Popeye Tso's Chicken (General Tso's Chicken Made with Popeye's Chicken Nuggets) Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated Aug. 30, 2018
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Note: For best results, use Popeye's chicken nuggets or popcorn shrimp. Other brands will work if necessary.

Recipe Details

Popeye Tso's Chicken (General Tso's Chicken Made with Popeye's Chicken Nuggets) Recipe

Active 5 mins
Total 5 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

  • 1 teaspoon Chinese chili paste

  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 cloves minced garlic (about 2 teaspoons)

  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

  • A half dozen dried red whole chiles

  • 18 to 24 pieces Popeye's Chicken Nuggets, or 3 order Popeye's Popcorn Shrimp

  • 3 scallion greens, sliced

Directions

  1. Combine stock, soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin, chili paste, sesame oil, sugar, and cornstarch in a small bowl and mix with a fork until blended and smooth.

  2. Heat oil in a large wok over high heat until smoking. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Immediately add whole chilies and chicken nuggets and toss to combine. Add sauce and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened into a thick glossy glaze. Transfer contents immediately to a hot plate and serve with steamed rice.

Special equipment

wok

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
744 Calories
48g Fat
48g Carbs
32g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 744
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 48g 62%
Saturated Fat 8g 38%
Cholesterol 104mg 35%
Sodium 1583mg 69%
Total Carbohydrate 48g 17%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 32g
Vitamin C 4mg 21%
Calcium 53mg 4%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 608mg 13%
*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.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)