Chinese-American · main

General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken reads umami 7.0, salinity 5.9 and sweetness 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese-American main, about 21 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.9 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.8 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.5 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.2 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.0 · Salinity 5.9 · Sweetness 4.5 · Richness 4.0 · Allium 3.7 · Sourness 3.6 · Funk & Ferment 2.9 · Warm Spice 2.1 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Heat 1.9 · Nutty 1.5 · Fruity 1.3 · Floral 1.2 · Bitterness 0.9 · Earthy 0.8

What's in it (15)

• boneless chicken — 680 g
• salt — 5 g
• egg white — 100 g
• cornstarch — 118 g
• vegetable oil — 871 g
• chiles — 30 g
• garlic — 12 g
• ginger — 15 g
• green onions — 330 g
• soybean soy sauce — 79 g
• rice wine vinegar — 33 g
• brown sugar — 38 g
• ketchup — 30 g
• hoisin sauce — 15 g
• chicken broth — 118 g

Time & effort: about 21 min (11 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 170.4 kcal, 14 g protein, 7.7 g fat, 11.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Toss the chicken pieces with the kosher salt and egg white in a large bowl until every piece is coated; let sit at room temperature 10 minutes so the salt seasons the meat.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, hoisin, and chicken broth in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves; set the sauce aside. Whisk 2 tablespoons of the remaining cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water in a separate small bowl to make a slurry; set aside.
3. Sprinkle the rest of the cornstarch over the marinated chicken and toss to evenly dredge each piece, shaking off excess.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or Dutch oven to 350°F. Fry the chicken in two batches, turning occasionally, until pale golden and cooked through to 165°F internally, 4-5 minutes per batch; drain on a wire rack.
5. Increase the oil temperature to 375°F and return the chicken to the oil in the same two batches; fry until deeply golden and crackly-crisp, 1-2 minutes per batch. Drain on the rack.
6. Carefully pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the frying oil. Add the dried chiles, garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the green onions to the pan; saute over medium heat until fragrant and the chiles darken slightly, 30-45 seconds.
7. Pour in the reserved sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; simmer until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Whisk the cornstarch slurry again and stir it in; simmer, stirring, until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon, 30-60 seconds.
8. Return the fried chicken to the pan and toss to coat every piece in the glaze, about 1 minute.
9. Remove from heat and scatter with the green parts of the scallions; serve immediately over rice.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• General Tso's Cauliflower — Chinese-American
• Longganisa (Filipino Pork Sausage) — Filipino
• Beef Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl) — Japanese
• Grilled Beef Kebabs with Peppers and Onions — American
• Vegetable Pad See Ew with Crispy Tofu — Thai

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, sweetness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.