General Tso's Chicken Meal Prep Lunch Bowls

General Tso's Chicken Meal Prep Lunch Bowls - coated in a sweet, savory and spicy sauce that is even better than your local takeout restaurant! Best of all, it's full of authentic flavors and super easy to make with just 15 minutes of prep time. Skip that takeout menu! This is so much better and healthier! With gluten free and paleo friendly options. Weekly meal prep for the week and leftovers are great for lunch bowls for work or school.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch use arrowroot powder for paleo-friendly
• 1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
• 1-1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts (about 2-3 pieces), cut into bite-sized chunks
• Oil for browning about 3-4 tablespoons + more as needed
• 4 - 5 dried red chili peppers to taste or leave out if desired; found in Asian supermarkets or the International section of a large chain grocery store
• Toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions for garnish (optional)

SAUCE:

• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce can substitute with gluten free tamari or coconut aminos for paleo
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons honey or coconut sugar or low carb sweetener for keto
• 2 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce use gluten free hoisin sauce or leave out for paleo / keto
• 1-1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste or ketchup
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper chili flakes more or less, to taste
• 1-1/2 teaspoons red chili garlic paste for gluten free or paleo use 1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried red pepper chili flakes instead - use more if you prefer it spicier

CORNSTARCH SLURRY:

• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder (leave out for keto as needed)
• 3 Tablespoons water

FOR MEAL PREP:

1. Rice cauliflower rice, zoodles or noodles
2. Roasted or Stir-fried zucchini broccoli and red bell peppers
3. Lunch containers

Instructions

1. In a large bowl or large zip-top bag, combine chicken, cornstarch, salt, and black pepper until well-coated. Set aside.
2. Make the sauce In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce, set aside.

SLOW COOKER VERSION:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.(You can skip this stove-top step if you prefer or are in a pinch. Just add chicken directly to slow cooker. The chicken will not have that crispy coating) Cook chicken (in batches) about 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Transfer chicken into the slow cooker. Pour sauce over top.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 2.5 - 4 hours or HIGH for 1.5 - 3 hours. (SEE NOTES)
3. About 30 minutes before serving, whisk together the corn starch and water in a small bowl and very gently stir into the slow cooker (This is to avoid breaking up the breading on the chicken). Toss in the dried red chili peppers or red pepper chili flakes. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 20-30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened up. (if your slow cooker is not hot enough to thicken the sauce - pour sauce into a pot and heat on the stovetop on high to thicken the sauce or you can just skip the cornstarch slurry instead)