Quick & Easy General Tso Chicken
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 air fry the chicken in the below Notes section. Note: this recipe has been recently improved and updated to modify the sauce ingredient amount.
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!
Notes
How to Air Fry the Chicken
Lightly spray the air fryer basket with vegetable oil.
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.
Spray enough oil over chicken. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 12-14 minutes until crispy and brown, no flipping required.
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Nutrition
Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 1240mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg