Crispy juicy chicken coated in a sweet and savory sauce with a spicy kick! This quick and easy General Tso Chicken recipe is ready in 25 minutes saving you money on Chinese takeout! I also share how to shallow fry or air fry the chicken.
Jump to:
General Tso's Chicken is a very popular Chinese dish. It features crispy chicken coated in a sweet, savory, flavorful sauce with spicy flavors! A great main dish served at many Chinese restaurants with white rice and vegetables.
This dish was first invented in the 1950's by a chef named Peng Chang-kuei from Hunan, China. It was dedicated to Tso Tsung-t'ang, who was a 19th century General who loved the dish, hence the name!
This is one of my favorite chicken recipes because it's simple to make and the flavors are so good! My husband and I love enjoying it on a busy weeknight because it comes together so easily.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs: or substitute with chicken breast but please reduce the cooking time by 1-2 minutes to avoid drying it out.
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch. Avoid using tapioca or rice starch as it'll cause the chicken pieces to stick while frying.
- Fresh Ginger
- Green Onion
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
- Sesame Seeds: If you're allergic, please omit.
General Tso Sauce
- Hoisin Sauce: This adds a caramelized sweetness to our sauce. Do not substitute with oyster sauce as it's not the same!
- Regular Soy Sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- Brown Sugar: Or substitute with white sugar or coconut sugar.
- Rice Vinegar: Or substitute with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
- Garlic
- Sesame oil: omit if you're allergic.
- Red Pepper Flakes or Red Chili Flakes: omit if you prefer this mild.
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch, tapioca starch or arrowroot starch.
- Cold water
Variations
- Gluten-free version? Substitute with a gluten-free hoisin sauce and gluten-free soy sauce of your choice like tamari sauce or coconut aminos.
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.
Expert Tips
- Prepare ingredients ahead of time as the cooking process is fast.
- Do not pat dry the chicken! You need some moisture on the chicken so the starch can adhere to it.
- Evenly dice the chicken into 1.5-inch pieces so they evenly cook.
- Use a heavy bottomed pan if possible as this maintains the oil temperature.
- Fry in small batches and do not overcrowd the pan because this reduces the oil temperature leading to less crispy chicken or possibly undercooked chicken.
- Spread chicken apart after tossing into pan. This allows for each piece to develop a crust.
- Avoid stir frying the chicken. This prevents it from getting crispy.
- Drain the fried chicken on a wire rack or paper-towel lined plate to remove excess oil which leads to soggy chicken.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make General Tso's Chicken:
- In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- Dice each chicken thigh into 1.5-inch pieces. Do not pat chicken thighs dry, some moisture is needed for the next step.
- Transfer chicken pieces into a large bowl and add cornstarch. Toss to coat the chicken in the starch evenly.
- Heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat in a large pan. Carefully lower coated chicken into oil and quickly spread apart. Fry chicken in small batches until golden brown on both sides, about 5-7 minutes. Avoid stir frying the chicken and let it sit in the pan to form a crust.
- Remove and transfer fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate or a wire rack for excess oil to drip off. Remove excess oil from pan.
- On medium-high heat, add ginger followed by the sauce. Let it come to a boil to thicken and reduce.
- Toss in fried chicken and mix with the sauce. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds (optional). Enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? This can be stored in a freezer friendly bag and frozen up to 3 months or until you see freezer burn. To reheat, defrost it and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan. If possible, I recommend storing the fried chicken separate from the sauce.
Pairing Suggestions
General Tso's Chicken serves well:
- starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
- white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice, chow mein, lo mein, or plain noodles
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
- other protein dishes like Bang Bang Shrimp, Mongolian Beef, Soy Garlic Tofu, Chinese Braised Tofu and more!
FAQ
This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
Yes, the chicken can be cooked in the air fryer by following these instructions:
1. Lightly spray air fryer basket with oil.
2. Transfer the coated chicken into your air fryer basket in a single layer, giving each piece enough space. You may need to air fry in two batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
3. Spray enough oil over chicken.
4. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 12-14 minutes until crispy and brown, no flipping required.
Yes, you can substitute the chicken with shrimp, diced sturdy white fish, beef, pork, or extra-firm tofu.
More like this
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy General Tso Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast
- ¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch
- 5 thin slices ginger peeled
- ½ green onion finely chopped
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds optional garnish
Sauce
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar/white vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or red chili flakes (add double the quantity if you prefer spicier)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
- ½ cup water cold
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- Dice chicken thighs into 1.5-inch pieces. Do not pat chicken thighs dry, some moisture is needed for the next step.
- Transfer chicken pieces into a large bowl and add cornstarch. Toss to coat the chicken in the starch evenly.
- Heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat in a large pan. Carefully lower coated chicken into oil and quickly spread apart. Fry chicken in small batches until golden brown on both sides, about 5-7 minutes. Avoid stir frying the chicken and let it sit in the pan to form a crust. To air fry the chicken, see Notes section below for instructions.
- Remove and transfer fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate or a wire rack for excess oil to drip off. Remove excess oil from pan.
- On medium-high heat, add ginger followed by the sauce. Let it come to a boil to thicken and reduce.
- Toss in fried chicken and mix with the sauce. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds (optional). Enjoy!
Debbie
This was so easy to make and soooo delicious! Ginger isn't my favorite spice, so I opted for a heavy sprinkling of powdered ginger over the fresh slices - perfect for our tastes. I will definitely be making this one again.
Christie Lai
So very happy to read this positive review and experience! I'm so glad you enjoyed and thank you so much for making my recipe!