Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken
General Tso’s chicken is a favorite, one that everybody loves. If you’re wondering what exactly this dish is, don’t worry I’ve included a little section below to explain. For those of you who have ordered this dish before, you know that it is the perfect mix of sweet and sour. I decided to do a healthier spin on Tso Chicken today using my oh so handy instant pot. That means that I had this dish served up in less than 30 minutes! Healthy, tasty, and quick? Now who doesn’t love that.
What Is General Tso Chicken?
Now while this dish is one of the most popular orders in Chinese restaurants here at home, it’s not exactly authentic. Westernized versions are also known as orange chicken if that’s a little more familiar. It is usually served deep fried over a mountain of white rice, but today I decided to cut back on some of the calories and axe the frying. So let’s get into it! Break out that Instant Pot and let’s get cookin.
Ingredients In General Tso Chicken
Chicken – I used chicken breast today but chicken thigh is a tasty alternative, just keep in mind it’ll need to be cooked a minute or two longer than breast. Soy Sauce – Low sodium so we can control the sodium level in this dish. I also used a bit of dark soy sauce for that umami flavor. Sweet – I used both brown sugar and honey to get some rich sweetness and an ooey gooey sauce, you’ll thank me later. Aromatics – Garlic and ginger, fresh is preferred! Rice Vinegar – The tangy key to this General Tso Chicken recipe. If you don’t have any on hand apple cider vinegar is a great substitute! Red Pepper Flakes – We need a little heat in this dish and red pepper flakes are the perfect addition. Tomato Paste – The perfect little acidic base for our sauce, it will also give the dish a nice rich color. Hoisin – If this thick sauce isn’t already a staple in your fridge, it should be. Pick some up as it’s so crucial in lots of Asian dishes! Cornstarch – We’re going to make a slurry with cornstarch and a little bit of water to help our dish thicken.
How To Make Instant Pot General Tso Chicken
Other Ways To Make General Tso Chicken
Slow cooker
This dish is perfect made in your slow cooker! Just sear the chicken a bit on the stove before adding to the slow cooker. Whisk all of your sauce ingredients together separately (save the cornstarch slurry) and pour over the chicken. Cook all of this on low for 3 – 4 hours. Incorporate the slurry in the last 20 minutes of cooking or until thick and serve over rice!
Stove top
If you’d like to make this over the stove just saute up your chicken before removing and cooking your aromatics and chili flakes till fragrant. Add all your sauces and slurry and allow to cook for a few minutes till the sauce is thick. Add the chicken and combine well before serving!
How To Store Leftover General Tso Chicken
In the fridge this chicken recipe will last up to 4 days as long as its container is airtight. It can also freeze beautifully for up to 3 months, just be sure to thaw completely in the fridge and before reheating over the stove.
Craving More Instant Pot Recipes? Try These Dishes:
Chicken Noodle Soup Chicken Shawarma Butter Chicken Mongolian Beef Pasta E Fagioli Swedish Meatballs Beef And Broccoli Beef Stew Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
