General Tso’s Chicken
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Learn to make General Tso’s chicken—that oh-so-delicious Chinese-American favorite (similar to orange chicken) with crispy chicken pieces smothered in a sweet, tangy, spicy sauce. It’s completely doable and worth the effort!
While General Tso’s chicken is a popular choice at Chinese restaurants, takeout just never does it justice because the chicken’s crispy texture is best enjoyed fresh from the pan. The good news is that you can easily whip up authentic General Tso’s chicken right in your own kitchen! Not only is it delicious, but there’s also something so satisfying about recreating a restaurant classic at home.
To make the most of your time, prep the sauce and chop the garlic, scallions, and ginger while the chicken marinates for 30 minutes. By the time you’re done, the chicken will be ready for coating and shallow-frying. This General Tso’s chicken recipe delivers delicious, homemade results in under an hour—pair it with white or fried rice and steamed broccoli and dinner is done!
“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
- Egg: Helps the marinade and coating cling to the chicken.
- Soy sauce: Adds savory, salty depth to both the marinade and the sauce.
- Sugar: Brings just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the salty and tangy elements.
- Chicken: Most restaurants use boneless, skinless thighs, but breasts or tenderloins work just as well—go with whatever you like best.
- Hoisin sauce: Adds sweetness, richness, and a hint of spice to the sauce.
- Unseasoned rice vinegar: Brightens up the sauce and keeps the sweetness in check with a touch of tang.
- Cornstarch, flour & baking soda: These work together to give the chicken that light, crispy coating when fried. Cornstarch also helps thicken the sauce.
- Sesame oil: Adds a nutty, toasty note to the sauce. Look for dark, toasted sesame oil (not the light kind, which has little flavor).
- Vegetable oil: Used for frying the chicken and sautéing the aromatics.
- Fresh ginger, red pepper flakes, garlic & scallions: These build the flavor base—spicy, savory, and a little punchy. The white parts of the scallions go into the sauce, and the green parts make a fresh, flavorful garnish.
- Sesame seeds (optional): Sprinkle on at the end for a little nutty crunch and a nice finishing touch.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Marinate the chicken. Begin by making the marinade. In a large bowl, beat the egg with the sugar and soy sauce. Add the to the bowl and toss until evenly coated. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Step 2: Make the sauce. While the chicken marinates, prepare the sauce by mixing the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil, and water in a small bowl.
Step 3: Coat the chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, and baking soda. Sprinkle the coating over the chicken/marinade mixture.
Toss the chicken and cornstarch/flour mixture until each piece of meat separates and has a dry, clumpy coating.
Step 4: Cook the chicken. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat about ¼ inch of oil to 350°F (180°C). You’ll know it’s ready when you drop a piece of chicken in and it sizzles vigorously. Properly heated oil is key to achieving that crisp, golden coating — too cool, and the chicken will turn out greasy; too hot, and it may burn before fully cooking. Working in batches, shallow-fry about a third of the coated chicken at a time, cooking for 4 to 5 minutes until it’s golden brown and crispy.
Transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the oil, and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Step 5: Finish the dish. Carefully drain the oil from the pan and wipe it clean with a paper towel. Add about 1 tablespoon of fresh oil, then set the pan over medium heat. Toss in the ginger, red pepper flakes, garlic, and scallion whites. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant—be careful not to let them brown—and then add the sauce.
Bring the sauce to a boil, and let it cook until thickened and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the crispy chicken to the sauce and toss until it is nicely coated, a few minutes.
Sprinkle with the dark green scallions and sesame seeds and serve over rice. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
More Chinese Recipes You May Like
General Tso's Chicken
Skip the takeout and tackle General Tso’s chicken at home with this flavor-packed recipe!
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-inch 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 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 (see note)
- 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 inch of oil to 350°F. 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.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
- Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately 2 tablespoons of the oil is absorbed into the chicken when frying.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 801
- Fat: 37 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 85 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Sodium: 2,020 mg
- Cholesterol: 117 mg
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.
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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!