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.
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.
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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.
Pairs well with:
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
Ingredients:
- 10 oz 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 chiles, (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 cornstarch
Directions
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1Marinate 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.
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2Coat 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.
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3Heat 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.
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.
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!!
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/
Sandy
My first review!! The flavor was very good, I doubled the recipe and it worked out nicely. The only complaint I have, which may be a matter of taste. Way too spicy. I used about 6 peppers with the other ingredients doubled. I did take the seeds out. My husband even said the flavor was good -next time will at least 1/2 the amount of peppers
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Sandy, spicy is an acquired taste, also different dried chilies have different heat. You can cut it down if you like. Thanks for trying my General Tso’s Chicken recipe.
Chrissie Baker
This is perfect! I’ve made it twice this week. Easy,fast,delicious. Thank you
Yeeleng
This is so good ! I have made it twice and my family loves it although we’re from Malaysia and no one have heard of General Tso chicken 😂 this is so good it is now my favourite chicken. Thank you for this superb recipe !
Rasa Malaysia
Yeeleng, lol, true, no one in Malaysia have heard about it. Thanks for trying, you should try more recipes: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Bryce
What does 11/2 tablespoons mean?
Rasa Malaysia
It’s 1 1/2 meaning 1.5 tablespoons.
Tom Wells
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.
Rasa Malaysia
No air dryer, it won’t work well as the chicken is battered?
Doug Beeby
What are the quantities for the General Tso’s sauce.
Rasa Malaysia
The recipe is at the bottom of the page, please scroll down, the recipe card is shaded in pink.
Diana Bahnert
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.
Rasa Malaysia
Aww thanks Diana. You need to try this recipe!
Shaun
I have a weakness for two things:
1. Your garlic chicken
2. General Tso’s chicken
Definitely trying this tomorrow!!!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Shaun, awww, you are so sweet. Thanks! I have more delicious recipes that you should have weakness for, lol.
Eddie Siy
Likewise. Tso chicken seems really good. Cooking it tomorrow
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome!
Poms
General Tso’s Chicken? Seriously??
Rasa Malaysia
Seriously, yes!
Darryl
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…
Rasa Malaysia
It’s different, this has a spicy and vinegary note. You should try this General Tso’s Chicken recipe.