General Tso Chickpeas

5 from 1 vote

General Tso Chickpeas are a flavor-packed meatless meal! Tossed in a spicy, tangy sauce with carrots, broccoli, snow peas, and bell peppers, they’re perfect over rice or cauliflower rice for a quick, protein-rich dinner.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Healthy

Keyword: General Tso Chickpeas

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $7.24

Equipment

Large skillet or wok

Ingredients

Sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup chicken stock or broth, I recommend Swanson
3 tablespoons soy sauce regular, not lite
1-1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil divided
2 teaspoons chili paste see note 1
1/4 cup light brown sugar very lightly packed

Veggies/Chickpeas

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
3/4 cup thinly sliced carrots sliced on the diagonal, 2 large carrots
1 cup snow peas
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 cup thinly sliced red pepper
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
Toasted sesame seeds or plain, optional
Thinly sliced green onioins optional
Cooked rice or cauliflower rice, for serving, optional, see note 2

US - Metric

Instructions

Whisk the cornstarch and a few tablespoons of chicken stock in a mason jar. Combine until smooth; then add the rest of the chicken stock and whisk again. Add in the remaining sauce ingredients, adding just 1 teaspoon sesame oil (reserve the other teaspoon for later). Whisk until smooth and set aside.
Very thinly slice the red onion, peel, and thinly slice the carrot into diagonal slices (important the slices are thin so they cook in time). Chop the broccoli into small pieces; thinly slice the pepper and cut the slices in half if they’re long. (The veggies need to be in thin, small pieces so they can cook through in time.) Mince ginger and garlic. Drain and rinse chickpeas.
Add the olive oil to a very large skillet or wok and heat to medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes or until onion begins to soften. Add carrots, snow peas, broccoli, and red pepper. Stir constantly for 2–3 minutes. Add in chickpeas, sauteéing constantly for 1 minute. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Give the sauce a quick whisk with the fork, then pour it in and bring to simmer, stirring for another 2–3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened on the veggies, and veggies are crisp-tender. (They shouldn’t get soggy or soft—you want some bite to them!) (See note 3.)
Remove the pan from the heat and garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle on reserved 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Give it a quick taste and add a pinch of salt if needed. Enjoy hot on rice, cauliflower rice, or as is!

Video

Notes

Note 1: This is the exact sauce I use, which I’ve found is pretty readily available at grocery stores. It is spicy—a little goes a long way. Add slowly if you’re worried about heat, but note that the dish does rely on this for flavor.

Note 2: How I like cooking basmati rice:

Measure rice and rinse in a fine-mesh sieve until water runs clear.
Place the rice in a bowl and cover it with water to soak for about 5–10 minutes.
While rice is soaking, fill a large pot with water and set it to boil.
Once water is at a rolling boil, drain the rice and add it to the pot.
Cook without reducing the heat for 5 minutes, then drain and fluff with a fork. Note that these cooking directions do not work for other rice varieties (long grain, short grain, jasmine, etc.).

Note 3: The sauce should be thick enough that when you run a wooden spoon down the pan, it leaves a clear track. Nonstick skillets take slightly longer than a cast-iron skillet since they don’t hold heat in the same way.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the chickpeas and veggies separate from the rice to prevent sogginess. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water if needed.

Nutrition