Description
This Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken recipe offers a perfect balance of crispy chicken coated in a flavorful, tangy, and slightly sweet sauce. Using the Instant Pot allows for a quick, hands-off cooking process while achieving tender chicken with a thick, glossy sauce. Garnished with sesame seeds and green onions, this dish pairs beautifully with steamed rice for an authentic and satisfying meal ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken
- 1 pound (227 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup (64 g) cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons oil (more if needed)
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if preferred spicier)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
For Garnish
- Finely sliced green onions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make the Sauce: In a medium bowl, combine rice vinegar, granulated sugar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, minced garlic, grated ginger, and red pepper flakes. Mix well and set aside to develop flavors.
- Prepare the Chicken: Beat the egg in a shallow bowl. Place cornstarch in a separate bowl. Dip each chicken piece first into the beaten egg, then evenly coat it with cornstarch. Arrange coated pieces on a plate for easy handling.
- Sauté Chicken: Set the Instant Pot to the SAUTE function and allow it to heat. Add oil to the pot insert. Working in batches if necessary, add the coated chicken pieces and cook until crispy and golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer cooked chicken to a separate plate.
- Sauté Aromatics and Deglaze: Add chopped garlic and ginger to the pot and cook until fragrant, roughly 1 minute. Pour in chicken stock, using a spatula to deglaze the bottom of the pot by scraping up any browned bits to infuse flavor and prevent burning.
- Add Sauce & Chicken: Pour the prepared sauce into the Instant Pot insert and return the browned chicken pieces to the pot. Stir well to coat the chicken evenly with the sauce.
- Pressure Cook: Cancel the SAUTE function. Secure the Instant Pot lid, set the valve to SEALING, and select the MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK mode on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes.
- Release Pressure: When cooking is complete, perform a quick release by carefully switching the valve from SEALING to VENTING. Open the lid once all pressure is released.
- Add Cornstarch Slurry: In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry. Stir this into the hot sauce in the pot. The residual heat will thicken the sauce. If needed, turn on SAUTE mode and simmer gently until desired thickness is reached.
- Garnish & Serve: Serve the General Tso’s chicken over cooked rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and finely sliced green onions for added flavor and texture. Enjoy your meal!
Notes
- Ensure to work in batches when sautéing the chicken to avoid overcrowding, which prevents crispiness.
- If a spicier dish is desired, increase the amount of red pepper flakes gradually.
- Shaoxing wine can be substituted with dry sherry if unavailable.
- For a gluten-free option, use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.
- The cornstarch slurry is essential for thickening the sauce; do not skip this step.
- Serve with steamed jasmine or basmati rice for best results.
