General Tso’s Chicken Recipe

General Tso’s Chicken is saucy, juicy and crispy. The signature sauce is thick and loaded with flavor. If you are a die-hard orange chicken fan, you must try this dish! Make it all in one dish in the comfort of your home for a sweet and spicy treat!

Hi there! My name is Natalya and I run the blog Momsdish. If you already follow me, you know I can’t get enough of easy meals that require simple ingredients. My family loves ordering in Chinese takeout, but lately, I’ve been having a blast recreating my favorite dishes at home.

Not only is homemade “takeout” healthier, but you’ll save money. That’s a win-win in my book. Let’s get started!

General Tso’s Chicken is a Chinese-American dish of fried chicken pieces that are breaded and tossed in a tangy sauce. This dish is very similar in style to sesame or orange chicken. But, like in much of Chinese food, it’s the sauce that makes each dish unique.

Typically, General Tso’s Chicken is served with a bed of steamed rice and a side of steamed broccoli. If you want to make a full spread of takeout favorites, try your hand at making some chow mein too. Don’t forget the chopsticks!

General Tso’s Chicken Recipe

General Tso’s Chicken is a Chinese takeout go-to. Make it all in one dish in the comfort of your home for a sweet and spicy treat!

Prep: 15min

Total: 30min

Yield: 8

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 386 kcal, Carbohydrate 18 g, Protein 20 g, Fat 26 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Trans Fat 0.1 g, Cholesterol 111 mg, Sodium 502 mg, Fiber 0.4 g, Sugar 7 g, unSaturated Fat 18 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 lb chicken thighs (trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 1/4 cup extra light olive oil (for frying, plus more as needed)
• 2 tbsp minced ginger (from a 2-inch piece of ginger)
• 3 cloves garlic (or 1 Tbsp grated or finely minced)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or added to taste)
• 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional for garnish)
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar (or more to taste)
• 1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 4 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

Instruction:

1. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Toss chicken in batches with cornstarch, tapping off the excess. Set dredged chicken on a platter and set aside.
2. In a separate dish, combine all the ingredients for your sauce and whisk to combine.
3. Preheat a non-stick skillet with oil. Cook chicken in 2 to 3 batches, sauteeing until golden on both sides and cooked through then remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more oil as needed. Leave at least 1 Tbsp oil in the pan.
4. Add the garlic, ginger and pepper flakes. Sautee for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
5. Add the sauce to the skillet and bring it to a simmer while stirring. Let it simmer for 1 minute to cook off the vinegar a little. Taste the sauce and add more soy sauce or rice vinegar to taste if desired. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Serve garnished with sesame seeds if desired.

General Tso’s Chicken

Recipe video above. That perfect combination of sweet, savoury, spicy and tangy with crispy Chinese chicken bites. This is a Chinese takeout favourite that pushes all the right buttons!

Prep: 15min

Yield: 4

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 465 kcal, Carbohydrate 22 g, Protein 32 g, Fat 28 g, Saturated Fat 14 g, Cholesterol 143 mg, Sodium 974 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 10 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp soy sauce – light or all-purpose ((NOT dark soy, Note 1))
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar ((sub white wine vinegar))
• 2 tsp chilli paste (, any (Sambal Oelak is great))
• 1 tsp sesame oil (toasted preferably (Note 6))
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
• 3/4 cup chicken stock/broth (, low sodium)
• 600g/ 1.4 lb chicken thighs (, boneless skinless, cut into 2.5cm / 1″ pieces (breast / tenderloin – Note 2))
• 1 tsp ginger (, finely grated)
• 1 tsp garlic (,finely grated)
• 1 cup cornflour/cornstarch ((Note 5))
• 1 – 4 cups oil, for frying ((peanut, vegetable or canola; Note 4))
• 2 tbsp oil ((peanut, vegetable or canola))
• 2 tsp ginger (, finely chopped (Note 3))
• 2 cloves garlic (, finely chopped (Note 3))
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes ((red pepper flakes))
• Finely sliced green onion
• Sesame seeds

Instruction:

1. Sauce-Marinade: Mix the soy, hoisin, vinegar, chilli and sesame oil.
2. Marinate Chicken: Take out 2 tablespoons of Sauce-Marinade and mix with chicken. Add ginger and garlic to chicken, mix, then marinate 30 minutes.
3. Dust chicken: Add cornflour into chicken and toss to coat, ensuring pieces are separated so they get fully coated.
4. Shake off excess: Tip into a colander and shake to remove excess cornflour (or grab handfuls, shake so cornflour falls through your fingers).
5. Finish Sauce: To the remaining Sauce-Marinade (that you made in Step 1), add sugar and cornflour. Mix, then add chicken stock and mix.
6. Heat oil: Heat 2 cm / 4/5″ oil in a deep skillet (or large pot – whatever you’re comfortable with) to 200°C/390°F. To use less, see Note 4.
7. Fry: Cook chicken 3 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towel lined plate.
8. New / clean skillet: Discard oil, wipe skillet and return to heat. Or use another large skillet.
9. Stir Fry Sauce: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, saute 30 seconds until garlic is light golden. Add Sauce, bring to simmer and stir occasionally until it thickens enough that you can draw a path across pan base.
10. Toss! Add chicken, toss to coat quickly – the quicker you are, the crispier the chicken stays! Transfer to serving plate, garnish and serve immediately with your rice of choice.

How to Make Takeout Icon General Tso’s Chicken