Turn this savory dish into a meal with a side of sauteed bok choy with ginger and garlic and our favorite coconut rice.
How to pronounce General Tso’s Chicken
It has been known by different names such as General Tao’s chicken, General Tong’s chicken, General Chow’s chicken, or simply general’s chicken. To pronounce tso, the sound is midway between “cho” and “joe”. You can reproduce the Chinese sound by combining the “ts” consonant of “cats” and “Oh” and uttering them together, “ts-oh”. This crockpot version of General Tso’s chicken is sticky and sweet, with just the right amount of heat. It’s everything you love about the take-out version without any of the unwanted ingredients. It makes a great weeknight dinner because with little effort, you can prep it, turn it on, and come back to a perfectly cooked dinner. Don’t have a slow cooker? You can easily make it on the stovetop, too.
Chicken – we use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for easy and even cooking. Cornstarch – is a key ingredient to coat the chicken and make it nice and crispy. Pepper – for seasoning and a bit of kick. Cooking oil – any neutral vegetable cooking oil will work. Hoisin sauce – adds its unique, robust salty-sweet flavor and gives the sauce a rich dark color. Soy sauce – for its salty depth of flavor. While this is a Chinese recipe, we prefer the more mild flavor of Japanese soy sauce or Tamari. Honey – sweetens things up. Rice vinegar – adds a mildly sweet acidity to balance things out. Garlic + ginger – are two staple ingredients in Asian cooking that add big flavor and a bit of kick. Sliced green onions and sesame seeds – optional, for topping.
This healthier version will have fewer calories because it skips the deep-frying, has no unwanted ingredients, and the sauce is naturally sweetened with honey. Served with rice and vegetables, it’s a lightened-up version you can feel good about eating anytime! It’s also a great meal for serving family-style with a few other Asian sides and a big bowl of warm rice. Try it with our spicy honey roasted carrots, sautéed green beans with garlic, or whole roasted cauliflower with sesame and ginger and our favorite coconut rice.
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