Meals · Stir-fries & fried rice
Paleo General Tso's chicken
Golden arrowroot-crusted chicken in the sweet, tangy, gingery sauce that made this the most famous dish on the menu, built on coconut aminos, tomato and cider vinegar, with a spoonful of almond butter for body. Green onions, sesame and a gentle warmth, over cauliflower rice with broccoli.
- Time
- 40 min (15 prep + 25 cook)
- Servings
- 4
- Per serving
- 506 kcal
- Protein
- 47 g
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb chicken breast, cut in 2.5 cm (1-inch) pieces
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp arrowroot
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, divided
To serve
- about 1 lb broccoli, cut in florets
- 2 tbsp water
- 5 cups cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen
- a pinch salt
Sauce
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup water, cold
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp almond butter, no sugar added
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 tbsp arrowroot
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Steps
- Pat the chicken dry. Toss it with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the 3 tablespoons of arrowroot until evenly coated, then shake off any loose starch.
- Heat half the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry half the chicken for 6–7 minutes, turning, until golden and 165°F inside. Lift onto a plate in one layer, add the rest of the oil and fry the second batch.
- While the chicken fries, microwave the broccoli with the 2 tablespoons of water, covered, for 3–4 minutes until crisp-tender, and drain it. Cook the cauliflower rice in a second large dry skillet with the pinch of salt over medium-high heat, stirring, for 5–6 minutes, uncovered, until hot and the steam has gone.
- Whisk the coconut aminos, cold water, vinegar, tomato paste, honey, almond butter, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, chili flakes and the 1 1/2 tablespoons of arrowroot in a bowl until smooth. The liquid has to be cold when the arrowroot goes in, or it will clump.
- Set the chicken pan over medium heat, give the sauce a last stir and pour it in. Stir constantly for 2–3 minutes, until it comes to a simmer and turns thick and glossy, then take it off the heat straight away, because arrowroot thins again if it keeps boiling.
- Taste, and add a small pinch of salt if it needs it. Toss the chicken through the sauce with most of the green onion. Serve over the cauliflower rice with the broccoli, topped with the sesame seeds and the last of the green onion. Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge; reheat in a pan with a splash of water.
Good to know
I like it hot. What should I do?
Fry 4–6 whole dried red chilies in the oil for 30 seconds before the sauce goes in, or double the chili flakes. Take the whole chilies out before serving if you have children at the table.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes, at about 51 instead of 59. Give them 1–2 minutes longer in the pan.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 113
- Protein
- (38%)
- 10 g
- Fat
- (30%)
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- (32%)
- 10 g
- of which sugar
- 5 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 317 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 2024 kcal goes into the pot and 2187 g of ingredients comes out as about 1788 g of food: 113 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.