General Tso Chicken is a popular dish in Chinese-American cuisine, renowned for its perfect blend of sweet, savory, and spicy flavors.
This classic recipe features crispy, deep-fried chicken chunks coated in a vibrant, sticky sauce made with ingredients like soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, and a touch of sugar, often garnished with dried red chilies and spring onions.
The origins? Well, it’s named after General Tso from Hunan Province, China, although the dish itself is more of an American culinary creation than something you’d find in a traditional Hunan kitchen.
So, why does this matter? Because knowing a bit about its roots makes every bite that much more interesting. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good backstory with their meal?
How to Make General Tso Chicken
Prep Time- 10 minutes
Cook Time-20 minutes
Total Time-30 minutes
Servings-4 people
You’ll Need
2 boneless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
3-4 dried red chillies
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup corn-starch +1 tablespoon
½ cup water +2 tablespoon
Oil for frying +1 tablespoon
2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Garnish
Chopped spring onions
Sesame seeds
- In a shallow bowl, place the chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the cornstarch over the chicken and stir to coat, ensuring each piece is evenly coated.
This coating helps to seal in the juices and provides a crisp texture once fried. - Pour the beaten egg over the coated chicken and fold to coat
- Fry the Chicken:
Heat enough oil in a pan over a medium flame to cover the bottom. Fry the coated chicken pieces until they turn crisp and golden brown, ensuring they are evenly cooked.
This should take about 3-4 minutes each side depending on size. Transfer the fried chicken onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil and set aside.
- Using the same pan, reduce the oil to about 1 tablespoon. Add minced garlic, ginger, and dried red chilies.
Sauté these ingredients for a few seconds until the garlic becomes fragrant but not burnt. This is crucial as it forms the flavor base of the sauce. - Quickly stir in the soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and hoisin sauce along with ½ cup of water.
Allow the mixture to come to a slight boil for a few seconds to let the sugar dissolve and flavors meld. - Thicken the Sauce: Mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry. Pour this into the simmering sauce.
Stir continuously and let it simmer for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
This thickening step is vital as it helps the sauce cling to the chicken pieces. - Finish the Dish: Add the fried chicken back into the pan with the sauce. Toss well to ensure all pieces are generously coated.
If using, sprinkle red pepper flakes over the chicken to add a spicy kick. - Garnish the dish with freshly chopped spring onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds for added texture and flavor.
- Serve hot alongside steamed rice or your choice of side for a complete meal.
Prepare the Chicken
Prepare the Sauce
Garnish and Serve
How to Properly Store Leftover General Tso Chicken
There are a couple of ways to store leftover General Tso Chicken, referigeration or freezing.
Refrigeration
1 Allow the General Tso Chicken to cool down to room temperature after cooking.
2 This prevents condensation from forming inside the storage container, which could lead to sogginess.
3 Transfer the cooled General Tso Chicken into an airtight container or a sealed plastic bag.
4 Ensure there are no air pockets to maintain freshness.
5 Place the sealed container of General Tso Chicken in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking.
6 General Tso Chicken can be safely stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Beyond this time, the quality may deteriorate
Freezing
Follow the same steps to cool down the General Tso Chicken after cooking.
Transfer the cooled chicken into a freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. Remove excess air to prevent freezer burn.
If possible, use a vacuum sealer (the chicken will last 1 year if properly vacuum sealed).
Label the container with the date of freezing to keep track of its freshness.
General Tso Chicken can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 months without significant loss of quality.
However, for the best taste and texture, it’s advisable to consume it within the first month.
General Tso Chicken Recipe Print Now
General Tso Chicken
Equipment
- Wok Pan
Ingredients
- 2 boneless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3-4 red chillies, dried
- ½ tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg beaten
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup water
- Oil for frying
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- spring onions (Chopped )
- 1-2 tablespoons Sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken pieces with salt, black pepper powder, and corn starch until the chicken is evenly coated.2 boneless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces1 teaspoon black pepper powder1 teaspoon salt1/2 cup cornstarch
- Pour the beaten egg over the chicken and stir to coat1 large egg beaten
- Heat oil in a pan over medium flame. Fry the coated chicken pieces until they turn crisp, golden, and evenly cooked. Transfer the fried chicken onto a plate and set aside.Oil for frying
- In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add minced garlic, ginger, and dried red chillies. Sauté for a few seconds until the garlic becomes fragrant.3-4 red chillies, dried½ tablespoon minced ginger1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Stir in soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, and ½ cup water. Allow the mixture to bubble for a few seconds.2 tablespoon dark soy sauce1 tablespoon brown sugar1 tablespoon honey2 tablespoon rice vinegar1 tablespoon hoisin sauce1 tablespoon oil½ cup water
- Add the fried chicken pieces to the sauce. Mix well and sauté on high flame for 1 minute.
- Combine 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Stir the corn starch mixture into the sauce and let it simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.1 tablespoon cornstarch2 tablespoons water
- Sprinkle chilli flakes over the chicken and toss to coat properly.2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Garnish the dish with chopped spring onions and sesame seeds. Serve hot with your choice of rice.spring onions1-2 tablespoons Sesame seeds
Equipment
If you altered the ingedients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cooking/baking time.
Nutrition
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This General Tso’s Chicken recipe is a total winner! 🍗🔥 It breaks down the steps super clearly, making it perfect even for those of us who might be a little intimidated by making takeout at home.
I love how it covers everything from how to get that perfect crispy coating on the chicken to whipping up the iconic sweet and spicy sauce. 🍯🌶️ One tip I found especially helpful was to double-fry the chicken to make it extra crispy—game changer!