I come to you today with what is perhaps a hair-brained idea, that will either get you really excited…or have you closing your computer in disgust. It’s a shortcut recipe for Vegan General Tso’s Chicken recipe, made with none other than…store-bought vegan “chicken” nuggets!
Why This? Why Now?
So hear me OUT.
There are a few ways to veganize General Tso’s Chicken. You can make our much-loved General Tso’s Tofu—a great option. Or you can go through the pains of frying your own plant-based “chicken” at home, either with seitan or a veggie ingredient like in our General Tso’s Cauliflower.
Well frankly, no hate against our original tofu recipe, but I’ve found that when I’m trying to veganize meat dishes that I still catch myself obsessing over, tofu just doesn’t cut it sometimes! THERE. I said it. I think it’s healthy to acknowledge this inevitable struggle on the path to eating less meat.
As for the latter option of making your own “vegan fried chicken,” sometimes I just don’t have enough time for that!
Hence, this recipe for Vegan General Tso’s “Chicken” was born.
So Grab a Pack of Your Favorite Vegan Nuggets…
Sarah still balks at me whenever I mention that I’m about to chow down on some vegan nuggets, but they truly can be tasty. In fact, the most important part of this recipe is identifying the brand you like best.
Because from there, this Shortcut Vegan General Tso’s Chicken follows all the steps of our beloved General Tso’s Chicken recipe, made with fried chunks of tasty chicken.
It’s just that you start by picking out your favorite plant-based nugget at the store and heating them up. Then, you can assemble the sauce and blanched broccoli, and mix it all together to create a tasty, “meatier” vegan General Tso’s option.
Semi-Homemade Ain’t So Bad
For anyone who tuned into Sandra Lee’s “Semi-Homemade Cooking” in the early 2000s, Sarah and I were also known to watch the show now and again. With a mild mix of amusement and trepidation, we’d watch as Sandra cracked open cans and packages to whip up “semi-homemade” meals—all while making her themed tablescape of the day and of course, her “Cocktail Time” themed drink.
Even as kids, we were deeply steeped in the idea of making things from scratch. After all, the Two Fat Ladies and the original Iron Chefs never made anything *out of a box*! (We watched a lot of food TV growing up, which I guess explains a lot.)
But I think it’s fair to say that THAT was before we had to juggle jobs and responsibilities beyond school and homework.
So I’ll be first to admit that I’m eating my words on this one, as I too fully embrace the semi-homemade spirit in this recipe!
Shortcut Vegan General Tso’s “Chicken”: Recipe Instructions
Make the sauce mixture by combining the vegetable stock, soy sauces, rice wine vinegar, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, and white pepper. Set aside. Bake/cook the vegan chicken nuggets according to package instructions. I cut mine in half, because they were more of a “chicken tender” shape.
Bring a pot or wok of water to a boil, and blanch the broccoli for 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how crunchy/tender you like your broccoli. Drain and set aside. To keep it super green, you can also transfer the broccoli to an ice bath before draining.
Heat a clean wok or skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil along with the dried chilies. Cook for a few seconds, and add the minced garlic.
Next, add the prepared General Tso’s sauce. Bring to a simmer.
Stir the cornstarch into the water to make sure it’s fully combined, and slowly stir the cornstarch slurry into the sauce. Simmer for another 30 seconds to allow the sauce to thicken.
Add the broccoli…
And the nuggets.
Toss until everything is evenly coated in sauce.
Plate and serve immediately with steamed rice!
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Recipe
Shortcut Vegan General Tso’s “Chicken”
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1/3 cup Asian vegetable stock (or low-sodium store-bought vegetable stock)
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or seasoned soy sauce)
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (or cooking sherry)
- 3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
For the rest of the dish:
- 1 pound vegan chicken nuggets or tenders (your choice; it’s important to choose one where the coating won’t separate from the soy protein)
- 2 cups broccoli florets (about 1 broccoli crown)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4-5 dried red chili peppers (broken in half if you like extra spice)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
Instructions
- Make the sauce mixture by combining the vegetable stock, soy sauces, rice wine vinegar, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, and white pepper. Set aside. Bake/cook the vegan chicken nuggets according to package instructions.
- Bring a pot or wok of water to a boil, and blanch the broccoli for 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how crunchy/tender you like your broccoli. Drain and set aside. To keep it super green, you can also transfer the broccoli to an ice bath before draining.
- Heat a clean wok or skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil along with the dried chilies. Cook for a few seconds, and add the minced garlic.
- Next, add the prepared General Tso’s sauce. Bring to a simmer. Stir the cornstarch into the water to make sure it’s fully combined, and slowly stir the cornstarch slurry into the sauce. Simmer for another 30 seconds to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Add the nuggets and broccoli, and toss until everything is evenly coated in sauce. Plate and serve immediately with steamed rice!
