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.
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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!
Chantal
This recipe tasted exactly like restaurant General Tso’s that I’ve tasted, or maybe even better! I’m not great at cooking but the recipe was very easy to follow. I paired this with fried rice and had no leftovers— absolutely perfect meal!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and so glad you thought it was better than your restaurant! Glad it was easy to follow 🙂
David
Loved this, added a tablespoon of gochujang to the sauce for added spice, served over fried rice, will make again so much flavor!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and so glad you liked it!
Louise
This was amazing . I’m not sure I will get takeout Chinese again .
I followed ur recipe exactly ! So happy to put in my rotation of dinners
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for the kind review, Louise! Happy that it goes into your rotation. Have a lovely day!
HAPETA WHARERAU
So easy and lovely Thanks so much
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making it and for sharing your positive experience! I'm so glad you found it easy and lovely!
Linda Russ
Delicious
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe! Glad you enjoyed it!
Crystal
I tried it both ways and the air fryer made the chicken crispier. This recipe is amazing and I’ll use it again and again!!
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe both ways, Crystal! Glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the 5 star review 🙂
Allison Chia
Love this recipe have made it many times! Just wondering if you have recently modified this recipe to include less Hoisin? Thank you Christie
Christie Lai
Thanks for making my recipe and sharing this positive review! Yes, I have reduced the amount of hoisin from 3 tbsp (some readers were saying it was too much hoisin for their liking) and increased the amount of soy sauce and sugar. I personally enjoy this updated version more and it seems to match the Chinese restaurant better. Hopefully you feel the same too!
Erin
So I didn’t have hoisin, red pepper flakes (I used sriracha), or ginger… which is crucial to the recipe; however, even without these elements, it made a a very tasty dinner. The potato starch should definitely be used - the level of crisp is outrageous.Cant wait to make again with all the ingredients!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing this great review! Glad it made for a tasty dinner with the substitutes!
Shana
Christie, I’ve made this recipe a few times and we absolutely love it! I’ve gotten more comfortable with stir frying chicken which I was always intimidated by for some reason! This dish is incredibly flavorful, simple, and filling for our family of 3. I doubled the recipe last night making for great leftovers! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
How would you recommend reheating this without the chicken and sauce drying out?
Christie Lai
Hi Shana, thank you so much for making my recipe a few times and for leaving this positive review! To reheat the chicken, I would recommend microwaving it covered with a lid until hot so the sauce doesn't dry out. Or you can reheat the entire dish in a non-stick pan over medium heat and add a couple tablespoons of water to the sauce to help loosen it. Hope this helps!
Marimeral
Easy and delicious 🥰
Thank you for sharing🙏
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing your positive experience with me, Marimeral! Have a lovely day!
Claudia
Fast, delicious recipe! I substituted hoisin sauce (because I didn't have any) for sweet chili sauce and it was a hit!!!
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for leaving a positive review, Claudia! So glad you enjoyed it!
Arlene
It was very easy to make and tasty. Will definitely add it to my meals cycle. Thank you for sharing.
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for leaving a positive review, Arlene! Have a great day!
Teri
DELICIOUS! Will definitely make again! Love that it was easy and fast.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe, Teri! I am so happy that it was delicious, easy and fast 🙂 Have a wonderful day!
Denise
I finally made this and placed it over cauliflower rice. This was so good and full of flavor. Thank you.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing this kind review, Denise! I'm very glad that you found it flavorful 🙂 Have a great day!
Allysa
Haven't made yet but looking to tonight. I don't have the ginger though. Is it going to make that much of a difference without it?
Christie Lai
I hope you enjoy it! I does have a slight impact without it so if you even have ginger powder, a dash of it would be helpful to even out the flavors.
Paul
Topp recipe.
I found u yesterday on facebook the first time, and ur recipes are verry cool and tasty.
Have a own asian wok and a burner with 10,5 kw, and i think its enough heat cooking ur suuuuper dishes.
Manny greetings from germany/ paul
Christie Lai
Hi Paul, thank you so much for the kind and positive review! I am so happy that you enjoyed my recipe. Most of my recipes only require low-medium to medium-high heat (about 425 degrees F) so you should be good! A wok will be to your advantage for that smoky flavor. Enjoy and greetings from Canada.
Lily D
Made this tonight. Wow. Very flavorful and tasty! Easy to make. A keeper.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Lily! So happy that you enjoyed the dish.
EEVA
This recipe has been on my weekly rotation for months. My family really loves it. Thank you for sharing
christieathome
Thank you so much for sharing your kind review with me! I really appreciate that and so happy it's a family favorite! Have a great day 🙂
Katrina
A great staple dish for students and those new to cooking! The instructions are so well written and the chicken turns out perfect every single time. Awesome for left overs as well!
christieathome
Thank you so much for your kind review, Katrina! I'm really happy you enjoy the recipe so much and thank you for the positive feedback on my instructions 🙂 Have a lovely day!