Healthy(ish) General Tso's Chicken
This baked Healthy(ish) General Tso's Chicken is an amazing substitute for your favorite takeout meal! The baked chicken has the same crunch with half the guilt, and the sauce is incredibly flavorful.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 ½ lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 8oz bag of Panko breadcrumbs Make sure they are plain and not seasoned!
For the sauce:
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp minced garlic 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp lite soy sauce (5 tablespoons)
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp garlic chili sauce You can use Sriracha if you prefer, and add more if you like it spicy!
- 2 tbsp corn starch
Garnish:
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
Instructions
For the chicken:
- Preheat oven to 425° and cut chicken breasts into about 1 inch cubes.
- For the breading, you will need three separate bowls: 1 for the egg mixture, 1 for the flour mixture, and 1 for the Panko breadcrumbs. Combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper and cayenne in medium sized bowl. In your second bowl, crack 3 eggs and beat until combined. In the third bowl add the Panko breadcrumbs.
- For this step it's easiest to make an assembly line with the chicken, flour mixture, egg mixture then breadcrumbs. Take the cubed chicken pieces and roll in the flour mixture making sure to completely cover all sides. Next add the floured chicken into the egg mixture. Finally, take that chicken and dredge in the Panko breadcrumbs. Make sure the entire chicken piece is coated in every step, and then place on jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all pieces of chicken are done! Space on the pan so they aren't touching.
- Cook the chicken pieces in the 425° oven on the middle rack for 15 minutes. When the time is up, leave the chicken in the oven and set the heat to 500° for an additional 5-8 minutes, or until golden brown. This will ensure the chicken is crispy!
For the sauce:
- While the chicken is in the oven, prepare your sauce. In a medium bowl combine soy sauce, ¾ cup of water, rice wine vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and corn starch. Whisk until all of the ingredients are combined and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan add the remaining ¼ cup of water, ¾ cup granulated sugar, minced ginger and garlic. Boil over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the caramel starts to turn an amber color, about 3-5 minutes. Whisk continually for this step to make sure your sugar doesn't burn!
- Once it begins to turn an amber color, stir the other ingredients in the soy sauce mixture to make sure the corn starch is dissolved and then add it to the hot caramel. The sauce will foam and steam so be careful not to burn yourself! Simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes or until it thickens to the desired consistency, whisking continuously.
- Once the chicken is done baking, toss in the sauce, top with sesame seeds and green onions and serve plain or with steamed or fried rice!
Recipe tip:
- If the sauce doesn't thicken up enough, no worries! In a small bowl mix together 1 tablespoon of water or soy sauce with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and stir until combined, about 15 seconds. Make sure there are no lumps! While continually whisking the sauce on the stove, slowly pour in the slurry you just made. After simmering for 2-3 minutes it will thicken up! Repeat until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.