Chinese General Tso’s Chicken
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 as a popular Chinese takeout item.
Many don’t even dare to ask “How to make General Tso’s Chicken?” because they assume that it’s difficult. But the good news is that it’s very easy to make at home.
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Who is General Tso?
There was was a brave Chinese general by the name of General Tso (Zuo Zongtang 左宗棠) but the dish was invented by another chef. Learn more about the history and origin of the dish.
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.
How Do You Make General Tso’s Chicken?
To make this 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 sauce and cook until the sauce thickens.
How Many Calories Per Serving?
This recipe is only 398 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with this Recipe?
For a wholesome Chinese meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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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!
Ingredients
- 10 oz. (300 g) boneless skinless chicken meat, (thigh or breast, cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 pinch 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 chilies, rinsed and seeded
- 2 stalks scallion, white-part only, cut into 1-inch lengths
Sauce:
- 2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing Wine
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size
2 peopleAmount Per Serving Calories 398Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 91mgSodium 899mgCarbohydrates 44gFiber 1gSugar 17gProtein 34g
Alice
Can I replace Hoisin sauce with oyster sauce? Or is there other substitute?
Rasa Malaysia
Hoisin sauce and oyster sauce tastes completely different but sure you can use it.
Dianna
This recipe sounds wonderful, but I am unable to find Shaoxing wine in our small town. What would you recommend as a substitute?
Rasa Malaysia
Skip or use sherry.
Derek Woodward
What do you mean by 3 slices of ginger, is that a measurement like tablespoons? You say 3 slices minced but I am unsure how to measure the ginger root in slices. I am very excited to try this but without the wine and adding a bit more spice.
Rasa Malaysia
Ginger root, peeled, and cut into 3 thin lices. In Chinese cooking, we used a lot of ginger slices.
Colin Burns
Yet again another great recipe made this for my family this evening and they loved it doubled the sauce up and used fresh chilli’s but it was amazing you do have some fantastic recipes
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks please try more recipes!
Harpreet Kaur
Hi, Bee. It is okay if I omit the Shaoxing wine and Chinese rice vinegar?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes.
nadine
simply amazing
Peter
Hi Bee, greetings from a U.K. expat in Cyprus. Love the recipes, and use them regularly. Just one question, can I use fresh chillis instead of dried ones? Or is there a reason for the dried?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can use fresh chilies. Dried chilies are spicier and adds “dry heat” to the sauce and chicken. It’s different.
Lani
Made it last night. It was wonderful & delicious.
Tricia Bell
I Love, Love, Love this recipe! I also doubled the sauce and it was perfect to add with the sticky rice! I live on the small Caribbean Island of Roatan and you can not get Chinese food here so I started making my own all with your help! I have made your Wantons, Crab Rangoon and your fried rice! All AMAZING, I have shared your recipes with all my friends here and you have made us all extremely happy! I had to make a few adjustments to the recipe because there were just a few things I couldn’t get here! I used crushed dried red pepper flakes and powdered ginger. Still worked out amazing, I can’t wait to try more of your recipes! Thank you so much!
Tricia Bell
I just Love, Love, Love this recipe! I live in the Caribbean on a small island called Roatan and you can’t get take out or any type of Chinese food here. So I started making my own with a few changes.. I use crushed dry red peppers instead of the chilies and ground powdered ginger because I can’t get the others here. I doubled the recipe and it was just enough! I will add steamed broccoli next time. I can’t wait to try others, I have made your wantons, crab Rangoon’s and fried rice! I Love them all just as much!! I have shared your pages with all my friends on the island and you have brought us all great Joy! I can’t thank you enough!!
Mary Gallo
Hello, thank you for a wonderful recipe. Since I served with extra vegetables, I doubled the sauce. My entire family devoured it. Even the picky eater. Thank you for a well balanced supper.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for trying my recipe. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Tony VS
Came out great! None of my local places make a decent version, and this was awesome( I have been searching for a few years).
I also added mushrooms and quadrupled the sauce. Delicious!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Tony, thanks for trying my General Tso’s chicken recipe. All my recipes are delicious and easy, please check them out: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/