4.8 from 269 votes
General Tso’s Chicken
General Tso’s Chicken is bite-sized boneless chicken coated in a crisp cornstarch and flour breading, fried until golden, and tossed in a tangy, sweet, and mildly spicy sauce made with hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. The sauce thickens in the pan to glaze the chicken pieces, delivering balanced flavor and crispy texture that highlights classic takeout-style Chinese-American cuisine.
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings:
4
Calories:
745 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Chinese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cut into small pieces, boneless skinless
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- salt freshly ground
- black pepper freshly ground
- 2 large egg white
- 1/2 cup neutral cooking oil vegetable or canola oil, generic cooking oil
General Tso's Sauce:
- 2/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce low-sodium
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar , packed
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger , or 1 Tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more, to taste, crushed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Make General Tso's Sauce: Add the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
- Make breading: Add cornstarch, flour, and salt and pepper to a large ziplock bag and shake to combine. Whisk egg whites in a separate bowl.
- Coat chicken: Add chicken pieces to the egg whites and toss to coat. Spoon coated chicken pieces into the ziplock bag, allowing excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Shake the bag to coat chicken evenly in the cornstarch mixture.
- Cook chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Once oil is hot, add some of the chicken (it's best to cook the chicken in 2 or 3 batches, so it browns better). Cook the chicken 2-3 minutes on each side, until the coating is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Remove to a plate. Repeat until all of the chicken has cooked, and set aside on a plate.
- Add sauce: Add the sauce to the pan and simmer until warm and thickened. Toss the chicken in the sauce just before serving.
- Serve with hot cooked white or brown rice. Garnish with chopped green onions.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- For a vegetarian alternative, press excess moisture out of extra-firm tofu before breading and cooking.
- Air fryer method: preheat to 400°F, spread breaded chicken pieces separately, spray with olive oil, cook 15 minutes.
- Slow cooker option: brown chicken on high heat briefly, add half sauce, cook on low 2-3 hours, then stir in remaining sauce and garnish.
- To make gluten-free, replace flour, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce with gluten-free versions.
Nutrition Information
Calories
745kcal
(37%)
Carbohydrates
63g
(21%)
Protein
43g
(86%)
Fat
34g
(52%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
9g
(53%)
Monounsaturated Fat
20g
(100%)
Trans Fat
0.1g
(5%)
Cholesterol
110mg
(37%)
Sodium
1743mg
(73%)
Potassium
842mg
(18%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
26g
(52%)
Vitamin A
129IU
(3%)
Vitamin C
3mg
(3%)
Calcium
52mg
(5%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 745
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 745kcal | 37% |
| Carbohydrates | 63g | 21% |
| Protein | 43g | 86% |
| Fat | 34g | 52% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 9g | 53% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 20g | 100% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 110mg | 37% |
| Sodium | 1743mg | 73% |
| Potassium | 842mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 26g | 52% |
| Vitamin A | 129IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 52mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.