Baked General Tso's Chicken

Baked General Tso's Chicken - made December 15, 2016 from Pickled Plum

This is probably relatively the healthiest of the three chicken dishes I made since it's baked, not fried. Just a light coating of breading (why is breading chicken pieces such a messy pain?) then lay in a single layer in a shallow baking pan and bake.

It doesn't get as crispy, of course, as it would if you fried it, but sacrifices must be made if calories need to be cut. Taste-wise, I don't know how authentic this is to the real deal of General Tso's Chicken since I'm not an expert but it was pretty good. Same basic equation: bread chicken, cook chicken, toss with easy-to-put-together sauce. Dinner.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch chunks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups panko crumbs

Sauce
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Sesame seeds for garnish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cover a large cooking tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
2. Arrange three large bowls and fill the first with flour, the second with beaten eggs and the last with the panko crumbs.
3. Dip each piece of chicken in flour, then egg then panko crumbs, gently pressing to coat. Place on cooking tray in single layer.
4. Bake in the oven for about 113-15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and outside is golden brown.
5. Sauce: combine all sauce ingredients, except the cornstarch and water, in a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Whisk together the cornstarch and water and slowly add to the bubbling sauce; stirring constantly. Cook for a minute until sauce thickens; remove from heat.
6.  Toss sauce with warm chicken, coating each piece evenly. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired; serve immediately.