🐓🥡 General Not Tsos Spicy Chicken (Whole30, Paleo) 🥡🐓
General Tsos Chicken was one of my favorite things to get when I ordered Chinese takeout, but ever since I’ve started making it myself, I haven’t touched a takeout menu once! This General Tsos Sauce is sweetened naturally with dates, then kicked up just a few notches with the addition of some Fresh Garlic, Ginger, and Chili Hot Sauce.
It's the perfect blend of Sweet with a touch of Spicy! It’s Gluten, Dairy, & Refined Sugar Free as well so you won’t have to feel guilty when you go back for seconds I prefer making it with Chicken Thighs as they tend to stay moist and hold up well for meal preps, but I’ve also made this dish with Chicken Breast in the past and have had great results! Serve it with a side of Fried Cauliflower Rice or Fresh Steamed Broccoli and you’ve got yourself Whole30 & Paleo Compliant takeout🥢
INGREDIENTS:
For the Chicken :
5 Lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into 1” pieces
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Hot Sauce
2 tsp Ginger Powder
1 Tbsp Arrowroot Flour
Salt & Pepper to taste
Sesame Seeds and/or Green Onion to garnish
For the General Tsos Sauce:
20 Large Medjool Dates, pitted
6 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated
2/3 Cup Coconut Aminos
1/4 Cup Chili Hot Sauce
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste, no sugar added
2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
Begin by placing your cubed Chicken in a large plastic bag. Then, in a small bowl, whisk together your Hot Sauce & Olive Oil with your Ginger Powder & Arrowroot Flour. Pour over Chicken, mix well, and set aside.
Add all of the sauce ingredients to a food processor, and process until everything is smooth and well blended. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge until ready for use (up to 1 week).
Pre-heat a large stainless steel skillet (without oil) over medium heat until it’s well heated about 4-5 mins. Add 2 Tbsp cooking oil and pan fry the chicken in separate batches, being sure to not overcrowd the pan. Don’t flip or move the chicken pieces until you see the bottom layer is golden brown, then flip and cook until they are cooked through. I tend to cover the pan during this step to allow them to cook through more evenly.
Once Chicken is cooked, remove from pan and set aside on a paper towel lined plate (Note: It takes about 4 separate batches to cook all the chicken, so using 2 skillets is definitely more time efficient, but not necessary).
Add all of your sauce to the skillet and stir-fry for about 10-20 seconds before adding the Chicken back in. Coat the chicken pieces in sauce and continue stir frying until they are completely cooked through and covered in a sweet and spicy glaze!
Serve with a side of Fried Cauliflower Rice or Broccoli and dig in!