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Healthier General Tso’s Chicken

Aug 17, 2019 · 26 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ChooseMazola #CollectiveBias

We’re kicking the week off right with a baked not fried version of my favorite takeout meals- General Tso’s Chicken! I’m serving it over brown rice, making this lightened up with Mazola Corn Oil! It’s better than any takeout dish you’ve ever had!​

This September is Nation Cholesterol Awareness Month, and to ‘celebrate’, I decided to put a health-conscious spin on a takeout classic – General Tso’s. A clinical study showed Mazola Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, see Mazola.com.​ So I decided to use it as one of the key ingredients in today’s recipe. 
The takeout version of General Tso’s Chicken is a guilty indulgence of gooey-on-crispy fried goodness drenched in a thick sweet and spicy orange-brown sauce – a sauce whose precise flavor you can never ‘quite’ put your finger on, but that you ‘believe’ is a base of orange preserve and sesame oil. It’s a carefree indulgence if ever there was one. However, making this classic at home can be a challenge. First and foremost, most of us don’t have a deep fryer sitting on our countertop, meaning the chicken rarely has quite the same crunch. Second of all, at least for me, there’s a sort of ‘psychological barrier’ when it comes to preparing something this intentionally ‘guilty’ and decadent, ordering something like this out is one thing, but preparing it in my own kitchen is quite another. Today, we’re solving both of those problems. What I’ve prepared for you in today’s post is a near guiltless recipe for super crispy chicken chunks, prepared with a sweet and spicy brown sauce, that offers all of the ‘crunch’ and flavor of the takeout classic but almost none of the guilt.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1) No Deep Fryer Needed: One of the big disadvantages of trying to make General Tso’s at home comes down to the deep fryer. Since it’s simply not an everyday item, most of us don’t have one, and for those of us who do, it’s one of those gadgets where you love what it does – crispy fried food – but it’s a hassle to use. Today’s General Tso’s requires no deep fryer, and no skillet frying. Instead, to achieve the crispy chicken that’s at the core of the recipe, we’ll be oven baking it. More on that later.
2) Moist and Crunchy:
I’m going to cut right to the chase and say that my favorite thing about General Tso’s is not really the ‘flavor,’ but rather the almost contradictory textures that it has, combining a moist gooey exterior with a crisp interior. This recipe achieves that without the need for deep frying.
3) Great Left Over:
Like its takeout counterpart, homemade General Tso’s is great left over. It heats back up absolutely beautifully in an oiled skillet or wok but also tastes great cold – if you’re so inclined.

Making General Tso’s Lighter – Five Swaps

Swap One –  The Oil: The first swap in the standard general Tso’s recipe is to skip regular cooking oil or olive oil in favor of Mazola Corn Oil, which we’ll be using to drizzle on the chicken during oven baking. Which brings us to our second health-conscious swap.
Swap Two – Oven Baking vs Frying:
Perhaps the biggest swap in today’s recipe, we’re opting out of deep frying the chicken in place of oven baking. Not only is this a healthier choice, but’s far easier, quicker, and much less expensive – due to not needing cups of cooking oil. Swap Three – Egg Whites: For the egg wash, we’ll be using three egg whites in place of whole eggs. This makes no difference in taste or texture. The only ‘real’ difference here is cutting the cholesterol content of the recipe.
Swap Four – Low Sodium Soy Sauce: Low Sodium Soy Sauce is one of the very few “Low This” or “Free That” foods where the difference in flavor truly is negligible to nonexistent. As a result, since we don’t need the extra sodium or body of standard soy sauce for today’s recipe, there was no reason not to make the swap. Swap Five – Brown Rice vs White Rice: While takeout General Tso’s is generally served with a side of white rice, today we’ll be substituting brown rice. Brown rice is a whole grain, which still has its bran and germ intact, as opposed to white rice, which has had the bran and germ removed. Since the bran and germ are the most nutritious part of the rice, this further enhances the nutritional value of the recipe.

Ingredients – Some Tips and Pointers

1) Panko vs Breadcrumbs. If you want to know how we manage to keep the chicken crisp and crunchy without deep frying or skillet frying, this is how. Panko is a type of Japanese breadcrumb produced from crust-less, coarsely ground bread. While traditionally used in deep fried foods, panko works great in oven baking to achieve a ‘deep fried’ crunch. As a bonus, Panko is also lower in calories than its crusty, finely ground counterpart. 2) Mazola Corn Oil. Mazola Corn Oil is an all-purpose, cholesterol free cooking oil that is a smart heart-healthy* choice for your family. *See Mazola.com for more information on the relationship between corn oil and heart health. It has a variety of uses including baking, grilling, sautéing, stir frying, or mixing up a marinade or dressing.​ There are other reasons we’re using this particular oil. First and foremost, it’s completely flavor neutral, meaning I don’t have to account for it in the recipe or worry about conflicting flavors. Also, it has a smoke point of 450 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning it can reach this temperature without negatively affect the recipe’s taste and nutritional value. Since we’ll be mixing the chicken in a heated wok or frying pan after cooking it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, this is particularly important.

Living the Gourmet

Serves 4

380

Healthier General Tso

10 minPrep Time

25 minCook Time

35 minTotal Time

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5 based on 13 review(s)

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1½ – inch pieces
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3 egg whites and 1 tablespoon water, whisked together
  • 2 cups panko
  • Mazola Corn Oil , for drizzling
  • For the Sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon Mazola Corn Oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ sweet onion or 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • Juice of 1 large orange
  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup teriyaki sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chili paste
  • 1 tablespoons apricot preserves
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
  • Spring onions, chopped for garnish
  • Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Begin by dredging the chicken pieces- first coat in flour, then egg wash, and finally, panko. Lay the pieces out on a baking sheet and drizzle with Mazola Corn Oil .
  3. Bake the chicken pieces until golden, about 12-15 minutes.
  4. In a large wok or skillet, heat oil with garlic and onions. Add the soy sauce, teriyaki, chili paste, apricot preserves, brown sugar, and orange juice. Stir until the preserves are cooked down and everything is incorporated. Now add the cornstarch slurry and stir until the sauce begins to thicken. Quickly add the baked chicken and toss until each piece is well coated.
  5. Top with spring onions and toasted sesame seeds if desired and serve alongside brown rice. Enjoy!
7.8.1.2
1332
https://livingthegourmet.com/2019/08/healthier-general-tso.html

Did you make this recipe? If so, let me know in the comments down below, post a picture of what you made either to Instagram or Pinterest (or both!), with @LivingtheGourmet or #LTGFood, and we’ll give you a shoutout on Instagram, or post your pin to one of our boards on Pinterest!

Enjoy with Love!

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Poultry baked, general tso chicken, healthy, lightened up, poultry

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. DAVID J MYERS says

    18/08/2019 at 2:44 am

    Catherine, This is one of my favorite Asian meals! I like my General Tso's Chicken spicy and even when eating out I order the brown rice. It has more flavor. We'll have to try baking it at home! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
    Reply
  2. Gloria | Homemade & Yummy says

    19/08/2019 at 5:01 pm

    I love when there are healthier versions of the delicious classics. This sounds wonderful. I know my family would enjoy this for dinner any night of the week.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  3. shobee says

    19/08/2019 at 5:57 pm

    I always go for lighter option too by baking; but sometimes, I want the "sinful" option, the deep frying. Love my General Tso's with white rice and I want more of the sauce in it too. Love this.
    Reply
  4. Kita says

    19/08/2019 at 8:12 pm

    I am stoked that I don't need a deep fryer for this recipe and am salivating. I haven't had General Tso's Chicken in years and suddenly it's all I want.
    Reply
  5. kita roberts says

    19/08/2019 at 8:16 pm

    I am stoked that I don't need a deep fryer for this recipe and am salivating. I haven't had General Tso's Chicken in years and suddenly it's all I want.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  6. Amanda says

    19/08/2019 at 10:02 pm

    This is definitely going on the menu this week! I love when I run into healthier versions of comfort food, and this recipe sounds great. That crispy coating looks perfect.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  7. Heather says

    20/08/2019 at 2:31 am

    My husband loves General Tso's chicken. I'll have to make this version for him.
    Reply
  8. Kita Roberts says

    20/08/2019 at 7:37 am

    This is really making me hungry from my tummy to my bones! Yum! Looks really deliciously healthy.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  9. kumamonjeng says

    20/08/2019 at 11:13 am

    What a great idea to use Mazola Corn Oil instead. Love this idea as it will be a healthier version.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  10. Arya says

    20/08/2019 at 11:13 am

    What a great idea and the recipe is super easy as well.
    Reply
  11. Jennifer says

    20/08/2019 at 7:21 pm

    I'm saving this to try because it looks delicious! We're always looking at ways to lower our cholesterol.
    Reply
  12. Yeah Lifestyle says

    20/08/2019 at 8:04 pm

    I am loving all your tips here on how to get the chicken chrispy, thank you. I used to use Mazola corn oil but swapped to olive oil and now plan to swap again since I know it is much healthier.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  13. monica y says

    20/08/2019 at 10:44 pm

    This looks delicious, I need to make it for my family soon
    Reply
  14. alexandra cook says

    21/08/2019 at 1:03 am

    Oh my goodness, these ingredients sound perfect together! This is going on our meal plan for this week. My family will love this!
    Reply
  15. Danielle says

    21/08/2019 at 6:37 pm

    I was wondering how you made it - the images look so delicious. It got really easy and clear as I started to read the instructions - fantastic job!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  16. Shannon Gurnee says

    21/08/2019 at 7:37 pm

    We love chicken in our family. This looks like a yummy recipe!
    Reply
  17. Anne Lawton says

    23/08/2019 at 9:18 pm

    mmm! I love General Tso chicken, thanks for making it healthier!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  18. Rebecca Blackwell says

    24/08/2019 at 1:40 am

    I made this for dinner last night and it's the bomb! We absolutely loved it - it's better than our local take out place for sure. The chicken is so crispy and the whole dish is packed with flavor. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
    Reply
  19. Debbie says

    24/08/2019 at 2:33 pm

    General Tso is a family favorite at my house for take out, it is a must. I really love that you lighten up this classic recipe and make is healthier. The crispy coating looks perfect without deep frying it. This is something my family will enjoy and can't wait to treat them to this.
    Reply
  20. Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says

    24/08/2019 at 4:42 pm

    It’s like you read my mind! My husband loves General Tso but I’m not a huge fan of making it the traditional way as it’s not healthy. I’m loving your swap suggestions! This looks so scrumptious!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  21. Claire says

    25/08/2019 at 12:54 pm

    I made this for dinner last night as General Tso chicken is pretty much our favourite takeout dish. Hubby was sceptical that it could be as good, but we are trying to avoid takeout and eat healthier so I thought it was worth a go. IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!!! Like you say, not quite the same as takeout, but equally delicious and also I didn't get that "I am starving again" feeling an hour after eating. I think that was because we used the brown rice. Thank you so much for a great recipe!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  22. Karyl Henry says

    25/08/2019 at 4:33 pm

    I make a similar baked general tso's chicken but don't use the bread crumbs. I love that you can make a healthier version that tastes just as good. Your version looks so good, and I'm definitely going to give it a try
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  23. Amanda Mason says

    26/08/2019 at 4:37 am

    This looks absolutely amazing and I love your swaps to make this recipe healthier!! This would be perfect for leftover for lunch the next day! This one is definately going on the menu this week!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  24. Jo says

    26/08/2019 at 8:41 am

    I have a healthish General Tso chicken recipe on the blog made in instant pot and I love it so much. Now your version excites me. I love baked chicken added to General Tso chicken. Looks amazing!
    ★★★★★
    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. A Summer Chardonnay from William Hill Estate Winery - Living The Gourmet says:
    01/08/2020 at 8:23 pm
    […] a range of flavors and textures. On the one hand, I can see it pairing well with something like my Healthier General Tso’s Chicken, which features panko crusted chicken coated in a spicy orange sauce. On the other hand, I might […]
    Reply
  2. Ramen Noodle Stir Fry - Living The Gourmet says:
    16/08/2020 at 4:14 pm
    […] Homemade General Tso’s. Crispy fried chicken chunks bathed in a dense sweet and spicy dipping sauce, this one of my […]
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