General Tso's Air-Fryer Chicken

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This air-fryer take on the Chinese takeout favorite is much lower in fat and sodium than most restaurant versions. If your air fryer basket is on the smaller side, try cooking in batches so that there's enough room for the air to circulate and crisp up the chicken.

Air-Fryer General Tso’s Chicken
Photo: Greg DuPree
Active Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:
4

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, patted dry and cut into 1 to 1 1/4-inch chunks

  • cup plus 2 tsp. cornstarch, divided

  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

  • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

  • 7 tablespoon lower-sodium chicken broth

  • 2 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoon ketchup

  • 2 teaspoon sugar

  • 2 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar

  • 1 ½ tablespoon canola oil

  • 3 - 4 chiles de árbol, chopped and seeds discarded

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

  • 2 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion, divided

  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

  • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions

  1. Beat egg in a large bowl, add chicken, and coat well. In another bowl, combine 1/3 cup cornstarch with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken with a fork to cornstarch mixture, and stir with a spatula to coat every piece.

  2. Transfer chicken to air-fryer oven racks (or fryer basket, in batches), leaving a little space between pieces. Preheat air-fryer at 400°F for 3 minutes. Add the battered chicken; cook for 12 to 16 minutes, giving things a shake midway. Let dry 3 to 5 minutes. If chicken is still damp on one side, cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.

  3. Whisk together remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch with broth, soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, and rice vinegar. Heat canola oil and chiles in a large skillet over medium heat. When gently sizzling, add the ginger and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  4. Re-whisk cornstarch mixture; stir into mixture in skillet. Increase heat to medium-high. When sauce begins to bubble, add chicken. Stir to coat; cook until sauce thickens and nicely clings to chicken, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn off heat; stir in 1 tablespoon green onion and sesame oil. Transfer to a serving plate, and top with sesame seeds and remaining 1 tablespoon green onion.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

302 Calories
13g Fat
18g Carbs
26g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 302
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Sodium 611mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 7%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 26g
Calcium 30mg 2%
Potassium 176mg 4%

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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