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General Tso’s Chicken

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General Tso's Chicken with deep-fried chicken in a sweet, savory and spicy General Tso's sauce. This recipe yields authentic flavors like the best Chinese restaurants.

General Tso's Chicken with deep-fried chicken in a sweet, savory and spicy General Tso's sauce. This recipe yields authentic flavors like the best Chinese restaurants.

General Tso's Chicken in a Chinese bowl, with a pair of chopsticks.

General Tso’s Chicken (also called General Tso Chicken) is one of the most popular Chinese recipes and most ordered chicken dish in Chinese restaurants in the United States.

It’s made of battered and deep-fried chicken in a sweet, savory, and spicy General Tso’s sauce. It’s served at Chinese restaurants, buffets, and a popular Chinese takeout item.

Many don’t even dare to ask “How to make General Tso Chicken?” because they assume it’s difficult. But the good new is that it’s very easy to make at home.

General Tso Chicken with delicious General Tso Sauce and red chilis in a bowl

Who is General Tso?

General Tso’s Chicken originated from Hunan, China. There was a brave Chinese general by the name of General Tso (Zuo Zongtang 左宗棠) and he loved this chicken dish. However, this is largely a US or western reference.

Secret Ingredients:

The authentic recipe of General Tso’s chicken always calls for the following ingredients:

  • Soy sauce. Use a good quality soy sauce.
  • Dark soy sauce lends nice dark brown color to the dish.
  • Chinese rice vinegar plays a vital role in lending the bold vinegary note to the sauce.
  • Hoisin Sauce is the secret ingredient.
  • Dried red chilies—an important ingredient in Hunan cooking, making the chicken and the sauce mildly spicy.

General Tso Chicken is spicy, cooked with dried red chilies in a serving bowl with chopsticks.

How Do You Make General Tso’s Chicken?

To make general chicken, you will need chicken meat. I prefer chicken breasts. Cut the chicken into cubes and coat the chicken generously with corn starch. Deep fry the chicken until they turn light to golden brown.

Next, stir fry the minced ginger, garlic, and dried chilies and pour the General Tso’s Chicken sauce and cook until the sauce thickens.

Serve General Tso’s Chicken with:

For a wholesome dinner, make the following dishes.

Complete Meal Plan

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General Tso's Chicken Recipe

General Tso's chicken - the BEST and easiest General Tso's Chicken recipe ever. It's so delicious and much better and healthier than Chinese takeouts!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 2 people
Calories 554 kcal

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 10 oz boneless skinless chicken meat (thigh or breast, cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup corn starch
  • Oil for deep frying
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons oil
  • 3 slices peeled ginger (finely minced)
  • 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
  • 4-5 dried red chiles (rinsed and seeded)
  • 2 stalks scallion (white-part only, cut into 1-inch lengths)

Sauce:

Instructions

  1. Marinate the chicken meat with the Shaoxing wine and salt for 15 minutes. Mix all the ingredients for the Sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
  2. Coat the chicken generously with the 1/3 cup cornstarch. Heat up the oil for deep-frying. Deep fry the chicken until they turn light brown. Dish out with a strainer, draining the excess oil by laying the chicken on a dish lined with paper towels.
  3. Heat up a wok with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Add the minced ginger, garlic, and dried chilies into the wok, stir-fry until you smell the spicy aroma of the chilies. Pour the sauce into the wok. When the sauce boils and thickens, add the chicken, stir to combine well with the sauce. Add the scallion and stir a few times, dish out and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Complete Meal Plan

Nutrition Facts
General Tso's Chicken Recipe
Amount Per Serving (2 g)
Calories 554 Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 81mg 27%
Sodium 1711mg 71%
Total Carbohydrates 46g 15%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 18g
Protein 31g 62%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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12 COMMENTS... read them below or add one

  1. I’d always heard about this American dish and was eager to try it when I went to the states a few years ago. I must have been unlucky because the take-out place I ordered from gave me something that was more like sweet & sour chicken… or is that what it’s supposed to be like? I guess there is a LOT of sugar in the recipe…

    Reply

  3. I have a weakness for two things:

    1. Your garlic chicken
    2. General Tso’s chicken

    Definitely trying this tomorrow!!!

    Reply

  4. I like everyone of these recipes. However,I have not tried them out yet. Will do so soon.Thank you for the recipes and the beautiful illustrations. 5 stars for the above reasons.

    Reply

  5. I am planning on trying your recipe tonight. Just curious if you have ever tried to cook the chicken in an air fryer rather than frying it first.

    Reply

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