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It’s so hard sometimes to pick and choose what to post on certain days. Thankfully I have you all on Facebook to help me out :) You guys were clearly craving the take-out, fake-out over the cookies I had wanted to post! Ask and you shall receive! This lightened up version comes from the book I talked about last week, Comfort Food Makeovers by America’s Test Kitchen. The numbers on this dish before ATK’s makeover was crazy! 910 calories, 45 grams of fat, and 5 grams of saturated fat. After? 490 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 1.5 grams of saturated fat. What a difference, huh?!

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So, speaking of my Facebook page..let’s just say, when it rains, it POURS. Did any of you follow along with what happened last night? I’m sure 95% of you received that Pinterest email about my Holy Yum Chicken. What a bunch of drama. I seriously have the best fans and readers. You all came up to bat for me with the negative comments and messages. I can’t thank you enough for understanding and realizing this was all beyond my control.

It really irks me that people jump to conclusions and have their own assumptions about everything without getting the facts first. Ever heard that quote, “be kind; for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” ? Well, so many people don’t really know what’s going on in my PERSONAL life and to add what happened yesterday on top of it, just really put me to the tipping point. Seriously, newsflash: this isn’t the end of the world. There are countless of tragedies going on in the world right now (re: OK tornadoes, wars, etc.) and for people to freak out at me over a recipe?! Really people, perspective…

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the recipe below. It’s become one of Jason & I’s favorite! :)

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5 from 1 vote

Lightened Up General Tso’s Chicken

Enjoy this lightened up version of General Tso’s Chicken! You’ll love this way more than the takeout version!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • Vegetable oil spray
  • ¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 5 cups (140 g) Kellogg's Corn Flakes cereal, finely crushed
  • 1 ½ pounds (680 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all visible fat, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 ⅔ cups (394 ml) water
  • cup (79 ml) low sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup (59 g) apricot jam
  • 3 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoon canola oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions 

  • Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 °F (246 °C). Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, top with wire rack, and spray rack with oil spray.
  • Spread flour into shallow dish. Whisk egg whites until foamy in second shallow dish. Spread corn flakes crumbs into third shallow dish. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Working in batches, dredge chicken in flour, dip in egg whites, then coat with corn flakes, pressing gently to adhere. Lay on prepared wire rack.
  • Spray chicken with oil spray. Bake until chicken registers 165 °F (74 °C) and coating is brown and crisp, about 12-15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, whisk water, soy sauce, apricot jam, hoisin, cornstarch, and vinegar together in a bowl. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in soy sauce mixture, bring to simmer, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.
  • When chicken is cooked, return sauce to simmer over medium-low heat. Add cooked chicken and toss to coat. Serve with steamed white or brown rice.

Notes

Source: Comfort Food Makeovers, America’s Test Kitchen

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 492kcal, Carbohydrates: 63g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 7g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 19g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

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81 Comments

  1. I just discovered your lovely website SOOOO happy about this. So many delicious recipes here that we love thank you so very much xoxox

  2. I just wanted to express to you my agreement on how people are so eager to be combative, judgemental & hateful.
    Its not just here on your blog- ( as I’m sure I am not telling you anything you don’t already know ), its all over social media.
    Really disturbing how quick folks get angry & lash out these days.

    Anyway, thanks for sharing your recipe & goodluck to you! ?

  3. Is the oven temp 475?! I have made this great recipe many times and don’t recall it being that hot. Thanks!

  4. You mentioned an oil spray in this recipe. I am new to your recipes. Could you explain what you mean by an oil spray.I want this recipe desperately. It seems I want 80% of your recipes desperately!!Love your blogs.And food recipes.

  5. I made this recipe and sorry to say it didn’t taste all that great. I had hoped it would be terrific but just didn’t have the oomph that the first GeneralTso’s dish had when I first tried it years ago. I wasn’t thrilled with the corn flakes so perhaps I should sub out some corn meal next time instead? And the apricot jam just didn’t make it sweet enough as I like it to be so I know next time to add honey and brown sugar to it. The garlic and ginger was on the money but the sweet factor wasn’t what I expected. Thanks for trying though I’m a tough nut to crack. :)

  6. This looks like another home run! I cannot wait to make this tomorrow. I always look forward to your posts and recipes.