Dark soy sauce gets its molasses-like depth from aging regular soy sauce with caramel for 6+ months.
General Gid's Chicken
Dive into the delightful world of General Gid's Chicken, where the bold flavors of Filipino adobo meet the sweet-and-savory twist of your favorite takeout! This mouthwatering dish features tender chicken marinated in a zesty blend of soy sauce and vinegar, then stir-fried to perfection with vibrant bell peppers and a hint of garlic. Get ready for a culinary adventure that’ll have your taste buds dancing with every bite!
The Story
General Gid's Chicken is the bastard child of 1980s Manila's American military base cooks who bastardized General Tso's recipe using Filipino adobo techniques—dark soy sauce meets bay leaves in a cultural collision that happened when Chinese-American takeout invaded the Philippines and got properly colonized by Spanish-influenced local palates.
Regional Twist
In Cebu province, they replace the dark soy sauce with native toyo and toss in pineapple chunks during the final sauce step, turning this Chinese-Filipino hybrid into a proper sweet-and-sour island feast.
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
450
Protein
28g
Carbs
42g
Fat
15g
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 ½ lbs (680 g) chicken thighs
- 1 egg white
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- bay leaves (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
- cornstarch (to taste)
- dark soy sauce (to taste)
- ½ cup (60 g) flour
- garlic (to taste)
- garlic powder (to taste)
- kosher salt (to taste)
- onion (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- soy sauce (to taste)
- sugar (to taste)
- water (to taste)
- 150 ml white vinegar
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare Ingredients: Dice the onions and roughly chop the garlic. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- 2
Marinate the Chicken: In a bowl, mix chicken with egg white, cornstarch, water, and salt. Let it marinate while preparing other ingredients.
- 3
Bread & Fry: Coat marinated chicken in the breading mixture. Fry at 350°F for 5 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain excess oil.
- 4
Make the Sauce: In a pan over medium-high heat, sauté onions for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Pour in water and vinegar, cooking for 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauces, bay leaves, black pepper, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch slurry, stirring until the sauce thickens.
- 5
Combine & Serve: Toss fried chicken into the sauce, coating evenly. Serve immediately with white rice.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Velvet the chicken by marinating with egg white and cornstarch for exactly 15-20 minutes - longer breaks down proteins too much, shorter doesn't create the protective coating that keeps chicken tender during frying.timing15-20 minutes
- ✓Maintain oil temperature at precisely 350°F because chicken thighs need this heat to render fat while creating crispy exterior - lower temps make greasy chicken, higher temps burn coating before interior cooks.technique350°F
- ✓Create cornstarch slurry with 1:2 ratio (cornstarch to cold water) and add it while sauce is actively boiling to prevent lumps - the starch granules need 185°F+ to properly gelatinize and thicken.technique1:2 ratio, 185°F+
- ✓Toast garlic for exactly 60-90 seconds until fragrant but not brown because overcooked garlic turns bitter and will dominate the sauce's flavor profile.timing60-90 seconds
- ✓Use dark soy sauce specifically for color and depth - it contains 15-20% more molasses than light soy, providing the characteristic dark glaze that defines this dish.ingredient15-20% more molasses
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