classic on the Chinese food menu. The hard part is finding a gluten free version. We’ve saved a few calories by frying instead of deep frying, and using a simple dusting of cornstarch instead of a thick batter.
Use a zester like the one below to peel fine strips of the orange zest, or you can use a vegetable peeler (don’t cut the bitter white pith) to cut wide strips, then use a knife to finely cut it.
Coat chicken pieces in cornstarch, shaking off excess before placing in wok. Fry the chicken in small batches, if you over crowd the pan excess moisture will be released from the chicken and you will end up poaching instead of frying. Once everything is fully cooked, set aside.
Once all the sauce ingredients have been added, stir in a mixture of cornstarch and cold water (warm water will clump!), stir until thickened then toss in reserved cooked chicken.
Toss chicken until well coated. Serve over a bed of rice.
General Tso Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 lb boneless skinless chicken (breasts or thighs), cut into bite-sized cubes
- ¼ cup cornstarch reserve 1 Tbsp for sauce
Sauce
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 Tbsp GF rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp GF soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp orange zest strips
- 2 tsp-1 Tbsp Sriracha or other GF chili sauce, to taste
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Place the cornstarch in a shallow dish and toss the chicken until fully coated.
- Heat a wok over high heat, then add oil. Turn heat down to medium-high and once oil starts to ‘dance’ around, add the chicken in batches, turning as needed until well browned and fully cooked. Don’t crowd the pan, or excess moisture from the chicken will be released. Transfer to plate.
- For the sauce, add the oil and sauté the garlic. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce for about 1 minute, then add a mixture of 1 Tbsp of cornstarch and 1 Tbsp cold water. Stir well as you are adding it, until thickened.
- Add in cooked chicken and toss until well coated.
Notes
