General Tso's chicken is sweet, tangy, and mildly spicy. The chicken thighs are cut into bite size pieces, briefly marinated and fried until crispy and perfectly golden brown. It's one of the most popular Chinese takeout dishes and now you can make this at home in 30 minutes!
General Tso's Chicken is inarguably one of the most popular Chinese takeout dishes, if not the most popular! The chicken thigh pieces are lightly batter, double fried so that they are extra crispy, and the chicken are still super juicy on the inside.
The General Tso's sauce that brings the whole dish together is sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy. And if you prefer it spicier or even less spicy, you can easily adjust it by using more or less red pepper flakes.
If you're looking for more recipes to use up your leftover oil, you may also like our tonkatsu (Japanese fried pork cutlet), Taiwanese fried chicken, and Korean corn dog recipe.
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Why is it called General Tso's Chicken
General Tso's Chicken is sometimes also known as "General Tao's" and "General Tsao's." It was named after Zuo Zongtang, a Qing dynasty official, who supposedly loved this dish. Hence why in Chinese, General Tso's Chicken is zuo zong tang ji (左宗棠鸡).
What to eat with General Tso's Chicken
Here are some popular sides to enjoy with General Tso's Chicken:
- Rice of any kind, from white rice to fried rice. Try our egg fried rice or shrimp fried rice!
- Soups, such as wonton soup and egg drop soup
- Steamed veggies like broccoli
- Any noodle dishes like our shrimp lo mein
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs - Chicken thighs will always give your the juiciest and most flavorful chicken.
- Water - Water is mixed with the chicken so that the chicken pieces stays extra juicy even after frying.
- Baking soda - Only a small amount of baking soda is needed. This is to slightly tenderize the chicken and help the chicken absorb and retain moisture better.
- Salt - For marinating/ seasoning the chicken. We used kosher salt, but you can use fine salt as well. Just use a little less if using fine salt.
- Egg - This makes up part of the batter for the chicken. Not only will bind the batter, it also makes the fried batter taste better and give it a nice color.
- Cornstarch - This will make the chicken extra crispy. Plus, the fried chicken pieces will be gluten free! If you are allergic to cornstarch you can substitute with potato starch.
- Oil - Just a small amount of oil is needed. This is to help separate the chicken pieces and create a thin layer of protection to prevent your fried chicken pieces from being greasy.
For the General Tso's sauce:
- Ketchup - This is the base of General Tso's sauce to give it that beautiful red color and the sweet and tangy flavor.
- Water - For diluting the flavor a little.
- Sugar - For sweetening. You can use a little more or less depending on your preference, but it's definitely recommended or the sauce will be too tangy.
- White vinegar - To give the sauce extra tanginess. If you prefer, you could use a little less white vinegar if you don't like the sauce as tangy.
- Soy sauce - This is mostly to make the sauce redder and deeper in color. We used low sodium soy sauce.
- Cornstarch - For thickening the sauce. Besides thickening, cornstarch will also give the sauce a beautiful glossiness.
- Green onion - The whites of the green onion will be stir fried to add more flavor to the sauce, and the green parts can be used for garnish.
- Red pepper flakes - This is to add some spice into the sauce. Feel free to adjust how much red pepper flakes to use, depending on your preferred spice level.
- Whole dry red peppers (optional for garnish)
How to make General Tso's Chicken
For the chicken:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the prepared chicken thighs, water, baking soda, and salt. Vigorously mix until the water is mostly absorbed by the chicken.
2. Once the chicken has mostly absorbed the water, add the eggs and mix until well combined. Following, add the cornstarch and mix until evenly combined and no more dry cornstarch is visible. Finish by adding the oil and mixing until evenly combined. Set aside until ready for frying.
🌟 Pro tip: If you have time, marinate the chicken over night or for a few hours. This will ensure the chicken is well marinated and that the batter doesn't come off. But even if you fry it immediately, the chicken will be just as tasty!
3. In a wok or tall pan, add about 2 to 3 inches of oil. Heat the oil until it reaches 375°F. Try your best to maintain the oil around 375°F.
4. With your hand or your gloved hand, gently place the marinated chicken pieces into the hot oil, one at a time until the there's an even layer. Don't overcrowd the pan and fry in batches if needed!
5. Fry the chicken pieces for about 4 to 5 minutes, then remove the chicken out of the oil to let cool and drain for about 2 to 3 minutes. While frying, make sure to occasionally stir the chicken pieces and break up any pieces that are stuck together. If you need to fry in batches, you can rotate the batches into the second fry.
6. For the second fry, make sure the oil still around 375°F. Add the fried chicken pieces into the oil and let the chicken pieces fry for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oil and let the fried chicken drain on paper towels or a rack. Again, fry in batches if necessary.
For the General Tso's sauce:
1. In a bowl or large measuring cup, combine the ketchup, water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Mix well.
2. In a wok or large pan over medium heat, add a small amount of oil. When the oil is hot, add the white parts of the sliced green onions and stir fry for 10 to 15 seconds or until fragrant. Add the pepper flakes and whole dry peppers and cook for another 5 seconds.
3. Give the prepared sauce a mix and pour it into the wok. Increase the heat to medium high and let the sauce heat until hot and bubbles. Make sure to stir the sauce frequently, especially when the sauce is getting hot so the cornstarch can thicken evenly.
4. Once the sauce has thickened and looks glossy, add the fried chicken pieces and stir and toss until the chicken pieces are evenly and well coated.
5. Serve immediately while hot with white rice or fried rice and garnish the General Tso's Chicken with the green part of the sliced green onion if you wish. Enjoy!
How to make this recipe gluten free
You can easily make our General Tso's Chicken gluten free by substituting the soy sauce in the sauce for a generous pinch of salt. You could even omit the soy sauce altogether if you wish. The soy sauce is mostly used to add a redder, deeper color to the General Tso's sauce.
Recipe tips
- Marinate the chicken overnight or for a few hours if you have the time. This will ensure the chicken is well seasoned and that the batter stays intact on the chicken.
- Try your best to cut the chicken thighs into same size pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Keep the oil temperature around 375°F so that the chicken is fried properly. If the oil temperature is too low, the chicken will be greasy. Too hot, and the chicken may overcook and become dry.
- Break up any chicken pieces that may have become stuck together during the initial frying.
Storage
General Tso's Chicken is best enjoyed soon after making. If you have any leftover, let the chicken cool completely before storing it in an airtight container. It'll stay good for up to 3 to 4 days.
If you plan on make extra, fry the chicken pieces for a couple extra minutes, then let them cool completely before freezing them. Once frozen, you can store them in freezer bags or airtight containers. They will be good for up to 2 to 3 months.
Reheating
Leftover General Tso's Chicken that's already coated with sauce is best reheated in the microwave until hot. Do note that it will not be crispy like when it was just made.
If you made extra fried chicken pieces that are not coated in sauce and froze it, you can defrost it completely to fry or air fry. Frozen chicken pieces can be air fried as well.
To fry, defrosted chicken pieces can be at 375°F for about 5 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
For air frying, both defrosted and frozen ones can be air fried at 400°F. Defrosted chicken takes about 5 to 10 minutes and frozen ones take about 15 to 20 minutes.
What to do with leftover oil
Leftover oil can be reused for cooking or more frying. Transfer the leftover oil into a heatproof bowl, jar, or container. Let the oil cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap or a lid. If you're uncomfortable with handling hot oil, set the oil aside to cool first!
If you plan on reusing the oil again, make sure to strain it through a fine mesh strainer or a couple layers or cheesecloth to remove any debris. Keep the oil in a cool, dark place and use within a couple of weeks.
If you're disposing oil, pour it into a jar or a container that can be sealed. Dispose of it in your trashcan. DO NOT pour it down your drain! It may damage your pipes and also cause damage to the environment!
FAQ
Sesame chicken and General Tso's Chicken are both one of the most popular items at Chinese restaurants. They are quite similar except that sesame chicken has sesame seeds and is usually a little sweeter and not spicy. General Tso's chicken is usually a little tangier and spicy.
Yes, General Tso's Chicken is normally mild to medium spicy. However, you can adjust the heat level to your preference by using more or less red pepper flakes.
If you're allergic to cornstarch, potato starch is a suitable substitution for both the frying and for thickening the sauce.
If you’ve made this recipe or any recipes from our blog, please tag us on Instagram using #twoplaidaprons! You can also tag us in your Instagram stories using @two_plaid_aprons. We would love to see your creations! It absolutely makes our day! 🥰
📖 Recipe
General Tso's Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt (if using fine salt, use a little less)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large egg
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil any neutral oil is fine
For the General Tso's sauce:
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup water
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes more or less to your spice preference
- 1 stalk green onion thinly sliced (green and white part separated)
- 4 piece whole dry chili pepper (optional for garnish)
- Oil as needed for cooking
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken thighs:In a large mixing bowl, combine the prepared chicken thighs, water, baking soda, and salt. Vigorously mix until the water is mostly absorbed by the chicken.
- Once the chicken has mostly absorbed the water, add the eggs and mix until well combined. Following, add the cornstarch and mix until evenly combined and no more dry cornstarch is visible. Finish by adding the oil and mixing until evenly combined.
- Heat the oil:In a wok or tall pan, add about 2 to 3 inches of oil. Heat the oil until it reaches 375°F.
- Prepare the sauce:While the oil is heating up, prepare the General Tso's sauce. In a bowl or large measuring cup, combine the ketchup, water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside. You can also make the sauce ahead of time.
- Fry the chicken:When the oil is heated, maintain the heat around 375°F. With your hand or your gloved hand, gently place the marinated chicken pieces into the hot oil, one at a time until the there's an even layer. Don't overcrowd the pan and fry in batches if needed! Fry the chicken pieces for about 4 to 5 minutes, then remove the chicken out of the oil and let drain for about 2 to 3 minutes. While frying, occasionally stir the chicken pieces and try to break up any pieces that are stuck together.
- Make sure the oil is back at 375°F and add the fried chicken pieces into the oil for a second fry. Let the chicken pieces fry for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oil and let the fried chicken drain on paper towels or a rack.
- Make the sauce:In a wok or large pan over medium heat, add a small amount of oil. Add the white parts of the sliced green onions and stir fry for 10 to 15 seconds or until fragrant. Add the pepper flakes and whole dry peppers and cook for another 5 seconds.
- Give the prepared sauce a mix and pour it into the wok. Increase the heat to medium high and let the sauce heat until hot and bubbles. Make sure to stir the sauce frequently, especially when the sauce is getting hot so the cornstarch can thicken evenly.
- Toss the chicken and serve:Once the sauce has thickened and looks glossy, add the fried chicken pieces and stir and toss until the chicken is evenly and well coated.
- Serve immediately while hot with white rice or fried rice and garnish the General Tso's Chicken with the green part of the sliced green onion if you wish. Enjoy!
Notes
- Try to keep the chicken pieces as similar in size as possible. This ensures that the chicken pieces are all evenly cooked.
- If you have time, you can marinated the chicken ahead of time and let it marinated overnight for even more flavor and to help the batter bind better. But if not, the chicken will still taste just as good!
- Gluten free option - You can easily make this recipe gluten free by substituting the soy sauce with a generous pinch of salt. You can also omit it all together. The soy sauce is mostly so the sauce is redder and has a deeper color.
Lindsay says
This was amazing. The only thing I changed was adding garlic and ginger to the sauce and it was better than take out!