I finally did it! I ended up using Tyler's recipe and tweaked it a bit. I know it was good since my son ate it! I made the sauce a bit sweeter by adding a bit of sugar and added more heat with extra red pepper flakes and cayanne pepper. Here's the recipe:
General Tso's Chicken
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence tweaked by Dina Nuñez
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Marinade:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/4 cup regular soy sauce
1 tablespoon regular vinegar
1 tablespoon peanut butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely grated
salt and ground black pepper
Canola oil, for frying
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cornstarch, plus 2 tablespoons for slurry
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 dried red Thai chilies
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayanne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup sugar
Steamed white rice, for serving
Put the chicken into a bowl with the remaining marinade ingredients. Stir well to combine all the flavors, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Heat 1 inch of canola oil in a wok or deep skillet to 375 degrees F. Mix the egg, cornstarch, water, and sesame oil in a large bowl until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Add the marinated chicken and coat it well with the batter. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken pieces in batches until they are browned and crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels. When you have fried all the chicken, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil. Over high heat, add the chilies, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, ginger, and orange juice, soy sauce, chicken stock, vinegar, honey and sugar and bring it to a boil. Add cayanne pepper if you'd like the extra heat. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth. Pour the slurry into the boiling sauce, in 2 additions, until the sauce thickens. Add the chicken pieces and cook until they are heated through, about 2 more minutes. Serve with white rice with a side of stir fried veggies.