chicken

General Tso’s Chicken

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General Tso's ChickenToday is a snow day! I didn’t even have to wear my pajamas inside out or put ice cubes in the toilet like all my students told me I had to. I have to admit I thought about it though. Yes, I swear I am a grown up. BUT, I love that I can have a grown up job at a school and still get to feel the excitement of a snow day. Best. Thing. Ever! It’s like a bonus weekend in the middle of the week! Plus, we found out last night, which makes it even more amazing because I knew I could sleep in from the moment my head hit the pillow.

General Tso's ChickenAnywho, snow days when I’m stuck inside are also perfect days for cooking and blogging (luckily for you!). On a cold and snowy day like today, a sweet and spicy general tso’s chicken will surely warm you up! This recipe is kind of a hodgepodge of a bunch of different recipes I’ve tried mixed together to my own taste. Plus, it’s made from ingredients I usually have at my house so major bonus points for not needing to go to the store for most of this!

General Tso's ChickenThere’s a light coating on the chicken, which is wonderful to give it an extra little crunch without the frying. I’ve done the frying thing and oh-my-goodness is it delicious. You can certainly use the same sauce with a fried version of the chicken. However, in an attempt to cut down on the fat, I try to stick with the less oil version of this recipe, which also is *AMAZING*. It’s a happy mix between plain chicken (which would also work) and the fatty stuff that makes my mouth drool. I’ll save the fried stuff for only very special occasions.

General Tso's ChickenI love to have general tso’s chicken with steamed broccoli. You can also saute in a bunch of veggies…sugar snap peas, carrots, onions, bell peppers to name a few delicious choices. I bet that you can even use the sauce with only veggies to make a general tso’s veggie stir fry. SHOCK AND AWE! I know…mind blown. I’m just that good. It’s okay to admit it.

General Tso's Chicken
Serves 3
A sweet and spicy chicken
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Chicken Ingredients
  1. 1/4 cup corn starch
  2. 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  3. salt and pepper, to taste
  4. 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  5. 1 pound uncooked chicken, cubed
  6. 1 head broccoli, cut into florets and steamed (optional)
Sauce Ingredients
  1. 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  2. 3 tablespoons honey
  3. 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  4. 2 teaspoons corn starch
  5. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
  7. 1/2 cup water or chicken stock
Instructions
  1. Mix together the chicken coating: 1/4 cup corn starch, baking soda, and salt and pepper. Coat the chicken by tossing it with corn starch mixture.
  2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add coated chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
  3. While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, honey, soy sauce, corn starch, garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup of the water or chicken stock sauce. Add sauce mixture to the skillet once the chicken is cooked. Bring to a simmer and simmer until thickened. If the sauce is too sticky or thick, you can add the remaining 1/4 cup of water or chicken stock to slightly thin it.
  4. Add the steamed broccoli, optional.
  5. Serve over rice.
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/

Chicken Tikka Masala

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Chicken Tikka MasalaI first had chicken tikka masala a couple of years ago at a nice little Indian restaurant near college with some friends. It looked fairly typical. Chicken. Rice. Reddish, orange sauce. Little did I know I was going to have a flavor EXPLOSION in my mouth. Wow, I was in for a delicious surprise.

Chicken Tikka MasalaIn very general terms, tikka masala is a tomato and cream based sauce with a slew of spices added. It’s very hard to describe to someone who has never had it but it’s a flavor that you will for sure remember once you have had it. It’s kind of spicy and earthy and warm. Yeah…that was a horrible description. I don’t even know what that means. Needless to say, I am seriously drooling right now and wondering how I can come up with a last minute version of this with what is in my house because we are out of leftovers.

Chicken Tikka MasalaBefore I had this dish at that Indian restaurant, I never really even knew what tikka masala was let alone attempt to make it! Now I LOVE to make it and crave it often. As in I crave it every time I am coming up with the weekly menu.

Now, this is for sure not a recipe based off of traditional Indian cooking techniques. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’re probably better off somewhere else. I grew up Slovak in a house where pierogi and stuffed cabbage were the menu items, not Indian cuisine. However, I find this dish delicious and packed with flavors similar to what I remember from my first tikka masala experience. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala
Serves 6
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr
Ingredients
  1. 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cubed
  2. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  3. 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  4. 2 tablespoons butter
  5. 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  6. 4 cloves garlic, minced
  7. 1 tablespoon dried cumin
  8. 1 teaspoon salt
  9. 1/2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
  10. 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
  11. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  12. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  13. 1 can no salt added tomato sauce (14 ounce)
  14. 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  15. 2 teaspoons paprika
  16. 1 tablespoon white sugar
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and curry powder. Sear chicken until just cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
  2. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the skillet. When the butter is melted, add the onion and sauté until the onion starts to become translucent. Add the garlic and sauté 1 additional minute. Add the cumin, salt, ginger, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric. Sauté 2 minutes.
  3. Reduce heat to low and stir in tomato sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in whipping cream, paprika, and sugar. Simmer another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Return chicken to the skillet with the sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Serve over rice.
Notes
  1. This can get pretty spicy depending on how much cayenne pepper you add. If you do not like it spicy, try using the 1/2 teaspoon (or less) of cayenne pepper. This is definitely best over rice because the rice gets coated in the delicious sauce as well.
Adapted from All Recipes | Curry Stand Chicken Tikka Masala
Adapted from All Recipes | Curry Stand Chicken Tikka Masala
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/
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