This Healthy General Tso's Chicken Recipe is still fried but "fried" in the air fryer and can be made in less than 30 minutes. Top it with the amazing general tso's sauce for an easy and quick weeknight dinner.
This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.
Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.
I have a few rules when it comes to General Tso's chicken. It must have crunch, it must have a little spice, and it must be saucy! At least that was my experience the first time I tried this dish.
It was almost 10 years ago when I first had it at a restaurant in Durham, NC during law school. I first tried this dish during a study break with friends and I fell in love.
It was also during this study break that I bit into one of the hot peppers that comes in the dish and I couldn't breathe for a good minute. The peppers are not to be eaten, the peppers are not to be eaten. I wish I knew that before I took a bite.
Despite the incident with the pepper, the dish was delicious. The chicken had the perfect crunch and the sauce was a perfect combination of sweet and salty. The depth of flavor was amazing. It's a dish that I came to love and recreate in my kitchen quite often.
Initially, my general process when creating general Tso's chicken was to batter and fry the chicken pieces until crunchy and then coat them in my sauce.
Although delicious, it became a bit cumbersome for weeknight dinners. My deep fryer broke which was a bummer and the time it took to heat oil on the stovetop just didn't fit into my tight schedule for weeknights.
So one night when my daughter requested this for dinner, a light bulb clicked in my head and I found that my Air Fryer would be the perfect fix. It became a win win because the air fryer cut the time it took to prepare the general tso chicken recipe but it also became my new healthy general tso chicken recipe since I needed no oil to fry it.
I initially purchased my air fryer to deal with a pregnancy craving I had for french fries. Well to be fair, I always crave french fries so I shouldn't blame that on pregnancy. Either way, I use my air fryer for much more than french fries and I am excited to share with you all the recipes I create in this amazing appliance.
So what's an air fryer you may ask? In general, it's an appliance that recreates fried foods without actually frying the food in tons of oil. It also roasts and bakes food but its main claim to fame is the fact that it can give the same texture as fried foods without using a ton of oil.
It's a healthier option for home cooks who desire the delicious crunch that comes with fried foods but not the delicious calories and fat. It also tends to have a quicker cook time than many foods that are typically baked in the oven.
With help of my air fryer, I create this dish in less than 30 minutes. That's right, I use the air fryer to prep my chicken and I create my sauce while that's going.
There are a few tips and tricks to make this recipe a success. For one, you will want to coat your chicken pieces in potato starch. It's a tip I picked up from This Old Gal. It provides the perfect crunch for the chicken pieces without changing the taste profile.
You will also want to make sure that your air fryer basket is properly oiled. I just put a little olive oil on a paper towel and rub it all over the bottom of my basket. That way the chicken pieces won't stick when frying. This is the only oil you will need for frying the chicken pieces in this recipe. How awesome is that?!?
The last tip is to shake the air fryer basket about every 5 minutes when cooking. This will ensure that your chicken pieces are evenly cooked and crisp.
The beauty of this dish is that while your chicken pieces are cooking in the air fryer, you can work on creating your sauce on the stovetop. Dump the chicken pieces into the sauce when they are done cooking for the perfect weeknight dinner.
I like to serve our healthy general tso chicken recipe with a side of white rice I make in my Instant Pot. For veggies, I serve with steamed or air fried broccoli.
I hope you enjoy this healthy General Tso Chicken recipe in the air fryer as much as we do.
You will want to coat chicken with Silicone Kitchen Tongs 
so coating stays on chicken when mixing and transferring to air fryer.
A skillet
for making the sauce on the stove top.
Potato Starch
Want more Chinese recipes? Try my Zucchini Mushroom Chicken Recipe.
This Copycat Rice a Roni recipe is even better than the boxed version. Make it in the Instant Pot for a hands off quick, easy, and healthier side dish.
This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.
Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.
You ever have a random craving for a meal from your childhood? Happens to me quite often. I'll be thinking of what to create in my kitchen and I'll get a sudden urge for a dish I hadn't had in years. That's how it was when it came to this Rice a Roni.
Even as an adult, I used to buy the flavored rice and pastas from the dried goods section of the supermarket. Once I realized that these things were full of sodium and other no no ingredients, I stopped buying them.
As a matter of fact, I discovered that it was much easier and cheaper to make flavored rice out of ingredients I already had in my pantry.
Hence this homemade copycat rice a roni was born. I recall the first time I made it to go along with a delicious steak dinner I made for hubby and myself. Apparently he used to eat rice a roni as a kid too and loved it. So I made this copycat rice a roni, plated it beside a delicious steak and asparagus dinner, and waited for the verdict.
Initially, he thought it came from the box and he claimed I doctored it up somehow because it tasted so delicious. He was in shock when I told him it wasn't from a box. As a matter of fact, he didn't believe me, still doesn't believe, and always looks in the trash for a rice a roni box as evidence when I make it.
I tend to make all my rice in my Instant Pot now and this copycat rice a roni is no different. Reason being is that with the right ratio, rice cooked in the pressure cooker always comes out perfect. I tend to walk away and forget to lower the stove when it comes to stove top rice. The pressure cooker allows me to place my ingredients in the pot, set my timer, and go on to the rest of my meal. Perfection and no more burned rice bottom.
The great thing about this rice a roni is that you can prep the majority of the ingredients ahead of time. No need for a rice a roni seasoning packet when all the dry herbs and spices are in your cupboard. The only herb in this recipe that isn't dried is the parsley. Dry parsley can be substituted but fresh parsley is so much better.
I hope you enjoy this homemade copycat rice a roni as much as we do. I hope your family believes you when you tell them it's not from the box. As always, Enjoy 🙂
Looking for more Instant Pot recipes with rice? Try these out:
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice (Halal Cart Copycat)
Instant Pot Rice and Beans (Jamaican Style)
Or Find All of My Pressure Cooker Recipes Here.
This zucchini mushroom chicken is a chinese restuarant dish that can be on your dinner table in a hurry with minimum ingredients. Coated in an amazing sauce with tender chicken pieces makes this meal a winner.
This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.
Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.
There was a point in my life that I ordered chinese food about once a week. I mean, how convenient is to sit at home, order dinner over the phone, and have it delivered piping hot at your door? Pretty convenient I'd say. And I would continue to do this until I realized that sometimes that food wasn't piping hot when it reached my door. Or sometimes I'd shell out 40 bucks for a meal that I could make for a fraction of the cost. Or sometimes the meals I ordered were very high in sodium which can cause a host of health issues.
So cooking Chinese dishes at home became a thing for me and it should become a thing for you too. So about this Zucchini Mushroom Chicken...omg delicious!!! Not only are the flavors of this dish amazing, but if you follow my technique for this recipe, you will end up with the most tender pieces of chicken breast you ever had in your meal.
Chicken breast is one of the most trickiest parts of the chicken to cook with as it's not as forgiving if you overcook it. Most chinese restaurants have mastered the chicken breast by providing succulent velvet textured chicken. How do they it you may ask? Well they...velvet the chicken.
If you do a google search about velveting chicken you will find various techniques on how to do it. Some say you should parboil the chicken first, others have it coated in cornstarch and then parboiled. Either way, most ways were too complicated and discouraging. This way is by far the easiest and brings amazing results. I find that velveting the chicken is an important step in this zucchini mushroom recipe and I hope you don't skip it. If you do, no worries, your dish will still be amazing but seriously consider giving it a try.
When it comes to stir fry at home, I usually use my large nonstick pan rather than my wok. Since I cook on an electric stovetop, there isn't enough heat to properly heat up all sides of a wok. A non-stick skillet works best for home cooks, especially those with electric burners.
I hope you enjoy this zucchini mushroom chicken recipe as much as we do. Don't forget to scroll down and check out the step by step photos for this meal.
Looking for more Zucchini Recipes? Try these Zucchini Fritters made in an Air Fryer.
Looking for more Stir fry recipes? try this one out:
Chicken and Green Bean Stir Fry
Looking for another dish with mushrooms? Try my Baked Italian Chicken with Mushrooms.
This Orange Poppy Seed Bundt Cake is a delicious citrus flavored cake with the perfect amount of poppy seed crunch. Enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, brunch, or an after dinner dessert.
March has arrived and I'm super hype about it. I'm only a few months closer to my all time favorite season, summer. But in the meantime, I'll just enjoy the fact that it's not freezing cold here in Carolina. Speaking of warmer weather, the change in temperature has made me want to get in the kitchen and bake more. Oddly enough, the warmer it is outside, the more I crave desserts like cakes and oven baked pies. So let me start by sharing this Orange Poppy Seed Bundt Cake Recipe with you.
I'm a huge fan of citrus desserts. Lemon meringue pie is a favorite around here and so is this Grapefruit Cake Recipe. But lemon is always the star of the desserts, so I figure why not give it a go with an orange. This Orange Poppy Seed Bundt Cake takes the cake...haha, get it?
I love this cake because it is so easy to put together and toss in your oven. I love the addition of vegetable oil rather than butter as it keeps the cake moist. I also love the addition of buttermilk for the texture and taste.
Speaking of buttermilk, I tend to run out of it quite frequently, especially when I want to use it in a baked good. I've found a good subsitution is to use 1 cup milk and 1 teaspoon of white vingear. Just combine the two in a measuring cup and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Like magic, your milk curdles a little and makes a wonderful buttermilk subsitute.
I like to enjoy this cake with a nice hot cup of coffee and staring out my living room window. I tend to do this a lot while I listen to a great playlist. For this, Isacc Hayes Walk on By is what I enjoy listening to. I hope you enjoy this Orange Poppy Seed Bundt Cake as much as we do. Until the next baking adventure, enjoy 🙂
Looking for more dessert recipes? Try these out:
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Creamcheese Frosting
Here's an easy and delicious way to prepare the Sous Vide Egg Bites Recipe in the Instant Pot. A creamy and delicate egg all in two bites...or one if you want to gobble it up.
This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.
Hello World! I feel like I've been flooding my most recent blog post with a ton of Instant Pot recipes. Let me apologize and start by saying that I won't be posting only Instant Pot recipes. But Gosh darn it, that Instant Pot is amazing.
I'm used to making soups, stews, and one pot meals in it but I was intrigued when I discovered that I could make eggs in the Instant Pot. No, not boiled eggs (which I hear is a great way to make a ton of boiled eggs) but creamy delicious egg bites.
Yep, but I don't use a Sous Vide machine. The first I heard of these is when Starbucks added it to their menu and called it "Sous Vide Egg Bites." They apparently use the sous vide machine but the Instant Pot gets the same velvety, creamy texture.
Let's be real, everyone and their mama got the Instant Pot for Christmas. How awesome is it that we can make this wonderful breakfast at home and save some coins when we head to our favorite coffee shop. These are the kind of a breakfast snack that can be made ahead of time. The whole family will love this grab and go breakfast.
This egg bites recipe comes together quickly and requires only a 9 minute steam time and 10 minute natural release time in the Instant Pot. There are a couple of suggested tools when making these babies...a blender, a a silicone baby food mold , and a Steamer Rack Trivet(this should have come with your instant pot).
As you can see, the texture of these eggs are creamy. This recipe isn't for you if you like your eggs hard or fried. But if you like creamy eggs and don't have the patience to make Gordon Ramsey's creamy scrambled eggs in a skillet (my favorite way to make them), then this Sous Vide Egg Bites Recipe is for you.
The best thing about these egg bites, other than the fact that they are creamy and delicious is the fact that you can hide veggies in them. I keep it simple with just adding spinach to mine. I also add bacon. Can I call bacon a veggie?
I hope you all enjoy these "Sous Vide" egg bites as much as we do. Until the next recipe.
Watch this video tutorial and see how I make these egg bites from start to finish.
Instant Pot Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge Recipe
White Cheddar Pressure Cooker Pasta
Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens
Cheddar and Sour Cream Corn on the Cob
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice (Halal Cart Copycat)
Adapted from Foodie & Wine.
This Pressure Cooker Turkey Chili Recipe is not only delicious but has only a 25 minute under pressure cook time. It's the perfect one pot dinner that can be made on any weekend or weeknight.
This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.
Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.
Oh how I love my Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker! Although I took a leave of absence from the blog, I've been getting great feedback on my Instant Pot recipes, like this Pressure Cooker Shrimp Paella or this Instant Pot Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge Recipe. So, of course, the first recipe I had to share on my return to blogging was this Pressure Cooker Turkey Chili Recipe.
One pot meals are a necessity in our meal rotations and our electric pressure cooker has been a life saver when it comes to creating these meals. Let's just say that for the last few months I've been super busy and extremely tired. Why may you ask? Well for starters, I starred in a feature-length film that is available on Amazon. It was a pretty big way to start the year and something brand new to me. But hey, YOLO (you only live once) and being an actress is now on my resume. The movie took a bit of time as I not only acted in it, but I helped with directing and editing as well. Feel free to check out the movie free on Amazon.
After the movie was made, you would think life would slow down but we chose to keep it moving. My husband and I always wanted to expand our family of 3 but were told that it would only be possible with In Vitro Fertilization(IVF). That itself was a little overwhelming. Dealing with taking shots every day, various medical procedures, and the fear that it just may not work will have you feeling overwhelmed. Regardless, it was totally worth it as we became pregnant on our first round. 8 months later, after a difficult pregnancy, our little precious daughter made her way into this world. Now our house is full of girls, sorry hubby.
It's meals like this Turkey Chili made in my Instant Pot that allowed my family to eat healthy while our lives went through so many exciting changes.
Chili used to be a meal that I thought was only available on a long weekend when you had hours to sit over a stove and stir every once in a while. Truth is, it's been a long time since I've made chili on the stove top. I'm not the hugest fan on watching food on the stove for long periods of time. The slow cooker is my 2nd favorite method for cooking chili but it didn't provide me with the last minute dinner availability. So the Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker became the perfect vessel to make this delicious turkey chili dinner.
Although my Instant pot has a slow cooker function, I prefer to use the pressure cook and sauté function only on my machine. Rumor has it that the slow cooker function on the Instant Pot isn't as good as the original slow cooker.
Although the majority of the chili we make in our house is made with beef, I wanted to try something different for my hubby and oldest daughter. Chili happens to be one of her favorites but I wanted to limit the amount of red meat we were eating. The great thing about this turkey chili is you won't even notice that there isn't beef in the chili because...well, it taste like some darn good chili.
So which is healthier? It pretty much depends on which kind of ground turkey or ground beef you buy. Fit Found Me has a great article detailing the differences between both.
So what's the secret to this delicious chili?? The spices! Of course, there is chili powder, cumin, and a dash of cinnamon. All that combined with the other ingredients gives you a dynamic chili taste.
Spices
You will get different opinions on how long you should cook anything in the pressure cooker. Some even say you can get that flavor within as little as 10 minutes cook time. I'm a firm believer that this chili deserves a good 25-minute pressure cooker time. The longer it's in there, the better the chance of getting that dynamic flavor.
Cornbread!!! or Tortilla chips. I like to top mine with sliced jalapeno, cheddar cheese, and sour cream.
It's super easy to make this chili, which makes it perfect for a weeknight or weekend meal. So spice it up and enjoy this pressure cooker turkey chili recipe. Also, it feels great to be back.
I had the opportunity to dine and relax at Dame's Chicken and Waffles Cary, NC. This new location is perfect for those that are looking for delicious Dame's entrees in a new bigger location.
I usually don't venture outside of Charlotte when it comes to my restaurant escapades, but when a friend becomes co-owner of a restaurant, I have to go check it out. Dame's Chicken and Waffles is pretty much a household name around North Carolina with locations in Durham, Greensboro, and now Cary, NC. When I heard Dame's would open in Cary, NC, I immediately got jealous. I've been waiting for them to open in Charlotte for years. But I digress...folks in Cary are lucky to have this location.
Let me start from the beginning...
I had to travel to the Triangle for work and realized that it would be a great time to catch up with my law school study group who are more like close friends rather than just old study partners. Ironically, on the morning of our planned dinner, Facebook reminded me that 10 years earlier we took a photo during out first year of law school. The majority of these friends are in private practice, one is an assistant public defender (me), 2 are bloggers, and one became co-owner of Dame's Chicken and Waffles Cary, NC. Dame's became the obvious location for us to grab a bite and catch up.
I arrived at Dame's at 7pm on a Tuesday. This location is located in a shopping center which makes parking easy. I was out of my car and at the front doors of the restaurant in no time. Once I walked in, the atmosphere of Dame's was perfect for our law school reunion. This place is much bigger than the Durham location. I immediately noticed this amazing artwork on the wall. It's painted by a local Durham artist, Artie Barksdale. Kuddos to Dame's for keeping it local. In the background, D.J. Pandora was spinning a nice jazz mix and I realized that this was a place I could relax, have great conversation, and eat.
We started our meal at Dame's in Cary with this twist on your traditional Shrimp and Grits. This version is made with a grit cake and it was my first time trying it. It's a spin on the classic grits as the outside is fried and the inside is filled with creamy grits. I loved this spin and the flavor was on point.
We next moved on to our entrees and almost everyone ordered chicken and waffles. Dame's doesn't serve your typical Chicken and Waffles. The menu offers great variety and combinations that it's hard to pick just one. Waffles range from sweet potato, gingerbread, and vegan while there are a variety of drizzles and smears that come along with it. The menu at Dame's comes is filled with suggestions but feel free to change it up, I know I did. All food is made fresh and we got our orders delivered to our table in really good time.
I ordered the gingerbread waffle with vanilla almond smear and sweet whiskey creme drizzle. It was amazing!!! The other cool thing is that my chicken breast was shaped like a heart. It's so good to be loved 🙂 I also ordered some of the calypso sauce to dip my chicken in which provided a nice spice to my meal. Each chicken and waffle entree comes with a side, which most restaurants don't offer in a chicken and waffles special. I ordered the spicy collards and they were absolutely amazing! I don't usually do collards but these were so good. So full of flavor and just the right touch of spice.
Overall, my experience at Dame's Chicken and Waffles in Cary, NC was great. The only sad face moment was that they didn't serve alcohol but a little birdie told me that is coming soon. If you've been to any Dame's, you know that the drinks are delicious. I'm sure the ones here will be as well.
So for you lucky folks in Cary, you have a wonderful gem in your city. As for me, I'll still dream of the day Dame's decides to open a location next door to my house. A girl can dream can't she.
This Awesome Quinoa Dish is a delicious spin on quinoa. Eat more quinoa with this recipe.
This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.
Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.
April is here! Did you play any April Fools Day pranks on anyone? I didn't. My husband tried to trick me all day...he never got me. I couldn't think of anything clever so unfortunately I didn't get anyone this year. I'll have to make sure to plan something amazing next year.
So about this Awesome Quinoa Dish...it was provided to me by my friend/co-worker Kate. Funny enough, while we chatted during court sessions, I told her how much I despised quinoa. First, I had no clue on how to pronounce it correctly. Thankfully, Kate was able to teach me the right pronunciation(Keen-wah). No more strange looks when I ask where the quinoa is located in the grocery store.
Second, I just didn't like the taste. She was shocked and informed me that quinoa could be...well delicious. I doubted her at first but Kate was nice enough to write the recipe out for me with the title of "Awesome Quinoa." It took me a while to get to trying the recipe and when I finally did, I had to admit it was pretty awesome. Even my daughter loved it...and she is the pickiest.
I've been experimenting a ton with quinoa now but this quinoa dish is what really got me into it. This quinoa recipe is great as a side dish or a base for other dishes, like chicken burrito bowls or even vegetarian Buddha bowls. Feel free to sub the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
So why quinoa rather than good ol' fashion rice? Because there are a ton of health benefits associated with quinoa. I haven't given up on rice but it's a nice way to mix it up from time and time again. I hope you enjoy this quinoa recipe as much as we do. I've provided a video with this one. I've been practicing on my video creation and editing...I think I did a pretty decent job with this one. Well, until the next recipe and video.
This pressure cooker shrimp paella made in my Instant Pot Pressure Cooker will knock your socks off. And if you're not wearing socks, It'll make your toes curl. Not only does it have tons of flavor, it comes together so quickly with only a five minute high pressure cook time in the Instant Pot.
This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.
Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.
I'm bizack with another Instant Pot recipe...and I'm super excited to share this one because it's such a quick and easy meal.
Although I love to cook, most weeknights I'm exhausted and I'd rather not stand in front of the stove. I'd rather not dirty up pots and pans. I'd rather order out but then my bank account says "no ma'am."
It's days like that that recipes in my Instant Pot are so important. If you haven't gotten an Instant Pot yet, you're so missing out. It is one of my all time favorite kitchen appliances, outside of my oven.
I go on and on about it in my post of Instant Pot Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge so I won't do that again here. But for those that don't know, it's an electronic pressure cooker that pretty much cuts cooking time in half.
It has a sauté function that makes it great for browning meats and softening onions that are part of meals.
Alrighty, so about this Instant Pot pressure cooker shrimp paella. Well I always keep a bag of raw frozen shrimp in our freezer at home. I love frozen shrimp because the defrost time is so quick and the cook time of shrimp is so fast.
The great thing about this recipe is that you don't even have to defrost the shrimp. It's a literally a throw it in the pot kind of recipe. And if you prep your ingredients ahead of time by chopping the onions, peppers, and garlic...well my friend, you may break the record for the quickest dinner on the table.
I remember the first time I made this for my family, my daughter literally was shocked and thought I ordered out and didn't tell her. She couldn't believe how quickly dinner was done. I just told her I was Super Mom. She was indeed impressed.
People don't generally think of cooking shrimp in the pressure cooker. That makes sense because shrimp cooks quickly and if it's not done right it can lead to a rubbery mess.
The key to avoiding this of course is a short cooking time and using jumbo frozen shrimp with shell on. This will ensure your shrimp is perfectly cooked.
The only slight annoyance with this recipe is the taking the shell off after cooking and before serving. Honestly, it's up to you how you handle that part. On days I'm really tired, hubby and daughter are on their own when it comes to taking off the shells. On other days, I remove it for them so I don't hear their whining.
I've include step by step photos of how to cook this meal in the Instant Pot. I remember when I first got my Instant Pot I was lost on how to operate it. After pressing buttons and reading the manual 4 times, I figured it out. Well, as always, Enjoy 🙂
Looking for more Pressure Cooker Recipes? Try these out:
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice (NY Street Cart)
Instant Pot Salmon with Creamy Herb Sauce
Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens
Adapted from Health Starts in the Kitchen.
