General Tso’s Chicken

General Tso’s Chicken is a Chinese restaurant favorite. Skip the takeout, homemade is so much better! This easy recipe is lightened up, no deep frying required, but still has those same amazing flavors you love.

The next time those Chinese cravings hit, give our version a try. It’ll be one of your new family favorites!

Chinese food is one of the most popular cuisines in America, and for good reason. Those savory umami flavors, often combined with hints of sweet and spicy, are just too addictive.

Some of our favorite stir fry dishes here on GypsyPlate are our Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef and Ground Turkey Stir Fry.

Now comes this General Tso’s Chicken, which is surely one of the most popular menu items at takeout places across the country!

What is General Tso’s Chicken?

General Tso’s Chicken is a dish where bite sized chicken chunks are fried, then tossed with a sweet and spicy sauce.

Named after the 19th century military leader Zuo Zongtang (General Tso), the exact origins are debated. Both Taiwan and New York claim to be the place where it was invented. In any case, sometime in the 1970’s its popularity rapidly grew, and now it can be found in practically every American Chinese restaurant.

The sauce on it’s own can also be used in other dishes, or as a dipping sauce. Check out our General Tso Sauce recipe, you’ll be using it in all sorts of ways!

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Ingredients

For exact measurements, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Here are the things you need:

• Chicken – Boneless skinless thigh, please. Breast meat tends to become tough and dried out. Cut into bite sized pieces.
• Eggs
• Cornstarch
• Soy sauce
• Pepper
• Garlic
• Sauce – Chicken stock, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, corn starch, red chili flakes.
• Garnishes – Scallions and sesame seeds.

General Tso’s Chicken Recipe

1. Prep chicken: In a bowl, whisk together egg, cornstarch, soy sauce and pepper. Toss the chicken in this mixture.

2. Mix sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together chicken stock, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, corn starch and red chili flakes.

3. Sear chicken: Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add chicken pieces and fry till it becomes golden brown on all sides.

TIP: Do not overcrowd the pan, this will result in the chicken steaming, rather than frying. Cook in batches if needed.

Once the chicken is cooked, add in chopped garlic and cook for a minute or two.

4. Add sauce: Pour in sauce. Simmer for a few minutes till it thickens up.

5. Serve: Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

What to Serve with General Tso’s Chicken

The most common way to serve General Tso’s chicken is with steamed white rice or fried rice.

If you’re like us and sometimes like to go the noodle way, you have to try it with our super easy and super delish Spicy Noodles.

Leftovers and Storage

You can refrigerate leftovers for 4-5 days in an airtight container. Reheat on stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of extra water.

Note that while it will still taste great, the chicken will lose its crispiness.

Make it the best Chinese night yet with this great General Tso’s Chicken recipe. This is a surefire hit dish that the whole family will love to dig in to.

Don’t forget to save or pin this recipe, we’re pretty sure you’ll be coming back to it. And be sure to subscribe to GypsyPlate, we’re always cooking up new recipes for you!

General Tso’s Chicken, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other great stir fry recipes!
Moo Goo Gai Pan
Mie Goreng
Hibachi Chicken
Pork Stir Fry
Yakisoba
Empress Chicken
Tomato Egg Stir Fry
Happy Family

General Tso's Chicken

Yield: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This General Tso's Chicken is an easy weeknight dinner idea, and tastes so much better than takeout!

Print

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup oil, for frying
• 4–5 garlic cloves, chopped

Sauce

• ¾ cup chicken broth or stock
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon red chili flakes

Instructions

1. In a bowl, whisk together egg, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and pepper. Toss the chicken in this mixture.
2. Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce.
3. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add chicken pieces and fry till it becomes golden brown on all sides.
4. Once the chicken is cooked, add in chopped garlic and cook for a minute or two.
5. Pour in sauce. Simmer for a few minutes till it thickens up.
6. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Do not overcrowd the pan, this will result in the chicken steaming, rather than frying. Cook in batches if needed.
• You can refrigerate leftovers for 4-5 days in an airtight container. Reheat on stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of extra water.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 411Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 171mgSodium 1207mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 1gSugar 6gProtein 33g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.