Tso’s Crunchy Chicken (Print)
Crunchy chicken bits in a kicky sauce—no big oil mess. Fast, fun, and totally hits that takeout craving at home.
# Ingredients:
→ Chicken Prep
01 -
Chop up 450 g chicken thighs or breasts (no skin or bone) into bite-size chunks
02 -
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or peanut oil
03 -
1 egg, whisked
04 -
65 g cornstarch
05 -
1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Sauce
06 -
80 ml veggie or chicken broth
07 -
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
08 -
2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
09 -
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce or regular soy sauce
10 -
1 tablespoon light soy sauce or regular soy sauce
11 -
1 tablespoon cornstarch
12 -
50 g sugar
→ For Stir-Frying
13 -
4 minced garlic cloves
14 -
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
15 -
8 dried chilis (Chinese style)
16 -
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
# Steps:
01 -
Mix chicken or veggie broth, vinegar, Shaoxing wine or sherry, both soy sauces, sugar, and the extra bit of cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir really well so it’s smooth. Set this aside for later.
02 -
Dump chicken pieces in a big bowl, add salt and a spoonful of oil. Toss it all together and let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes.
03 -
Pour the beaten egg into your chicken mix and stir to cover every chunk. Tip in the cornstarch and toss so some spots are powdery and some are a bit sticky – that’s what you want.
04 -
Crank up your heavy skillet with 3 spoons of oil until you see wisps of smoke. Pop chicken in. Don’t stir – let it get a crispy bottom for 2–3 minutes. Turn pieces and go until both sides are golden, another 2–3 minutes. Move ’em to a plate.
05 -
Take the hot skillet off for a couple minutes to cool just a bit. Bring back to medium heat – leave some oil in there. Now add chilis, garlic, and ginger. Fry ’til it smells amazing.
06 -
Give your sauce a stir so nothing's sitting at the bottom. Pour it into the skillet. Keep stirring while it bubbles and thickens. When a spatula can leave a track, it’s thick enough.
07 -
Put chicken right back in the pan. Quickly toss it around to coat every piece in sauce, about half a minute. Slide everything onto a plate and eat while hot.
# Notes:
01 -
To go gluten-free, swap soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos, use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine, and grab rice vinegar instead of Chinkiang.
02 -
For the best smell, use dried chilis (Chinese or Korean). Want more heat? Break up the chilis or throw in a dash of cayenne.