General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's chicken is one of our favorite dishes from Chinese restaurants so when I saw this lightened up version on La Table de Nana, I knew I'd give it a shot. I used 2 chicken breasts and halved the sauce recipe below, which was perfect for just Shane and I. We really enjoyed this dish and I thought the flavor was really close to the General Tso's dishes we've had in restaurants. This is, however, not a very spicy version of the dish, so if you prefer more heat you'll want to adapt the recipe a bit. I've also seen a great version of this recipe adapted to use tofu on The Lives and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch so be sure to check out her site if you'd like instructions for tofu instead of chicken.

General Tso's Chicken

adapted from Coup De Pouce Magazine (seen on La Table de Nana)

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup water

3-4 tablespoons cornstarch

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

6-8 spring green onions, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated

hot pepper flakes (optional)

Mix together the first 6 ingredients (through the water) and set aside. This is the sauce.

Dredge the chicken cubes in the cornstarch, shaking off any excess. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the chicken until browned. Remove the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Wipe pan clean with paper towel and add sesame oil with onions and chopped ginger. Fry about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add sauce mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer about 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens a bit. Add the chicken back to the skillet, toss to coat with sauce and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Serve garnished with green onion tops and red pepper flakes, if desired.