General Tso’s Chicken is that perfect combination of sweet, savoury, spicy and tangy with crispy Chinese chicken bites. It’s a Chinese takeout favourite that just pushes all the right buttons!
General Tso’s Chicken
This is a popular Chinese-American dish that appears in suburban Chinese restaurants here in Australia under various other guises. Peking-Style Chicken or sometimes something mysteriously titled House Special Crispy Chicken. I can never resist a House Special!
It is said to originate from the Hunan province of China and is named after a well-respected Chinese military leader, General Tso.
While the accuracy of either of these statements is questionable – and in fact, rumour has it that it was brought into the US by Taiwanese Chefs (!) – what we do know is that this is one of the most popular Chinese dishes in America and it’s not hard to understand why.
Crispy chicken. Sticky, spicy, savoury sauce. All good stuff we like!
What goes in General Tso’s Chicken
There’s 3 parts to making General Tso’s Chicken:
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Sauce/Marinade – one mixture does double duty to marinate the chicken AND to make the sticky sauce that coats the chicken;
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Crispy Chicken – tossed in cornflour/cornstarch then fried in as little or as much oil as you want. No, you don’t need to deep fry for this dish; and
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Stir Fry – it’s not really a stir fry dish, but we do sauté garlic and ginger at the end before making the sticky sauce to toss the chicken in.
1. Sauce / Marinade
Here’s what you need for the Sauce / Marinade:
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Chilli – the spiciness in the sauce. I like using Sambal Oelak which is a type of chilli paste sold at everyday supermarkets in Australia but feel free to use your favourite brand (preferably Asian, if you can!);
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Soy sauce – light or all purpose, just not dark soy sauce (way too strong flavour and will make sauce too dark). More on different soy sauces and when to use which sauce, here;
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Rice vinegar – for the signature touch of tang in General Tso’s Chicken. It has a distinct flavour different to Western vinegars (it’s made from rice – did the name give it away? 😂) and it is less sour. Best sub: White wine vinegar;
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Brown Sugar – for the sweet in the sauce with a slight caramel note. Not loads – just 3 tablespoons. Many other recipes use way too much. This is not a dessert, it’s a meal!
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Hoisin sauce – the secret ingredient! Adds a hint of extra flavour that takes this recipe from ok to yummo!
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Sesame oil – for a wonderful hint of sesame flavour;
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Chicken stock – to give the sauce depth of flavour without using Chinese Cooking Wine (Shaoxing Wine) and to make enough sauce to coat all the chicken; and
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Cornflour / cornstarch – to thicken the sauce as well as make it nicely shiny and clear (whereas wheat flour makes sauces more opaque, like with Gravy).
2. The Chicken
For the chicken, you will need two tablespoons of the Sauce we made above for marinating, as well as ginger and garlic for flavour.
Unlike other crispy Chinese fried chicken dishes, such as Honey Chicken, the chicken is not coated with a batter but instead is tossed in cornflour/cornstarch to make it crispy. It’s quite similar to the way crispy Sweet and Sour Pork is made – but simpler because chicken pieces are tender and easier to cook than pork.
Best chicken – boneless skinless thighs, because they stay nice and juicy even if you overcook them a bit (which is easy to do if you’re not an experienced fryer). If you want to use chicken breast or tenderloins, see recipe notes for how to tenderise it before cooking using a touch of baking soda/bi-carb. This technique offers some insurance against dry, overcooked breast notorious in recipes like this.
3. Making the Sauce
And here’s what you need to cook the Sauce – ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes (chilli flakes). These are sautéed until golden before adding the Sauce.
How to make it
Here’s how to make it:
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Sauce/Marinade – first, mix the Sauce/Marinade. We do this in two parts. Firstly, mix all the ingredients except the sugar, chicken stock/broth and the cornflour/cornstarch, and use some of this initial mix to marinate the chicken (in Step 2 below). THEN mix in the sugar, stock and cornflour to the remainder to create the dish’s final Sauce – these are Sauce-specific ingredients we don’t want in the chicken marinade;
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Marinate Chicken – Use 2 tablespoons of the initial Sauce mix to marinate the chicken for 30 minutes along with fresh garlic and ginger. It’s really nice to add fresh ginger and garlic into the marinade to really get those flavours into the chicken;
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Coat chicken in cornflour – just add it into the bowl and mix, making sure the pieces are separate so they are fully coated;
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Shake off excess cornflour using whatever method works for you – I use a colander these days. Not all the cornflour falls through the colander holes and that’s ok. It still gives me a means to shake out most of the excess and some chunks settled at the base. We don’t want a thick layer of cornflour on the chicken because it can make it taste powdery and also you end up with loads of cornflour in the oil which burns unless you scoop it out;
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Cook chicken using preferred amount of oil – either shallow fry as I do (which is when the chicken is sitting on the base of the pan and the oil comes halfway up the chicken) or deep fry (which is when there is enough oil so the chicken floats around in the oil). You can even cook it with just a thin layer of oil in the pan but you’ll need to rotate each piece of chicken 4 to 6 times to get all sides crispy – which is a pain!
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Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Time to sauce it!
Chicken done, so next up: time to make the sauce. This part literally takes 3 minutes:
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Sauté garlic, ginger and chilli flakes until garlic is golden and it smells amazing, then pour the sauce in;
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Simmer sauce for 2 minutes until it thickens enough so you can draw a path across the base;
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Add chicken;
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QUICKLY toss to coat then serve, stat! The faster you get it on the table, the crispier the chicken stays!
General Tso’s CRISPY FACTOR
Chicken cooked using this method (ie. coated in cornflour) will never be as crispy compared to a more involved batter method, such as with Honey Chicken which stays crispy for hours (and that is no exaggeration!).
But if you really want super-crispiness, just use the batter method in Honey Chicken and the sauce from General Tso’s Chicken!
What to serve with General Tso’s Chicken
Serve on you rice of choice with some greens on the side. For me, Ginger Smashed Cucumber Salad is just the sort of refreshing side I’d serve for a dish like this. Otherwise, any fresh salad, leafy greens or steamed greens with my reliable Asian Sesame Dressing.
For a larger banquet, try adding some extra dishes such as one of these:
Let me know when you’re planning that banquet and I’ll be there in a flash! 😂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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General Tso's Chicken
Ingredients
Sauce/Chicken Marinade:
- 3 tbsp soy sauce - light or all-purpose (NOT dark soy, Note 1)
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (sub white wine vinegar)
- 2 tsp chilli paste , any (Sambal Oelak is great)
- 1 tsp sesame oil toasted preferably (Note 6)
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 3/4 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium
Chicken:
- 600g/ 1.4 lb chicken thighs , boneless skinless, cut into 2.5cm / 1" pieces (breast / tenderloin - Note 2)
- 1 tsp ginger , finely grated
- 1 tsp garlic ,finely grated
- 1 cup cornflour/cornstarch (Note 5)
- 1 - 4 cups oil, for frying (peanut, vegetable or canola; Note 4)
Stir Fry Sauce:
- 2 tbsp oil (peanut, vegetable or canola)
- 2 tsp ginger , finely chopped (Note 3)
- 2 cloves garlic , finely chopped (Note 3)
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes (red pepper flakes)
Garnishes (at least 1 recommended):
- Finely sliced green onion
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Sauce-Marinade: Mix the soy, hoisin, vinegar, chilli and sesame oil.
- Marinate Chicken: Take out 2 tablespoons of Sauce-Marinade and mix with chicken. Add ginger and garlic to chicken, mix, then marinate 30 minutes.
- Dust chicken: Add cornflour into chicken and toss to coat, ensuring pieces are separated so they get fully coated.
- Shake off excess: Tip into a colander and shake to remove excess cornflour (or grab handfuls, shake so cornflour falls through your fingers).
- Finish Sauce: To the remaining Sauce-Marinade (that you made in Step 1), add sugar and cornflour. Mix, then add chicken stock and mix.
- Heat oil: Heat 2 cm / 4/5" oil in a deep skillet (or large pot - whatever you’re comfortable with) to 200°C/390°F. To use less, see Note 4.
- Fry: Cook chicken 3 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towel lined plate.
- New / clean skillet: Discard oil, wipe skillet and return to heat. Or use another large skillet.
- Stir Fry Sauce: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, saute 30 seconds until garlic is light golden. Add Sauce, bring to simmer and stir occasionally until it thickens enough that you can draw a path across pan base.
- Toss! Add chicken, toss to coat quickly - the quicker you are, the crispier the chicken stays! Transfer to serving plate, garnish and serve immediately with your rice of choice.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
He couldn’t believe his eyes when he waddled into the kitchen to find a giant bag of dog food open on the floor…….!!
For those of you who know that I usually feed Dozer a raw food diet – these dog biscuits are special gastrointestinal friendly biscuits after this tummy problems a month or so ago. Just slowly transitioning him back to his normal diet!
I’ve always disliked cooking but since becoming a mum and deciding to stay home, I’ve unwillingly become the cook of our house. It’s not a mantle I wear comfortably or overly happily. Then I discovered YOU Nagi! About mid last year, I tried one of your recipes and was stunned at how week it turned out. Now I plan my dinners almost exclusively using your recipes. I won’t pretend I love cooking now – it’s still a chore – but I have embraced this role more willingly and now enjoy turning out what I feel are restaurant-quality meals.
I’m finally getting around to rating all the recipes that sit in my favourites list.
And I don’t know who General Tso is but damn, this is a great dish!
Thank you Bron! I really appreciate your comments and ratings!! Glad I can help make the chores less painful! N x
I was looking for a protein to serve with an Asian noodle dish that I prepared. My son requested General Tso’s chicken. After searching through several recipes, I settled on this one and am so glad that I did. It was a huge hit and better than take-out! Thank you!
would it be a good idea to double fry the chi ken?
I quickly fried the meat in oil, and then continued cooking a few more minutes in the air fryer. Worked perfectly for crispness! 👌
Thanks for that air fryer tip Ash!! N x
Thanks Nagi for another wonderfully yummy recipe! Definitely making again!
Nagi this was amazing (not that I ever doubted you)! We have never had the dish eating out so I cannot compare the two but there was not a scrap left over. This is not my first Nagi recipe, each and every time something amazing is created. You are my go to place for inspiration and recipes of every kind. Thank you
Love this recipe! Have been making it for a while and this just like what you would get in a restaurant, if not better!
I save the sauce and put it on boiled eggs and such 😋
I have never eaten General Tso’s Chicken at a restaurant (never seen it on Australian menus), so I can’t comment on whether it tasted authentic, but I can say that the whole family loved loved loved it. Served with Nagi’s Smashed Cucumber Salad and brown basmati rice, it was superb.
Another winner!! Thank you Nagi!
Tried a lot of versions but yours is the one I’ve been looking for. This is the best! Thank you so much Nagi
You can also sub rice vinegar with apple cider vinegar
Thanks for that tip! N x
PS: I swapped the chicken for pork loin, cut into small chunks and tenderised using bicarb (as per your sweet & sour pork recipe instructions), and followed the rest of the recipe except for the chicken stock, and it was 👌👌 yum!! The pork was so tender and delicious, the coating crunchy, the sauce Perfect! Thank you!
Hi Nagi
This is so nice, cooked it for my girlfriend and she loved it I can’t wait till all these COVID restriction finish so we can have family visit again and I can cook it for them.
Usually cook if with the dump and bake fried rice easy and so nice.
Thank you so much your recipes all the ones I’ve tried have been delicious and EASY TO FOLLOW.
If I’m looking for something special to make its RECIPE TIN EATS that I go to for inspiration, and you never disappoint
Hi James – so happy that you liked it! N x
Awesome recipe, better than takeaway!
I made this dynamite out of sight amazing recipe on an open campfire in a Dutch oven hanging from a tripod for breakfast this morning and my SOB said…”This is better than takeout and it’s not chewy like it is when you get it from restaurants… Then he said why are we having Chinese food for breakfast…Then he said can I have more…Then he said is this another one of those recipes from that one website you go to that always has the best recipes ever…Then he said why do you call me your SOB…and then I said because you’re my Significant Other Boyfriend, but if you want to marry me now that I know how to cook more things than tacos and spaghetti thanks to Nagi, then I will start calling you H instead of SOB…
This is delicious I’ve made it before however this time I only
Have chicken breast . How long would you say I should deep fry it for ? I loved this recipe I don’t want to let the family down by burning the chicken or drying it out to much .
Hi Melissa…I cover this in Note 2 under the recipe! N x
My husband and I love this recipe! But I recently discovered I’m allergic to wheat, do you have a recommendation for replacing the hoisin sauce? Thanks.
Try sourcing a Tamari based hoisin from an organics store or online…they are gluten free. N x
Now, I normally hate when people change a bunch of stuff and write a review, but here I go… I’ve been craving Chinese take-out, but my breastfed son has a soy allergy, which makes it a no-go. I swapped soy sauce for a kelp based “soy” sauce and used oyster instead of hoisin, everything else the same. Also air fryed at 400 F for about 30 mins. It was delicious! My husband’s fave is general Tso’s and he kept raving about how good it was. Super crunchy, saucy, just yum! The only thing I’ll do differently next time is make larger chunks. Since it takes longer to get crispy in the air fryer, a few small pieces dried out. 10/10 as always, Nagi!
I am lost for words. This was AMAZING! It will be a regular in our house.
Thanks! N x
Came out amazing!!! My boyfriend and I were so impressed, and this recipe had him questioning what meat Chinese restaurants actually use because the chicken thighs are so juicy and tender. 10/10, would make again and would recommend.
Thanks! N x
Last nights gem, Husband and Son raved how good it was. Another winner Nagi Thankyou
Absolutely delicious, even the no longer crunchy reheated leftovers! Really clear instructions and steps and actually quite a simple recipe! I some how forgot to add the mince/grated garlic and ginger to the chicken marinade, I’d have just thrown them in with the sliced ones if you hadn’t warned that the stir-fry ones shouldn’t be grated or they’d likely burn, so two crises were avoided thanks to the thorough instructions!
I also really appreciated the mention of the sub using white wine vinegar, saved me having to figure it out myself 😊
This was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!!!! Thank you for the recipe!