Yield: 4

Adapted from: Woks of Life

Ground chicken is the key to making Shortcut General Tso’s Chicken that cuts out chopping and deep-frying steps without compromising flavor!
Prep: 20 Cook: 15

For the chicken:

• 1lb ground chicken
• 2tsp Shaoxing wine
• ¼tsp salt
• ¼tsp ground white pepper
• ½tsp sesame oil
• 2TBS AP flour
• ⅓cup cornstarch

For the sauce:

• ⅓cup low sodium chicken stock
• 3½TBS brown sugar
• 1TBS light soy sauce
• 2½tsp rice vinegar
• 1tsp dark soy sauce

For the rest of the dish:

• 3cups broccoli florets (about 8 oz)
• 4TBS neutral oil
• 3-5dried red chili peppers (optional)
• 2cloves garlic (minced)

In a medium bowl, mix the ground chicken with the Shaoxing wine, salt, white pepper, and sesame oil. Set aside to marinate while you prep the other ingredients. (Or if making ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight.)

Make the sauce:

To a measuring cup, add the chicken stock, brown sugar, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, and dark soy sauce. Set aside. Set water to boil for steaming the broccoli.

While that’s happening, add the flour and cornstarch to a shallow dish, stirring with a fork or whisk to combine. Break up the ground chicken into pieces on top of the cornstarch, then use your fingers to break up the ground chicken into nuggets/large chunks and toss them in the cornstarch flour mixture.

Heat your wok or skillet over high heat. Add the oil and ground chicken in a single layer and fry until golden. Once a golden crust has formed, use a wok spatula to flip the chicken and let it brown once more undisturbed. Repeat until the chicken is uniformly seared. Remove from the wok, leaving behind any oil.

Add the broccoli to the steamer and steam for 5-6 minutes until crisp tender.

With the heat on medium-high, add the red chili peppers and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.

Stir up your sauce and add it to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, toss until the chicken is coated and the sauce is caramelized and sticky. There should be very little standing sauce.

Serve immediately with the steamed broccoli and steamed rice!