Although not authentically Chinese, General Tso's chicken is truly a classic Chinese-American dish. The wonderfully sweet and sour chicken dish is thought to have been named after a great military leader from the Qing Dynasty. The recipe below now enables you to bring this popular dish right to your home.
In the recipe below, you will first need to coat your chicken in cornstarch. I prefer to use a plastic bag for easy to clean up! You will also need to pan fry your chicken before you add it to the slow cooker in order to get a bit of a crust on your chicken. The cornstarch will also thicken your sauce as it cooks. But the real secret to this dish is in the sauce's balance of flavors. The right amount of soy for a bit of savory, sugar and honey for that sweet flavor along with the right amount of vinegar for a bit of tanginess and finally a few pinches of chile flake for just the perfect amount of spice. Getting this balance right will make all the difference in the end. Serve over rice and you have a complete meal!
Slow cooker General Tso's chicken
8
15 minutes
6 hours
6 hours 15 minutes
2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons soy sauce
½ cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon red chile flake
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons green onions, cut 1 inch long
Place cornstarch and chicken pieces in a large re-sealable plastic bag. This may need to be done in two batches depending on the size of the bag. Shake bag rigorously until chicken is coated in cornstarch. Remove from bag and shake off any excess cornstarch.
Set a large skillet to medium high heat and add canola oil. Once oil is hot, carefully add chicken and pan fry all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken and transfer to paper towels to drain fat.
Fill a 6-quart slow cooker with everything from soy sauce to chile flakes. Stir to combine all ingredients.
Add chicken and stir into sauce.
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Serve over rice.
Pro Tip: Typically General Tso's chicken does not call for any vegetables but I would definitely recommend adding some veggies for a complete meal. Peppers, onions, broccoli and snow peas are all great additions. Wait until the last hour of cooking and stir veggies in. They will be perfect when you're ready to serve!
Note: All slow cookers are a little bit different in temperature and calibration. This recipe was tested in Cooktop Cove's Test Kitchen using this slow cooker, which is available for purchase here.
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