I love the honest critique and that it came out a little burned. It's like being in a real kitchen instead of the super fake videos that I don't trust.
Yes, love our air fryer!!! A lot of pre made frozen dishes don’t even need any additional oil ... it cooks everything so nice and crisp and easy and lighter . We even do garlic bread in there ... literally anything .. between my instapot and air fryer ... love them ! I can’t wait to try this recipe!! Thank you !!
With an air fryer you don’t even need oil, just pop your food in there and you cook it it’s amazing I love my air fryer and I love my instant pot! Best of both worlds!
Thanks for the interesting technique :) General Tso's chicken was invented in Taiwan, that's why you can't find it in China. But most chefs in the U.S. cook it like the Chinese dish 乾燒明蝦, so any dish that start with 乾燒, either in U.S., China, or Taiwan is going to taste very similar to it.
Nice recipe. One correction. The recipe isn't American. It was created by a Taiwanese master chef who came to the United States in the 1970s and popularized it from there. I'd HIGHLY recommend the fantastic documentary "Searching for General Tso" which is on Netflix. Very moving and also entertaining search that also goes through the history of the dish but also about the growth and expansion of the Chinese community and Chinese cooking. It's brilliant.
Estrafalario Thanks for the clarification! All I knew was that it isn't a typical Chinese dish. Will have to look for the documentary. We don't get as much selection on Netflix as in the US. Love learning about Chinese history.
I was very moved by it. Reminded me of my own parents struggle as immigrants. Also the importance of food. It was produced by Jennifer 8. Lee who wrote The Fortune Cookie Chronicles. Was amazed at how this documentary could be both funny and sharp and moving all at the same time. They traveled to China to the region the real Gen. Tso lived and interviewed people around the world. A real mystery. Looking forward to trying out this dish!!
My friend just got me an Instant Pot on Prime Day as a gift for watching her house/dogs/cats while her family is on vacation.....Having jumped down the rabbithole of recipes on YT, this sounds like one of the best so far, can't wait to try it!
I have never had General Tso's chicken because I had no idea what it might taste like. I may try this. I love the way you save you freeze tomato paste, being flat it defrosts more quickly.
One thing I would suggest is turning the pot around before releasing the pressure. Releasing the steam up into your cabinet doors could delaminate them surprisingly quickly. Edit: The teaspoon of oil is for pre-cooked fries (fresh or frozen) in an airfryer. If you make your fries from scratch it takes about a tablespoon of oil per pound of potatoes. Which is still an economy of about 30% over deep frying.
Hi! I just got a pressure cooker for Christmas from my wife. My first recipe was based off of your (this) video. It came out amazing. Can’t thank you enough for that tomato paste trick. I got my freezing right now. Subbed!
Freezing tomato paste is a brilliant idea! I am guy trying to impress my wife with my cooking skills (which at the moment I don't have:) I love the guy's honesty and the lady's ability to handle it. That is rare on YT. Thank you Flo for taking the time to create this video.
Thanks so much for this recipe. I made it for my wife this week, and she absolutely loved it and said it was one of her favourite ever! I was a bit confused about "light" soy sauce, but from what I could gather, that just means "normal" or otherwise un-labelled soy sauce, as opposed to dark soy sauce. When it came to breading the chicken, I found it fastest just to dump ~1/3 of all pieces at a time into a large bowl of panko rather than one by one. I also found the panko didn't stick that well onto the chicken, but I compensated by adding some of the toasted crumbs in the pan back into the final chicken bowl. In any case, it was a big success.
I made this the other night. I was pretty excited because I love General Tso, but don't deep fry at home. Let there be no confusion...in no way would you confuse this for General Tso that you'd get from any restaurant - it doesn't have the flavour of texture that a really good general brings. Though, that said, it was still pretty tasty. As much as I love penko, I think maybe next time I'd just skip that step. The extra time and calories didn't really provide any value and the penko ended up being soggy with the sauce. Better to think of this as a sweet and sour chicken that is delicious with rice and bok choy. Love the channel Flo. Keep up the good work!
Let me just say, there is nothing quite like deep-fried goodness from a restaurant. In Chinese there is a term for the smokiness you get in a restaurant and I have never been able to replicate it at home. Glad you enjoyed it anyway. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. =)
You can get a tube of tomato paste at the market. It's similar to a tooth paste tube but it's seal able and is stored in the fridge after it's been opened.
Yeah Paul, you can get just about anything one can imagine, but a tube of tomato paste is ridiculously expensive, and begins to separate in the tube over time. Where as a can of paste is extremely cheap and her method is what I've always done minus the portioning.
I rent and after waiting over a year for repairs I bought a convection toaster oven, by Hamilton beach, for like 100 I think this way I can take it if I move, 4 months later they fixed it but the ovens pilot light never stays lit - so glad I bought it, it cooks faster than gas oven that isn't temp regulated - I do recommend it. Thanks for the resipie
To make ANYTHING in an Airfryer.. Get an EVO sprayer (sprayed micro fine droplets) spray a few squirts(approximately 1/8 Tbls per squirt) to cover. Makes anything crunchy!
For the tomato paste problem: you can buy tomato paste in a squeeze tube, not unlike toothpaste. You can use what you need and screw the top back on and good to go.
Great tomato paste tip! I think it's great that you did not fry the morsels...we are trying to eat better and you have made meal times easy and sooo tasty. When my husband asks me about dinner plans, I just pull out my Instant Pot and tell him we are going with The Flo! Looking forward to trying this one real soon!
LOL!! You seriously made me laugh out loud!!! I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying the videos and that I have helped make dinner a little easier. =)
I was going to say: where is your air fryer!! Then I saw you mentioned it. The most used appliance in our home, used more than our instapot too. Anyway, you can choose to use oil as you like. I use little oil and mix it with water so I still coat everything before I get things onto the air fryer. I use olive oil, unfiltered extra virgin cold pressed
I know you bought an air fryer but I would have suggested a tabletop convection oven. Which can also be used as a toaster oven and broiler. An air fryer is basically a convection oven without the other options.
Just an additional info for a great video ty. 1. it takes about 1.5 tbls of oil to make fries in the air fryer. 2. Zuo Zongtang (also romanized as Tso Tsung-t'ang; 10 November 1812 - 5 September 1885), sometimes referred to as General Tso, was a Chinese statesman and military leader of the late Qing dynasty.
older post, but just made tried this tonight. i dropped a 1/2 tablespoon of the vinegar, and added hoisen, added a teaspoon of sesame oil, some orange zest, and a little chicken stock(using the 8qt pot, was worried about liquid amount.) added a little extra ginger and garlic for preference. came out absolutely amazing!!! Thanks for the recipe :) You rock!
I don't know if anyone said, but when I use my air fryer, I just use a quick spray of olive baking oil ( spray can) across the top, then shake my Fry's really good. Hope you get this.
I'm going to try this😋 ! I think I might thicken the sauce halfway before pulling out the chicken, and see if I can get more panko to stick on, if that fails, I am thinking a dip into an egg white wash will work too. I know my picky eater will not be content without the the crunch.
I think I would have put the sauce in first on a very low simmer in order to melt the tomato paste into the rest of the sauce. It was noticeably localized in the center after depressurizing. I can't have sweet things, so I would probably also skip the honey and use more rice vinegar and tomato paste to make up for it. (Or maybe a quarter cup of water with one Splenda?) It sounds like a squeeze of lemon would have made hubby happier (more tang). I also think that doubling the sauce would probably make the finished product more tasty. It did seem a bit spare with all that panko. I sound super picky, too, but I love the way y'all approached cooking: it's truly a life-long experiment. THANK YOU for sharing.
To finish this in the airfryer, I would lightly spray the surface of the chicken with oil then toss it into the fryer, for a few minutes and shake or turn after a minute. We love our Black & Decker airfryer!
The idea to preserve miscellaneous tomato paste is AWESOME! Thanks for that. I am definitely #teamfriedchicken for my General Tso chicken recipe though! Thanks for Sharing!
Oh this looks so good. I'm going to try it this week. A an American who learned how to use chopsticks as a young child. I find me using them the same as here. Why, they are way easier to clean then what we as Americans would use.
To answer to your question about using oil in your air fryer, is that I don’t use oil for anything sometimes I just spray the pan with some cooking oil spray to prevent things from sticking to it but I never use oil in my air fryer
My first recipe with my Instant Pot! I loved it!! Next time I am going to leave out the Panko crumbs. It dries it out too much. I made an extra batch of sauce and put the chicken in it on SLOW COOKER until serving.. Thanks so much!! Hope you can get a new oven soon!
i was searching thru recipes for making stir fries in my bella 10 in 1 pressure cooker/slow cooker and found this video and im so glad i did because this looks delicious,thank you for sharing,i will make it and post a pic when i do,hopefully it comes out just like yours,minus the burned panko,but even that looked great lol
Yes 1 tbls of oil for 3 big potatoes wedges up yummy fries in the air fryer.Flo I will try this for Father’s Day my husband loves gen. Tso chicken, way healthier option too.. thank you so much for your great videos. Thanking you both 💖💙
I had heard of the recipe but never attempted it. I will try your way because it's not deep fried. I am not against deep-frying but since I only use peanut oil it's an expensive proposition. I just read an article on research in the use of deep-frying. Fifty years ago oil was very expensive so housewives would not deep-fry. Apparently over the years oils have become more abundant therefore cheaper. When you think how many calories there are in anything deep-fried we may have the answer to our obesity rates. Every 3 months after our pleading my mother would make des frites. They were so good! With it we would have a bifteck and a salad. The only other time she would deep-fry was once a year when she made bugnes. Its shaped like a bow-tie. It's perfumed with a touch of rum, or amoretto.
I also cannot justify the amount of oil needed to deep fry at home. But now there are small appliances you can get that only require a tablespoon of oil to fry up a whole batch of fries! Will have to look into that!
I've been using your tomato paste idea ever since and "face-palm", why didn't I ever think of that!! Duhhh!. Great idea! Thanks!. The General Tsaos chicken looks great. Have to give that a try. Thanks for all your great instant Pot meal ideas.
Seen two video's by you guys and I like you already. You seem to have fun together! So refreshing! Your husband says he's a fan of anything fried, he'd fit right in here in the south. Best to your both!
First, I love your videos. You two are hilarious!!! Love the recipes...I'm becoming a true "Pot Head", but I'm also an "Air Head" (my sister gave me an air fryer that she bought because she wanted a larger one). Most barrel shaped air fryers have a small to medium sized basket which limits the amount you can fry. Since it's basically a small convection oven you can purchase a small convection oven (a little larger than a toaster oven) and get the same type of cooking, but with more space. I've seen some with two and three trays inside. The barrel shaped air fryers have a small "oven" to heat up so it heats up very quickly and with the fan it cooks a little quicker than a regular oven. Mine is a small one and I can do about 6-8 chicken wings at a time, or three baked potatoes, or six egg rolls. Best baked potatoes and in about 30 min(rub with olive oil, salt and pepper). I'd never thought about making my own egg rolls before I had the air fryer, found a recipe on UA-cam and VIOLA! pork egg rolls which only take about 8 min at 400F in the air fryer, no oil at all. You can cook stuff completely oil free, but spraying a bit of oil on does help crisp up whatever your cooking just a bit more and gives a little more crunch.
+ymarkone Thank you so much for all the info! I still haven’t pulled the trigger on one. All the ones I have looked at have a small basket. Not sure how much I can cook in there. Doubtful it could feed 5 people. So glad you are enjoying the channel! We aim to please. 😉
Excellent vid! I just purchased the Instant Pot two weeks ago and every time I search for a recipe you’re usually on top of the hit query and I’ve really enjoyed your videos. With that being said...new subscriber and thank you so much! 👍😎
Easy... Delicious ... love the idea about freezing tomato paste-- how many cans of stale tomato paste have I had to chuck because I only needed 1 TBS? I used XLPressureCooker-- tasted great!
I learned so many things... 1) I had been doing the tomato paste in ziplocs but I see how you did it with parchment which is so much better! 2) I always mix my cornstarch with hot water to thicken but cold water makes so much sense now going to try this next week as I think I have every ingredient here too! =) yay!
you guys NEED an air fryer. Philips is great brand - recommend a large basket. 1Tbl oil for homemade fries but I don't use any with frozen fries. Any fried food turns out great, but browning food from the Instant Pot is so easy. You can bake in it, make toasted sandwiches. It makes the best baked potatoes. You can get a little stand to cook two levels at the same time, or use the one from your Instant Pot. Can you tell I am a fan!
I think the best take away here is the sauce. I cannot wait to try it. I would personally cook the boneless thighs a little bit longer than just 5 minutes but that's just me. As far as the Browning of the panko I think I would just do it in a hot oven as opposed to using the broiler.
I had an old stove like yours and although everything worked, I hated the coil type burners. We have a non-profit second hand store here that contractors donate left overs to after they complete a building job. Also, they donate appliances, etc. that they are replacing during remodeling jobs. I got a glass top stove in working condition there for less than two hundred dollars. It's several years old but works great. The store here is called ReStore. Maybe similar in other areas. I hate paying new prices. The stove I got would retail new for around 800 dollars.
I'm new to your channel and I'm so glad I found you ! I like your easy ways to use the IP and you seem sweet and have a great personality and you show it can be good without it being perfect and I love that a lot .
Loved the video :) I always freeze tomato paste, tomato sauce, pesto, fry sauce, lemon and lime juice so they don't go bad sitting on the counter. I wounded how it would taste to replace the pinko with dry shredded coconut 😁 and a splash of fish sauce, I also use arrowroot powder the same way cornstarch is used
+Shelly Pfluger Thanks so much, Shelly! Not sure how coconut would do. Panko would be more neutral. Never thought to freeze lemon or lime juice! Thanks for the tip!
Nice trick.place a dish towel over the vent when you open for quick release. It keeps all the steam off the cabinet doors it can get messy .. looks delicious 😋 I’m going to try this asap
It actually says in the manual not to obstruct the valve for quick release. Might damage the pot. But I agree that it is tempting. 😉 Hope you enjoy the chicken!
Hi Flo, yet another quick, easy and delicious recipe. Next time instead instead of panko I may try the coating as fine cornmeal or very fine oatmeal. One thing I don't understand is why you have left over tomato paste( in the UK we call it tomato puree) It comes in a tube like toothpaste and we put the top back on when we have enough. Another good one though. PS. My Anova sous vide is now voice controlled thru their updated app and Google Home. John M (in the UK)
John Marshall Hi John in the U.K. 😉 So glad you enjoy the recipe. What I don't understand is why we don't have tomato paste in a tube here! 😩 Since experiencing that first hand in France, I've been searching for it but only in a cans here. Maybe if I look in the specialty stores I might find it. Although small, it is still 156ml and it's rare I ever need that amount for anything. And your Anova is now voice activated?! My Joule can but only if I get Alexa. Love the tech!
I can confirm the air fryer...you only need enough oil to lightly oil the food. It helps give it a golden color. I love my air fryer and my instant pot. Between the two, I rarely turn my oven on.
Ok, made it tonight. Know what the difference between a new oven and an old oven is? The new one cooks faster and hotter! Smoke alarms were howling, LOL. no harm done, parchment paper lit up a little but aside from that it was pretty good. I stir fried up some fresh vegetables and plated it with brown rice. Knocked my Mrs socks off!
I will have to try this. As always, I enjoyed the video and the interaction between chef (Flo) and video guy, "Dude"...LOL...you make a great team/couple...Thanks!
Made this pretty close to the way you described, but since we try to eat clean we made a couple changes. I used Braggs Amino's instead of soy sauce and instead of rice (not that you mentioned rice but I was raised in a Chinese community (even though I am Caucasian) (my father was Pastor of a large Chinese Congregation) I love rice with every meal. I found a recipe for making cauliflower into fried rice. I do not like cauliflower but I do like rice. It actually tasted very good and I just didn't use the panko crust but ate the chicken like it came out of Instant Pot. Excellent Clean Meal would make it again thanks for the recipe looking forward to more good choices on your site!!! Thanks!!
Flo I just bought a head of cauliflower. Shredded it on the grater..got my wok very very hot and threw it in a stirred it around until I thought it was done. Very good thanks for your recipes!!
We have had an air fryer for a while now & find it really useful. Love this recipe & can't wait to try it (very kid friendly, which is what we need in our household). Will finish it off in the air fryer & let you know how it goes. Love the Dude's taste test by the way.
You are such a cute couple! I'll have to try this; I love General Tso's chicken but want to stay away from deep fried food. Also, thanks for the idea about freezing the tomato paste! Brilliant.
I soak my chicken in Shao Shing cooking wine, and use Gold Mountain Soy sauce in place of light soy, adds a bolder flavor. Other than that, good job on this one, I like it when I can get away from frying foods.
I loved the honest and amusing critique at the end. Great idea with the tomato paste, but what about ice cube trays? This was a short, fun video. I liked it a lot.
This was a great review! Not only the recipes, but the product itself. I have an 8 Qt and a 6 Qt. I just ordered the 3Qt just for myself. The others were used for family sized meals.
I think the main reason that it's the most ordered Chinese dish in the U.S. is we are sugar addicts and love anything deep fried and covered in syrup xD lol ..In our defense though it is delicious :P I really need one of those Instant pots btw ! .......Panko! I never thought of that ..great idea ..Thanks for sharing. :)
LOL! That may be true. I once had a boss who took me out for lunch one day to a Greek restaurant. He was surprised that I ordered the deep fried calamari which I said I don’t very often. Then he asked about Chinese cooking. He says, “There’s no way the Chinese eat deep fried food all the time. Most Chinese I know are thin like you.” I said, “We don’t. Chinese food in Canada and the US is made for the westerners who love the deep fried options.” If you go to a traditional Chinese restaurant, there isn’t many deep fried options. Hope you’ll give this a try and let me know how it turns out!
great idea with the tomato paste. didn't ever think about that. Air Fryer... I hated the one I bought... yes, one spoon of oil 3x with an hour long cook time...
New and Improved Recipe: ua-cam.com/video/8zbkVCzb8v4/v-deo.html
I love the honest critique and that it came out a little burned. It's like being in a real kitchen instead of the super fake videos that I don't trust.
I like the honesty of dude and the unedited part showing the "Blackend" chicken pieces bcs that is REAL LIFE! Thank you.
tomato paste burnt that was left on the chicken.
Suzanne Firth No, she had the baking sheet too close (too high) to the upper element. The pieces closest to the exposed element burned.
I love how you cook with chop sticks and then Dude eats with a fork! Adorable! Thank for the recipe!
Yes, love our air fryer!!! A lot of pre made frozen dishes don’t even need any additional oil ... it cooks everything so nice and crisp and easy and lighter . We even do garlic bread in there ... literally anything .. between my instapot and air fryer ... love them ! I can’t wait to try this recipe!! Thank you !!
Tomato paste comes in a tube now. Just squeeze out what you need & put in fridge. You can find it in the Italian food section of grocery store. FYI
It’s actually still not that easy to find here in Vancouver. I have only seen them in the specialty stores. And they are so expensive!
With an air fryer you don’t even need oil, just pop your food in there and you cook it it’s amazing I love my air fryer and I love my instant pot! Best of both worlds!
Thanks for the interesting technique :) General Tso's chicken was invented in Taiwan, that's why you can't find it in China. But most chefs in the U.S. cook it like the Chinese dish 乾燒明蝦, so any dish that start with 乾燒, either in U.S., China, or Taiwan is going to taste very similar to it.
Nice recipe. One correction. The recipe isn't American. It was created by a Taiwanese master chef who came to the United States in the 1970s and popularized it from there. I'd HIGHLY recommend the fantastic documentary "Searching for General Tso" which is on Netflix. Very moving and also entertaining search that also goes through the history of the dish but also about the growth and expansion of the Chinese community and Chinese cooking. It's brilliant.
Estrafalario Thanks for the clarification! All I knew was that it isn't a typical Chinese dish. Will have to look for the documentary. We don't get as much selection on Netflix as in the US. Love learning about Chinese history.
I was very moved by it. Reminded me of my own parents struggle as immigrants. Also the importance of food. It was produced by Jennifer 8. Lee who wrote The Fortune Cookie Chronicles. Was amazed at how this documentary could be both funny and sharp and moving all at the same time. They traveled to China to the region the real Gen. Tso lived and interviewed people around the world. A real mystery. Looking forward to trying out this dish!!
Yeah that was a good documentary, I enjoyed it to. :)
It was created in America so it is technically American. The chef may have originated in Taiwan but it was created in New York.
its on Canadian Netflix Flo
My friend just got me an Instant Pot on Prime Day as a gift for watching her house/dogs/cats while her family is on vacation.....Having jumped down the rabbithole of recipes on YT, this sounds like one of the best so far, can't wait to try it!
I have never had General Tso's chicken because I had no idea what it might taste like. I may try this. I love the way you save you freeze tomato paste, being flat it defrosts more quickly.
You are by far my favorite teacher. Love yer way to explore my first steps with IP.
Im a big fan.
One thing I would suggest is turning the pot around before releasing the pressure. Releasing the steam up into your cabinet doors could delaminate them surprisingly quickly.
Edit: The teaspoon of oil is for pre-cooked fries (fresh or frozen) in an airfryer. If you make your fries from scratch it takes about a tablespoon of oil per pound of potatoes. Which is still an economy of about 30% over deep frying.
Hi! I just got a pressure cooker for Christmas from my wife. My first recipe was based off of your (this) video. It came out amazing. Can’t thank you enough for that tomato paste trick. I got my freezing right now. Subbed!
Thanks for the tomato paste tip. I've run into that delima just about every time I've used tomato paste. Great idea!
Freezing the tomato paste like that is pure genius! 😀👍🏼
Freezing tomato paste is a brilliant idea! I am guy trying to impress my wife with my cooking skills (which at the moment I don't have:) I love the guy's honesty and the lady's ability to handle it. That is rare on YT. Thank you Flo for taking the time to create this video.
Thanks so much for this recipe. I made it for my wife this week, and she absolutely loved it and said it was one of her favourite ever! I was a bit confused about "light" soy sauce, but from what I could gather, that just means "normal" or otherwise un-labelled soy sauce, as opposed to dark soy sauce. When it came to breading the chicken, I found it fastest just to dump ~1/3 of all pieces at a time into a large bowl of panko rather than one by one. I also found the panko didn't stick that well onto the chicken, but I compensated by adding some of the toasted crumbs in the pan back into the final chicken bowl. In any case, it was a big success.
My husband and I just made this and wow we love it thank you for sharing your amazing recipes 💗💗💗
I made this the other night. I was pretty excited because I love General Tso, but don't deep fry at home. Let there be no confusion...in no way would you confuse this for General Tso that you'd get from any restaurant - it doesn't have the flavour of texture that a really good general brings. Though, that said, it was still pretty tasty. As much as I love penko, I think maybe next time I'd just skip that step. The extra time and calories didn't really provide any value and the penko ended up being soggy with the sauce. Better to think of this as a sweet and sour chicken that is delicious with rice and bok choy. Love the channel Flo. Keep up the good work!
Let me just say, there is nothing quite like deep-fried goodness from a restaurant. In Chinese there is a term for the smokiness you get in a restaurant and I have never been able to replicate it at home. Glad you enjoyed it anyway. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. =)
Oh, that tomato paste idea is great. I hate the waste that always happens because you use too little from the can.
Exactly! Now, no need to waste or figure out what to do with the rest of the can.
You can get a tube of tomato paste at the market. It's similar to a tooth paste tube but it's seal able and is stored in the fridge after it's been opened.
I also do the tomato paste idea in ice cube trays, and then store in bags in the freezer.
Yeah Paul, you can get just about anything one can imagine, but a tube of tomato paste is ridiculously expensive, and begins to separate in the tube over time. Where as a can of paste is extremely cheap
and her method is what I've always done minus the portioning.
Brilliant!
I rent and after waiting over a year for repairs I bought a convection toaster oven, by Hamilton beach, for like 100 I think this way I can take it if I move, 4 months later they fixed it but the ovens pilot light never stays lit - so glad I bought it, it cooks faster than gas oven that isn't temp regulated - I do recommend it. Thanks for the resipie
To make ANYTHING in an Airfryer.. Get an EVO sprayer (sprayed micro fine droplets) spray a few squirts(approximately 1/8 Tbls per squirt) to cover. Makes anything crunchy!
You two guys are infectious Flo laughs at Dudes silliest comments... I really like you guys...
Trey grinding your Panko either in a coffee mill spice grinder or blender to create more of a powder of Panko I think you’ll like the results
Flo and Dude have become my Favorite You Tube Couple. Honest, straight forward and informative ! IP On !!
Aaaaah I could hug the two of you. This is my favorite dish. I could eat this every day. ☑️
For the tomato paste problem: you can buy tomato paste in a squeeze tube, not unlike toothpaste. You can use what you need and screw the top back on and good to go.
Love the chemistry between you guys in your videos ....food looks great.
Great tomato paste tip! I think it's great that you did not fry the morsels...we are trying to eat better and you have made meal times easy and sooo tasty. When my husband asks me about dinner plans, I just pull out my Instant Pot and tell him we are going with The Flo! Looking forward to trying this one real soon!
LOL!! You seriously made me laugh out loud!!! I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying the videos and that I have helped make dinner a little easier. =)
Really appreciate the honest critique at the end. Will definitely make this version when I'm looking for a leaner version of General Tso's 😬
That tomato paste in the freezer hack is genius! Can't believe I never thought of doing that.
So smart to measure everything in to the Pyrex. And great tomato paste tip! Learned some good new things! Thank you!
The crunch is the deal for me. I'm trying to get the fried food out of my diet so I'll be trying this soon.
I like how honest you let him be about the taste test on camera.
Love that you have a "normal" kitchen - makes me feel like I can accomplish this all in my own kitchen :). Love your videos!
Thank you for understanding!!!
I was going to say: where is your air fryer!! Then I saw you mentioned it. The most used appliance in our home, used more than our instapot too. Anyway, you can choose to use oil as you like. I use little oil and mix it with water so I still coat everything before I get things onto the air fryer. I use olive oil, unfiltered extra virgin cold pressed
I watched "Searching for General Tso" documentary on YT this evening because of this video. Fascinating. If you love history and food and China ...
I know you bought an air fryer but I would have suggested a tabletop convection oven. Which can also be used as a toaster oven and broiler. An air fryer is basically a convection oven without the other options.
Just an additional info for a great video ty.
1. it takes about 1.5 tbls of oil to make fries in the air fryer.
2. Zuo Zongtang (also romanized as Tso Tsung-t'ang; 10 November 1812 - 5 September 1885), sometimes referred to as General Tso, was a Chinese statesman and military leader of the late Qing dynasty.
older post, but just made tried this tonight. i dropped a 1/2 tablespoon of the vinegar, and added hoisen, added a teaspoon of sesame oil, some orange zest, and a little chicken stock(using the 8qt pot, was worried about liquid amount.) added a little extra ginger and garlic for preference.
came out absolutely amazing!!!
Thanks for the recipe :) You rock!
I don't know if anyone said, but when I use my air fryer, I just use a quick spray of olive baking oil ( spray can) across the top, then shake my Fry's really good. Hope you get this.
A ton of people have already said this, but the frozen tomato paste "disks" is a brilliant idea.
I'm going to try this😋 ! I think I might thicken the sauce halfway before pulling out the chicken, and see if I can get more panko to stick on, if that fails, I am thinking a dip into an egg white wash will work too. I know my picky eater will not be content without the the crunch.
i love the balance in asian cooking ,
maybe this is why they live so long
awesome
I think I would have put the sauce in first on a very low simmer in order to melt the tomato paste into the rest of the sauce. It was noticeably localized in the center after depressurizing. I can't have sweet things, so I would probably also skip the honey and use more rice vinegar and tomato paste to make up for it. (Or maybe a quarter cup of water with one Splenda?) It sounds like a squeeze of lemon would have made hubby happier (more tang). I also think that doubling the sauce would probably make the finished product more tasty. It did seem a bit spare with all that panko. I sound super picky, too, but I love the way y'all approached cooking: it's truly a life-long experiment. THANK YOU for sharing.
To finish this in the airfryer, I would lightly spray the surface of the chicken with oil then toss it into the fryer, for a few minutes and shake or turn after a minute. We love our Black & Decker airfryer!
Thanks for the recommendation! I'll look into it!
The idea to preserve miscellaneous tomato paste is AWESOME! Thanks for that.
I am definitely #teamfriedchicken for my General Tso chicken recipe though!
Thanks for Sharing!
Oh this looks so good. I'm going to try it this week.
A an American who learned how to use chopsticks as a young child. I find me using them the same as here. Why, they are way easier to clean then what we as Americans would use.
To answer to your question about using oil in your air fryer, is that I don’t use oil for anything sometimes I just spray the pan with some cooking oil spray to prevent things from sticking to it but I never use oil in my air fryer
My first recipe with my Instant Pot! I loved it!! Next time I am going to leave out the Panko crumbs. It dries it out too much.
I made an extra batch of sauce and put the chicken in it on SLOW COOKER until serving.. Thanks so much!! Hope you can get a new oven soon!
+Jeanne Carpenter So glad you enjoyed it! I added Panko for crunch. No new oven but the door was fixed. 😊
i was searching thru recipes for making stir fries in my bella 10 in 1 pressure cooker/slow cooker and found this video and im so glad i did because this looks delicious,thank you for sharing,i will make it and post a pic when i do,hopefully it comes out just like yours,minus the burned panko,but even that looked great lol
Yes 1 tbls of oil for 3 big potatoes wedges up yummy fries in the air fryer.Flo I will try this for Father’s Day my husband loves gen. Tso chicken, way healthier option too.. thank you so much for your great videos. Thanking you both 💖💙
I had heard of the recipe but never attempted it. I will try your way because it's not deep fried. I am not against deep-frying but since I only use peanut oil it's an expensive proposition. I just read an article on research in the use of deep-frying. Fifty years ago oil was very expensive so housewives would not deep-fry. Apparently over the years oils have become more abundant therefore cheaper. When you think how many calories there are in anything deep-fried we may have the answer to our obesity rates. Every 3 months after our pleading my mother would make des frites. They were so good! With it we would have a bifteck and a salad. The only other time she would deep-fry was once a year when she made bugnes. Its shaped like a bow-tie. It's perfumed with a touch of rum, or amoretto.
I also cannot justify the amount of oil needed to deep fry at home. But now there are small appliances you can get that only require a tablespoon of oil to fry up a whole batch of fries! Will have to look into that!
I definitely will use the tomato paste in wax paper idea. I have some ideas for making this gluten free. Thanks, may try this tonight!
If you go to China you will not find General Tso's Chicken but you will find Abraham Lincoln's Lo Mein.
hahaha
Go to the Wuhan wet market... You may even find the next Pandemic. Heck the last 3 have come from there.
@@MTTRON wow what a racist piece of shit you are. Bring your racist self somewhere else please. Maybe in a Trump rally.
@@NBBandNATnALEX be careful Snowflake! Go on and crawl back under your rock before you get stepped on and squashed!
OOOOOOOOOOOO Tough crowd. Here comes the racist yellers who are more than likely biggest racists ever, Anjerrica.
I would eat 100 of those right now after a monster bong hit! Yes PLEASE!!!!!!!
I've been using your tomato paste idea ever since and "face-palm", why didn't I ever think of that!! Duhhh!. Great idea! Thanks!. The General Tsaos chicken looks great. Have to give that a try. Thanks for all your great instant Pot meal ideas.
snowpony001 Oh my goodness! Me too! I buy the larger can now just so I can freeze it!
Yes! No wasting! ;)
Yes, I have been freezing my leftover tomato paste as well. Crazy simple idea.
I'm late to the party but I am so going to make this. The tomato paste tip is golden. Thanks!
this is an AWESOME RECIPE!... i gotta try it. i dont deep fry either. Thanks for finding another to way to mimic a fried recipe
So kind! Thanks! Hope you like it!
Genius idea for tomato paste! GENIUS, I say!
Ha ha! Hope you give it a go!
I freeze tomato paste in Ice Cube trays then put it in a plastic bag!
Sounds good but flat paper takes up smaller amount of room in tiny city refrigerators
Seen two video's by you guys and I like you already. You seem to have fun together! So refreshing! Your husband says he's a fan of anything fried, he'd fit right in here in the south. Best to your both!
He would! He's always talking about wanting to try chicken fried bacon. LOL
First, I love your videos. You two are hilarious!!! Love the recipes...I'm becoming a true "Pot Head", but I'm also an "Air Head" (my sister gave me an air fryer that she bought because she wanted a larger one).
Most barrel shaped air fryers have a small to medium sized basket which limits the amount you can fry. Since it's basically a small convection oven you can purchase a small convection oven (a little larger than a toaster oven) and get the same type of cooking, but with more space. I've seen some with two and three trays inside. The barrel shaped air fryers have a small "oven" to heat up so it heats up very quickly and with the fan it cooks a little quicker than a regular oven.
Mine is a small one and I can do about 6-8 chicken wings at a time, or three baked potatoes, or six egg rolls. Best baked potatoes and in about 30 min(rub with olive oil, salt and pepper). I'd never thought about making my own egg rolls before I had the air fryer, found a recipe on UA-cam and VIOLA! pork egg rolls which only take about 8 min at 400F in the air fryer, no oil at all.
You can cook stuff completely oil free, but spraying a bit of oil on does help crisp up whatever your cooking just a bit more and gives a little more crunch.
+ymarkone Thank you so much for all the info! I still haven’t pulled the trigger on one. All the ones I have looked at have a small basket. Not sure how much I can cook in there. Doubtful it could feed 5 people. So glad you are enjoying the channel! We aim to please. 😉
Excellent vid!
I just purchased the Instant Pot two weeks ago and every time I search for a recipe you’re usually on top of the hit query and I’ve really enjoyed your videos. With that being said...new subscriber and thank you so much!
👍😎
Thanks, Howie! Welcome to the channel!
Easy... Delicious ... love the idea about freezing tomato paste-- how many cans of stale tomato paste have I had to chuck because I only needed 1 TBS? I used XLPressureCooker-- tasted great!
I love dudes real attitude. My husband will try anything, and then I now where to improve
+Barbara Gross Yes... I feel the same way!
I learned so many things...
1) I had been doing the tomato paste in ziplocs but I see how you did it with parchment which is so much better!
2) I always mix my cornstarch with hot water to thicken but cold water makes so much sense now
going to try this next week as I think I have every ingredient here too! =) yay!
LOL! So glad that you get some good tips! =)
Think the papers waxed...
you guys NEED an air fryer. Philips is great brand - recommend a large basket. 1Tbl oil for homemade fries but I don't use any with frozen fries. Any fried food turns out great, but browning food from the Instant Pot is so easy. You can bake in it, make toasted sandwiches. It makes the best baked potatoes. You can get a little stand to cook two levels at the same time, or use the one from your Instant Pot. Can you tell I am a fan!
Just goes to show that you can have an electric range that's old as hell and still bang out killer recipes
That looks so good I will be trying this very soon. Thank you.
I think the best take away here is the sauce. I cannot wait to try it. I would personally cook the boneless thighs a little bit longer than just 5 minutes but that's just me. As far as the Browning of the panko I think I would just do it in a hot oven as opposed to using the broiler.
I had an old stove like yours and although everything worked, I hated the coil type burners. We have a non-profit second hand store here that contractors donate left overs to after they complete a building job. Also, they donate appliances, etc. that they are replacing during remodeling jobs. I got a glass top stove in working condition there for less than two hundred dollars. It's several years old but works great. The store here is called ReStore. Maybe similar in other areas. I hate paying new prices. The stove I got would retail new for around 800 dollars.
I love that you freeze the tomato paste. I don't like to waste. I'm doing this from now on vs making a dish next day requiring tomato paste!!!!
I'm new to your channel and I'm so glad I found you ! I like your easy ways to use the IP and you seem sweet and have a great personality and you show it can be good without it being perfect and I love that a lot .
Incredible videos! You are informative, clear and a natural in front of the camera! Thank you kindly!
+Ribota Sajambre Glad you are enjoying the channel! Thanks!
I'm super excited to try this recipe out! And I *love* how canadian you guys sound!
Loved the video :) I always freeze tomato paste, tomato sauce, pesto, fry sauce, lemon and lime juice so they don't go bad sitting on the counter. I wounded how it would taste to replace the pinko with dry shredded coconut 😁 and a splash of fish sauce, I also use arrowroot powder the same way cornstarch is used
+Shelly Pfluger Thanks so much, Shelly! Not sure how coconut would do. Panko would be more neutral. Never thought to freeze lemon or lime juice! Thanks for the tip!
Nice trick.place a dish towel over the vent when you open for quick release. It keeps all the steam off the cabinet doors it can get messy .. looks delicious 😋 I’m going to try this asap
It actually says in the manual not to obstruct the valve for quick release. Might damage the pot. But I agree that it is tempting. 😉 Hope you enjoy the chicken!
Hi Flo, yet another quick, easy and delicious recipe. Next time instead instead of panko I may try the coating as fine cornmeal
or very fine oatmeal. One thing I don't understand is why you have left over tomato paste( in the UK we call it tomato puree) It comes in a tube like toothpaste and we put the top back on when we have enough.
Another good one though.
PS. My Anova sous vide is now voice controlled thru their updated app and Google Home.
John M (in the UK)
John Marshall Hi John in the U.K. 😉 So glad you enjoy the recipe. What I don't understand is why we don't have tomato paste in a tube here! 😩 Since experiencing that first hand in France, I've been searching for it but only in a cans here. Maybe if I look in the specialty stores I might find it. Although small, it is still 156ml and it's rare I ever need that amount for anything. And your Anova is now voice activated?! My Joule can but only if I get Alexa. Love the tech!
Great recipe, the tip about the tomato paste is the bees knees, thanks
I can confirm the air fryer...you only need enough oil to lightly oil the food. It helps give it a golden color. I love my air fryer and my instant pot. Between the two, I rarely turn my oven on.
That's good to know... especially now that my oven door is broken. =(
Ok, made it tonight. Know what the difference between a new oven and an old oven is? The new one cooks faster and hotter! Smoke alarms were howling, LOL. no harm done, parchment paper lit up a little but aside from that it was pretty good. I stir fried up some fresh vegetables and plated it with brown rice. Knocked my Mrs socks off!
Oh no!!!! So glad no one was hurt and that you still enjoyed your meal! I know, I know... I shouldn’t promote parchment under the broiler!
Tomato paste trick! Genius
I will have to try this. As always, I enjoyed the video and the interaction between chef (Flo) and video guy, "Dude"...LOL...you make a great team/couple...Thanks!
Thanks, Warren!
Brilliant idea about the tomato paste, thanks for sharing.
Made this pretty close to the way you described, but since we try to eat clean we made a couple changes. I used Braggs Amino's instead of soy sauce and instead of rice (not that you mentioned rice but I was raised in a Chinese community (even though I am Caucasian) (my father was Pastor of a large Chinese Congregation) I love rice with every meal. I found a recipe for making cauliflower into fried rice. I do not like cauliflower but I do like rice. It actually tasted very good and I just didn't use the panko crust but ate the chicken like it came out of Instant Pot. Excellent Clean Meal would make it again thanks for the recipe looking forward to more good choices on your site!!! Thanks!!
I’ve seen cauliflower rice in the stores but have not tried it. So glad this worked out for you!
Flo I just bought a head of cauliflower. Shredded it on the grater..got my wok very very hot and threw it in a stirred it around until I thought it was done. Very good thanks for your recipes!!
pretty much what we all do....Make it up as we go :)
Great idea for the tomato paste 👏🏽
We have had an air fryer for a while now & find it really useful. Love this recipe & can't wait to try it (very kid friendly, which is what we need in our household). Will finish it off in the air fryer & let you know how it goes. Love the Dude's taste test by the way.
Great! Which brand of air fryer do you use? Let me know how it turns out for you, Sheryl. =)
You are such a cute couple! I'll have to try this; I love General Tso's chicken but want to stay away from deep fried food. Also, thanks for the idea about freezing the tomato paste! Brilliant.
Love your channel and your recipes are awesome. Thank you for sharing your talents.
I soak my chicken in Shao Shing cooking wine, and use Gold Mountain Soy sauce in place of light soy, adds a bolder flavor. Other than that, good job on this one, I like it when I can get away from frying foods.
I loved the honest and amusing critique at the end. Great idea with the tomato paste, but what about ice cube trays? This was a short, fun video. I liked it a lot.
Flat discs are easier to defrost but ice cube trays would work too.
Great job, Flo! Nice team work with your husband :)
This was a great review! Not only the recipes, but the product itself. I have an 8 Qt and a 6 Qt. I just ordered the 3Qt just for myself. The others were used for family sized meals.
Great! Glad you enjoyed the video.
Thanks for the tip on freezing the tomato paste
I think the main reason that it's the most ordered Chinese dish in the U.S. is we are sugar addicts and love anything deep fried and covered in syrup xD lol ..In our defense though it is delicious :P I really need one of those Instant pots btw ! .......Panko! I never thought of that ..great idea ..Thanks for sharing. :)
LOL! That may be true. I once had a boss who took me out for lunch one day to a Greek restaurant. He was surprised that I ordered the deep fried calamari which I said I don’t very often. Then he asked about Chinese cooking. He says, “There’s no way the Chinese eat deep fried food all the time. Most Chinese I know are thin like you.” I said, “We don’t. Chinese food in Canada and the US is made for the westerners who love the deep fried options.” If you go to a traditional Chinese restaurant, there isn’t many deep fried options. Hope you’ll give this a try and let me know how it turns out!
great idea with the tomato paste. didn't ever think about that. Air Fryer... I hated the one I bought... yes, one spoon of oil 3x with an hour long cook time...
I just finished eating your General Tso's Chicken excellent honestly the sauce was the max...
Dude is so cute. Your both a sweet couple.