One Pan General Tso’s Chicken

Chinese takeout is a common craving of mine. It’s always delicious but never worth the aftermath; Headache, bloated belly, and feeling thirsty into the next day from MSG and a ton of sodium. I wanted to capture the crispy, sweet, and spicy magic of General Tso’s chicken without the consequences, This One Pan General Tso’s Chicken is easy to make in just one skillet. It’s compliant with Whole30, paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free diets but your taste buds won’t have a clue. Best of all, it’s made with wholesome, real ingredients that you can feel great about feeding yourself and your family!

INGREDIENTS

Chicken:

• 1.5-2 lbs chicken breast cut into 2” pieces
• 1 egg whisked
• 1/3 cup arrowroot powder
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil

Sauce:

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp coconut aminos
• 2 Tbsp fresh minced ginger (you can use between 2-4 Tbs depending on how gingery you like things)
• 2-3 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves minced)
• 1 Tbsp Paleo Ketchup (or tomato paste)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper, add more or less depending on your spice liking
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp tapioca flour

Veggies:

• 3 cups broccoli florets

Optional:

• Thinly sliced scallions for topping

Notes

I find that arrowroot powder makes a better crispy “breading” for the chicken, and that tapioca flour is better at making a smooth, thickened sauce. If you don’t have both in your pantry, you can try to sub one of these in both parts of the recipe but I haven’t tried that myself and can’t say how it would turn out.

HOW TO MAKE ONE PAN GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 425°F

Step 2:

Heat a large cast iron skillet or oven safe frying pan to medium high heat. Add coconut oil

Step 3:

Coat chicken pieces lightly in the whisked egg then coat in arrowroot powder shaking off any extra

Step 4:

Add coated chicken to the hot skillet and cook until each side is a nice golden color, 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove skillet from heat

Step 5:

Whisk together all sauce ingredients

Step 6:

Add broccoli florets to your skillet, and whisk sauce one more time before pouring it over chicken and broccoli (to make sure the tapioca starch is evenly mixed)

Step 7:

With a large spoon, gently fold chicken and broccoli everything is coated in sauce. Make sure not to remove the “breading” from your chicken

Step 8:

Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on how roasted you prefer your broccoli

Step 9:

Serve with cauliflower rice, regular rice, or whatever tickles your fancy!

Notes

The dredged chicken pieces can get stuck together while you brown them if they’re cooked too closely together. Gently separate them with a spoon. It helps to make sure you have a large enough pan or skillet (I used the Lodge 15 inch Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Skillet for this recipe). If you’re working with a smaller pan, you can brown the chicken in batches!

Craving something to make for dessert? Some Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies will hit the spot!