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Crispy, craggy chicken tossed in a sticky, sweet, tangy, and spicy sauce makes this homemade General Tso’s chicken recipe every bit as satisfying as the takeout favorite.
I love recreating Chinese takeout favorites at home—there’s something especially satisfying about pulling off a classic restaurant dish in your own kitchen. General Tso’s chicken is particularly worth making yourself because it’s best straight from the pan, when the coating is still crisp. At home, you can toss the chicken with the sweet, tangy, slightly spicy sauce just before serving, so you get all that flavor without sacrificing the crunch.
The recipe moves quickly once you start cooking, so a little organization makes all the difference. While the chicken marinates, you can make the sauce and chop the garlic, scallions, and ginger. That way, everything is ready to go when it’s time to coat and fry the chicken. The whole thing comes together in under an hour; serve it with white or fried rice and steamed broccoli to round out the meal.
“W.O.W. Literally one of the best dinners ever made! A few more steps than I’d normally bother with on a weeknight, but sooooooo worth it!!”
What You’ll Need To Make General Tso’s Chicken
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless thighs stay especially juicy, but chicken breasts or tenderloins work well, too. Whichever you use, cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.
- Egg: Helps the marinade cling to the chicken and gives the coating something to grab onto so it stays put during frying.
- Cornstarch, Flour & Baking Soda: Work together to create a light, craggy coating that fries up crisp. Cornstarch does double duty here, also thickening the sauce so it clings to the chicken.
- Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Sugar & Rice Vinegar: These form the sweet-tangy backbone of the sauce. Be sure to use unseasoned rice vinegar, which doesn’t contain added sugar or salt.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: A little goes a long way, adding a deep, nutty note to the sauce. Look for toasted (Asian) sesame oil rather than the lighter variety.
- Fresh Ginger & Garlic: Give the sauce its fresh, aromatic punch.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Provide the heat that balances the sweetness; adjust the amount depending on how spicy you like your General Tso’s chicken.
- Scallions & Sesame Seeds: The white parts of the scallions cook with the sauce for a mild oniony bite, while the greens and optional sesame seeds finish the dish with freshness, color, and a little crunch.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to Make General Tso’s Chicken
Marinate the chicken and make the sauce: Beat the egg with the sugar and soy sauce, then add the chicken to the bowl and toss until evenly coated. Let it marinate at room temperature while you prep the rest of the recipe. Meanwhile, whisk the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil, and water to make the sauce.
Coat the chicken: Whisk together the cornstarch, flour, and baking soda and sprinkle it over the chicken. Toss until all of the pieces are well coated and separate from one another. Take a moment to break apart any pieces that are stuck together so they’re ready to go individually into the hot oil.
Fry the chicken: Heat about ¼ inch of oil to 350°F, then fry the chicken in batches so the pieces have plenty of room around them. Crowding the pan lowers the oil temperature and can make the coating soggy rather than crisp. Fry until deeply golden and crisp, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.
Finish the dish: Pour off the frying oil and wipe out the skillet, then add a little fresh oil. Cook the ginger, red pepper flakes, garlic, and scallion whites just until fragrant, then pour in the sauce and let it boil until thick and glossy. Add the chicken and toss quickly until every piece is evenly coated, then sprinkle with the scallion greens and sesame seeds.
Serve: Serve right away over rice, while the chicken is still at its crispiest.
Video Tutorial
General Tso’s Chicken
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1½ pounds chicken tenderloins or boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) pieces
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1¼ cups water
For Coating the Chicken
- 1 cup cornstarch
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon baking soda
For Cooking and Serving
- Vegetable oil
- 1½ tablespoons fresh minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- Sesame seeds (optional), for serving
- Rice, for serving
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, beat the egg, soy sauce and sugar. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss until evenly coated. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together. Set aside.
- Coat the chicken: In a medium bowl, whisk the cornstarch, flour, and baking soda. Sprinkle over the chicken/marinade mixture and toss until each piece of meat separates and has a dry, clumpy coating.
- Fry the chicken: In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat about ¼ in (6 mm) of oil to 350°F (175°C). You'll know it's ready when you drop a piece of chicken in, and it sizzles vigorously. Working in three batches so as not to crowd the pan, shallow-fry a third of the coated chicken until golden brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes, turning once midway through cooking and adjusting the heat as needed. Transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Finish the dish: Carefully drain the oil from the pan and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel. Add about 1 tablespoon of oil. Over medium heat, add the ginger, red pepper flakes, garlic, and scallion whites. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds until fragrant; do not brown. Add the sauce, bring it to a boil, and let it cook until thickened and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the crispy chicken, tossing until the sauce fully coats it, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the dark green scallions and sesame seeds, if using, and serve over rice.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
If you love making Chinese takeout favorites at home, try my orange chicken, bourbon chicken, or sweet and sour chicken next. They’re all saucy, sweet-savory chicken dishes with plenty of big flavor.
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Yum! I double fried the chicken (for readers: fry at 350f for three mins, cool batch on wire rack, then fry again for 90 seconds). This was 😙🤌! Thanks for sharing the recipe Chef.
Outstanding!
Made this recipe for dinner tonight and served with your asparagus salad and plain rice. Big hit with my husband and son!
This recipe is excellent! Be sure to let the chicken slightly brown – you need the structure to hold up to the sauce. Also be sure to let the sauce thicken before adding the chicken into it. I rushed the process a bit and the sauce, while delicious, was a bit thin. Totally my fault.
If you have Chinese food lovers in your house – this recipe will undoubtedly be a hit.
Very good. Personally, I would increase the heat level more because we like spice. It would have been a whole lot better if my eye wasn’t stinging so much from splashing it with hot oil like a dummy. Fortunately it was on the outside of the eye. ☹️
Made this tonight, it was a big hit! I lowered the red pepper flakes because the youngest doesn’t really like too spicy but it was still delish!
I’m eager to try this especially to see how the batter turns out and if I can get the chicken crispy. I’ve tried other recipes from top chefs where they double fry, but I always get soggy or too hard chicken regardless. I guess my technique needs work. Your batter recipe is the first I’ve seen to have baking soda. What does the baking soda do for the batter?
Hi Teri, Adding baking soda to the breading for the chicken serves to raise the pH level of the coating, which in turn helps promote a golden brown, crispy, and flavorful crust. Hope that clarifies!
do you have any recommended subs for hoisin sauce? thank you!
Hi Hannah, You could try oyster sauce.
Would this work if you put the chicken in an air fryer instead of deep frying it?
Hi Diane, Unfortunately the chicken really needs to be pan-fried in oil. Sorry!
I had the same question! Or is there another way – could I bake it?
Unfortunately, it wouldn’t work to bake it either — sorry!
Jenn I really am going to try this – it looks so good. There is one question first, can tell me what the make of the pan in the pictures is (if you can) – it looks like one I should have. Thank you.
Hi Patti, It is Caraway nonstick cookware.
thank you Jenn
This looks amazing-
Do you think this would work with shrimp? My daughter doesn’t eat chicken.
Yep!