Oh, hello there! As you know, this General Tso sauce is used mostly in chicken dishes. You can use it in some other dishes as well. You will just love it. The spice, the aroma is going to hit you well enough.
This is usually a special sauce, one-offs, you can say. This sauce is a bit tricky, though, let me tell you. Now, off with the mystery and learn about iron chef general tso sauce recipe.
Let’s get know the back history of it. As General Obe Kanebi once greeted General Grievous, let’s jump into another General. In the Qing dynasty of China, a military leader had once lost his appetite. So you might wonder if he became a chef overnight.
And that’s the most fun story. Neither he or any of his descendants were cooks nor had seen this dish in their life. It is said that a Taiwan cook first invented this the general-Tso sauce recipe, also known as the general-Tso chicken sauce recipe because this sauce is still widely used in the chicken dish.
When he got to know all the fuzz about it, he honored the plate by officially naming it after General Tso. Lovely!
Table of Contents
General Tso Sauce Recipe
General Tso sauce is a unique mystery sauce. You might wonder what does general tso taste like. Simply aside, you will be able to taste the sweetness from the sugar, saltiness from soy sauce, and spiciness from chili flakes.
It is like flavors are bursting out of this dip. It is perfect for any kind of stir-fry dishes. The garlic and ginger from deep of the dungeon add more depths to the sauce. Another type of sauce, that is, Hoisin sauce, is also added to make Tso sauce.
And you can already imagine how mysterious this sauce is. Worry not, because Tso sauce is easy to prepare. It might cost you 10-15 minutes, and you will be rewarding yourself with a mystery. Let’s get to the ingredients for the best homemade general tso sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of chicken broth
- 2 tbsp of white sugar
- 2 tbsp of brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 2 tbsp of Hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp of minced ginger
- 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp of cornstarch
How to Make General Tso Sauce Step by Step:
Step 1:
I have prepared all of my ingredients. Taking a medium pan now. I have added all the ingredients at once and started to stir under medium settings for 5 minutes. About the Hoisin sauce, it actually adds some extra Chinese flavor.
No worries if you do not get this at this time. What you can do is, combine barbecue sauce with siracha sauce. Add some Chinese five-spice powder to get the extra gesture. Also, you can add some scallions to get the extra fragrance.
Step 2:
Started to simmer already? Continue to stir for another 5 minutes, and you will observe the thickness. Now, just simply remove from heat. Wait for it to get cooled down.
The general tso chicken sauce is now ready to enjoy with any kind of meat, especially fried ones. Now about the personal taste, if you want it to be sweeter, just add some extra sugars, that is all.
The same goes for spiciness; add extra chili flakes if you wish. I tried to keep the recipe at a neutral level here. You can use this sauce for 3-4 weeks if properly refrigerated.
General Tso Vegan Sauce
Now here is another recipe for General Tso Sauce. I like to call it the Tso Vegan Sauce. Quite similar to the last one. I am sure you guys will love it the same. Let’s jump into it.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of veggie stock
- 4 tbsp of white sugar
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1/4 cup of minced shallot
- 1/4 cup of minced garlic
- 1/4 cup of chopped scallions
- 1 tbsp of Thai chili
- 1 orange zest
- 1 tbsp of cornstarch
Directions:
Step 1:
I have prepared all of my ingredients. Taking the pan again. Started by heating the oil. Poured the shallot and garlic. Saute for a minute or two.
Step 2:
Now, I have added the scallion, Thai chili, and the zest of an orange. Make sure to add the whole chili. It infuses extra heat in there if you are ready to take the challenge. Add the zest directly into the pan.
Don’t prepare the zest ahead of time. It might lose some essential oil, and of course, the freshness.
Step 3:
Let’s come to the liquids now. Adding the rice vinegar, sesame oil, and peanut oil. Now, if you got an allergy, you can use soybean oil or canola oil instead of peanut oil.
It might not bring the same flavor, but still, you will enjoy it. After this, add the veggies stock as the sauce will be worked on vegan dishes, and sugar and soy sauce.
Let that mixture get a good stir and bring it to boil. Now turn it down to simmer and cook for another 5 minutes.
Now, whisk the cornstarch in while turning the heat on high settings. Get it to boil. Thickened? Yes. Smell? Real good. Turn off the heat. Put the pan off. Let it get cooled down.
Conclusion:
That is all about the General Tso Sauce. The special sauce for vegan opens the opportunity of enjoying it for everyone. Find and discover dishes to devour with Tso sauce. Bon Appetit! Till next time.
