Gluten Free General Tso’s Chicken
This version of one of the most popular Chinese restaurant dishes is gluten free and one of the easiest (and inexpensive!) to make at home. Serve with white rice and a large bowl of steamed broccoli for sharing. This is a dish that will be on your family's menu every week.
1 pound of chicken thighs, boned and cubed (other chicken can be used, but thighs make this dish extra tender and juicy!)
3 eggs beaten (or egg substitute to make egg free)
½ cup & 2 teaspoons of corn starch
Vegetable Oil (for frying)
1 ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine (or use sherry if necessary)
3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon of sugar
3 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
4-5 dried pepper pods / dried red chili peppers (if not available use red pepper flakes to taste)
2-3 tablespoons green onions, chopped
Mix ½ cup of the cornstarch and the 3 beaten eggs in a large bowl. Blend well until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add the chicken into the bowl and mix well to thoroughly coat in the cornstarch mixture.
Prepare sauce in a small bowl, by mixing the 2 teaspoons of cornstarch well with the rice wine, vinegar, sugar and the gluten free soy sauce.
Heat 1-2” of oil to medium-high heat in a large wok or skillet. In small batches, deep fry the chicken until just cooked throughout. Drain cooked chicken on a paper towels. (Note: If you have a deep fryer, you can use that to deep fry the chicken as well).
Once all chicken is cooked, discard all the oil from the wok / skillet except for approximately 2 tablespoons. Add dried pepper and stir fry for about 30-60 seconds. Return the chicken to the wok / skillet and stir fry until the pieces are browned and crispy.
Add the sauce mixture to the wok / skillet and continue to cook and stir until sauce because thick, bubbly and caramelized into a glaze. Serve immediately with white rice and a large bowl of steamed broccoli for sharing.
Makes 2 good sized servings.