Description

General Tso’s Chicken Bowls are a flavorful and comforting dish combining tender, crispy chicken coated in a perfectly balanced sweet, savory, and spicy sauce, served over fluffy steamed rice with fresh, crisp vegetables. This quick and easy recipe is customizable, family-friendly, and perfect for a satisfying weeknight meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup cornstarch
Oil for frying (vegetable or canola oil)

Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey/maple syrup for lower sugar)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (adjust to taste)

Vegetables

1 cup broccoli florets (or snap peas)
Optional: bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms (sliced, for extra veggies)

Base

2 cups steamed white or jasmine rice (or quinoa, cauliflower rice, or noodles as alternatives)

Instructions

Prepare the Chicken: Cut boneless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Toss the chicken pieces thoroughly in cornstarch until evenly coated to ensure a crispy texture when cooked.
Make the Sauce: In a bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and chili flakes. Mix well to create a balanced sweet, tangy, and spicy sauce.
Cook the Chicken: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the coated chicken pieces in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes per batch. Remove cooked chicken from the pan and set aside.
Stir-Fry Vegetables: In the same pan, quickly stir-fry your choice of vegetables just until tender-crisp, preserving their bright color and crunch.
Combine and Simmer: Return the chicken to the pan with the vegetables. Pour in the prepared sauce and toss everything together until the chicken is well coated and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. If sauce is too thin, simmer longer or add a cornstarch slurry to thicken.
Assemble the Bowls: Serve the saucy chicken and vegetables over a bed of steamed white or jasmine rice for the perfect comforting meal.

Notes

Pat the chicken dry before coating with cornstarch to help achieve a crispier crust.
Do not overcrowd the pan when frying chicken; cook in batches to maintain heat and crispiness.
If the sauce is too thin, simmer for longer or add a cornstarch slurry to thicken to desired consistency.
Prep all ingredients (chicken and vegetables) before cooking to make the process smoother and faster.
Taste and adjust the balance of sweetness and heat by modifying sugar and chili flake quantities to suit your preference.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Pan-frying and stir-frying
Cuisine: Chinese-American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl
Calories: 480 kcal
Sugar: 10 g
Sodium: 900 mg
Fat: 18 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 50 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 30 g
Cholesterol: 85 mg

Keywords: General Tso's chicken, crispy chicken, sweet and spicy chicken, Chinese chicken recipe, chicken bowl, weeknight dinner, gluten-free chicken recipe