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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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My picky family loved this. Thank you
Awesome recipe. Simple to follow. Easy to prep in advance as well. Family loved it! Thank you!
Terrific recipe. My family enjoyed it a lot. I did add a little extra sugar for my taste-sensitive 11 year old, and served his chicken and rice with the sauce drizzled over it. Carrot slices and snap peas served on the side.
Thank you for posting this. Whenever your emails go out, that’s usually when I see recipes from your site and decide to try them. After several successful ones I’ve tried, I really should just dig through the files more. I cooked the General’s Chicken this week and used 1.5X chicken and ingredients. Took a little time as I figured out the best way to time mixing/cooking it all, but oh so worth it. Five people in the house devoured it all over rice. Delicious, and I opted not to add any red pepper due to a spice sensitive daughter. Will definitely be making this again in the future.
Absolutely fantastic recipe, and so much easier than I would have expected too. My extremely picky family declared it better than any takeout they’ve ever had and already want me to make it again.
Delicious! A hit with the whole family!
Hi Jen, I’d like to try this recipe but I really do not like to fry anything. Is it possible to spray this with avocado oil and bake it? If so how long and at what temp? Thank you
Hi Diana, Unfortunately, it won’t work to bake the chicken in this recipe — sorry!
My son in law made this chicken dish for me a few weeks ago. He said, he knew I’d like it and I loved it. I made it tonight for my husband to try. Overall, he dislikes chicken no matter how it’s cooked.
I thought it came out great and tasted delicious. I would definitely make it again; and, to my surprise, my husband loved it. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s a keeper.
Libby Levinson
Outstanding and fabulous recipe!!! No leftovers! Better than any restaurant! Super tasty and came together easily! Thank you Master Chef Jenn!
As always, this recipe did not disappoint. It was excellent. We live in a remote area for part of the year and to get to an average restaurant takes over an hour. When browsing Once Upon a Chef I came across my husbands favorite Chinese dish. The day before he mentioned that he was craving some Chinese food. I ordered all the necessary ingredients online and surprised him. I had a very, very happy husband tonight who mentioned it was crisp just like our restaurant at home and would I please make it again. THANK YOU ONCE UPON A CHEF!
Tried this tonight and got rave reviews! Easy to follow directions and super good!