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General Tso Chicken Recipe

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3.9 from 83 reviews

General Tso's Chicken is a popular Chinese-American dish featuring tender, crispy chicken pieces coated in a sticky, sweet, and spicy sauce. This recipe uses boneless chicken thighs or breast, fried to golden perfection and tossed in a flavorful sauce made with soy, hoisin, garlic, and a touch of heat from red pepper flakes. It’s quick to prepare and makes a perfect comfort meal served with rice or steamed vegetables.

Ingredients

Chicken and Coating

  • 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast
  • ¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch
  • 5 thin slices ginger, peeled
  • ½ green onion, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
  • ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds (optional garnish)

Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons regular soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or red chili flakes (double quantity for spicier)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
  • ½ cup cold water

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Chicken: Cut the chicken thighs or breasts into bite-sized pieces. Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with ¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch until the pieces are well coated. This helps achieve a crispy texture when fried.
  2. Make the Sauce: In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and ½ cup cold water. Whisk everything together until the cornstarch is fully dissolved and the sauce is smooth.
  3. Fry the Chicken: Heat ⅓ cup vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ginger slices to infuse the oil with flavor. When the oil is hot, carefully add the coated chicken pieces in batches without overcrowding. Fry each batch for about 4-5 minutes until the chicken is golden and cooked through. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
  4. Cook the Sauce: Remove the ginger slices from the oil. Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the hot skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy, about 2-3 minutes.
  5. Combine Chicken and Sauce: Add the fried chicken pieces into the thickened sauce. Toss well to coat each piece evenly with the sauce.
  6. Garnish and Serve: Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with finely chopped green onion and optional sesame seeds. Serve hot with steamed rice or your favorite side.

Notes

  • For extra crunch, double fry the chicken pieces: fry once until just cooked, drain, then fry again for 1-2 minutes to crisp up.
  • You can adjust the red pepper flakes to control the spice level according to your preference.
  • Vegetable oil or any neutral oil with a high smoke point works best for frying.
  • Use chicken thighs for juicier and more flavorful results; chicken breasts are leaner but can dry out if overcooked.
  • Allow the sauce to thicken fully before adding chicken to ensure proper coating.
  • If you prefer, add steamed broccoli or snap peas for a vegetable side directly tossed with the chicken and sauce.

Find it online: https://recipethrive.com/general-tso-chicken-recipe/