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5.0 from 24 votes

General Tso's Chicken

The most requested Chinese take out menu option in America is General Tso's chicken. An easy meal to make, it's a recipe with lightly coated chicken in a thick, sweet sauce.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 561 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

For the chicken:
  • 2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs trimmed and cut in bite size pieces
  • 3/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • oil for frying sesame oil or vegetable oil
For the sauce:
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar*
  • 3/4 cup water**
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more for extra spice)
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ginger paste
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl. 2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
  2. Mix the cornstarch, salt, ginger, garlic powder and pepper in a small bowl. Then add this to the chicken and mix well to combine, completely covering the chicken. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes while the oil heats. 3/4 cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  3. Add a 1/2 inch of oil to a frying pan and warm it over medium high heat. oil for frying
  4. When the oil is hot, in 2 batches, shake the excess flour off of the chicken and fry chicken until the outside is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (165ºF). Remove the chicken from the frying pan and place on a wire rack (with paper towels underneath) so that it stays crisp. Repeat with the second batch of chicken.
  5. Wipe out the pan you fried the chicken in and allow it to cool off slightly.
  6. In a large bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients. ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar*, 3/4 cup water**, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, "2" uid="15"], 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon fresh ginger paste, ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  7. Pour the sauce into the frying pan and place over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Watch it closely so it doesn't burn. Once it starts to thicken it will thicken quickly.
  8. Add in the chicken. Toss to coat and heat through. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

Notes

  • *There are different strengths of vinegar. The bottle should read diluted to 4.1% acidity.
  • iluted to 4.1% acidity.
  • **You can also use chicken broth in place of water, but if you do, I recommend unsalted chicken broth.
  • Use boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs in this recipe.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 6, with 1 serving being 1/6 of the recipe. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition Information

Calories 561kcal (28%) Carbohydrates 32g (11%) Protein 32g (64%) Fat 33g (51%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 7g Monounsaturated Fat 14g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 185mg (62%) Sodium 985mg (41%) Potassium 441mg (13%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 13g (26%) Vitamin A 248IU (5%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 31mg (3%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 561

% Daily Value*

Calories 561kcal 28%
Carbohydrates 32g 11%
Protein 32g 64%
Fat 33g 51%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Polyunsaturated Fat 7g 41%
Monounsaturated Fat 14g 70%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 185mg 62%
Sodium 985mg 41%
Potassium 441mg 9%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 13g 26%
Vitamin A 248IU 5%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 31mg 3%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.