General Tso's Chicken- a take out favourite made at home

I've had my share of General Tso chicken over the years- it's a staple on all the takeout menus.  This home version is easy and fairly quick to make and oh so much better than the takeout versions.  They are coated with corn starch for lighter batter and pan fried (then air fried) instead of deep fried.  Your family and friends will love it!

General Tso's Chicken served with stir fried sweet peppers and steamed broccoli.

To serve four.


Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp     toasted sesame oil
1 large        egg white
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp  soy sauce
1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp cornstarch
 1lb               skinless boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
 1 cup           low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp             Chinese chile-garlic sauce
3 tbsp           sugar
1 tbsp           grapeseed oil, plus more for frying
2 tbsp           very finely chopped fresh ginger
2 large          garlic cloves, minced
4                    scallions,    thinly sliced
1                    red pepper
1                    yellow pepper to stir fry and serve as a side
Steamed broccoli and white rice, for serving


Directions

Step 1  
In a medium bowl, combine the toasted sesame oil with the egg white, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch. Add the chicken, stirring to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Step 2  
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the chicken broth with the chile-garlic sauce, sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

Step 3  
In a large saucepan, heat the 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the ginger and garlic and cook over high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir the broth mixture, add it to the pan and cook until thickened and glossy, about 3 minutes. Keep the sauce warm over low heat.

Step 4  
In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil until shimmering. Carefully add the chicken, one piece at a time, and fry over high heat, turning once or twice, until very browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain the chicken on paper towels.  I used my air fryer to "fry" the chicken a second time- about 10 minutes.  Then add chicken to the sauce along with the scallions. Cook just until coated, about 30 seconds. Serve right away, with steamed broccoli, lightly stir fried sweet peppers and rice. *you could also add the sweet peppers to the sauce to cook.