General Tso’s Chicken is a favorite Chinese food takeout choice that is sweet and slightly spicy with a kick from garlic and ginger.
General Tso’s Chicken was one of my favorite college days late night Chinese food delivery orders. The spicier, zestier less popular cousin to the ever popular Orange Chicken, General Tso’s Chicken is a fantastic option when you’re looking to change up your Chinese food routine.
General Tso’s Chicken can sometimes have recipes that are really complicated and with many different breading steps. I eliminated them going to a simple cornstarch coating, but you can definitely do a thicker typical breading if you would like, like I did in my Orange Chicken recipe. Also, the addition of the hoisin sauce may seem small and you may want to skip it because it isn’t a normal pantry item unless you are used to doing Asian cooking, but the flavor is that specific General Tso’s Chicken flavor that you’ll miss without it.
Looking for some other Chinese food takeout options for dinner? Well aside from the long list of Panda Express menu items on the site, here is a list of delicious meals waiting to be made!
- CPK Kung Pao Chicken Spaghetti
- CPK Thai Chicken Peanut Pasta
- Classic Chow Mein
- Crab Rangoon Pizza with Sweet and Sour Drizzle
- Light Crispy Chinese Chicken Salad
- Korean Ground Beef Egg Rolls
- Garlic Hunan Beef
- Spicy Tangerine Beef with Carrot Ribbons
- PF Chang’s Orange Peel Chicken
Some quick notes about the ingredients in the recipe:
- It can be tempting to swap out items, like white wine vinegar for rice vinegar. Every time you make a substitution it is going to taste less like what you remember ordering out. Rice vinegar is a pretty inexpensive vinegar in the grocery store and an amazing flavor boost for salads as well as many Asian recipes. You won’t regret the purchase.
- Hoisin sauce is one of my favorite (and I really mean favorite) Asian pantry item. It has an awesome depth of flavor and is sometimes referred to as Asian BBQ sauce. You’ll immediately recognize the flavor when you try it and the one bottle will make many delicious dishes. Don’t skip it.
- Sesame seeds, you may see me using them as a garnish on a lot of my Asian dishes, this is because presentation counts. I know you probably think “oh man I’m just tired and ready to eat the second I am done cooking” but believe me when I tell you that a little sprinkling of sesame seeds, chopped chives or even red chili pepper will instantly add flair to your meal.
General Tso's Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken thighs cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- oil for frying
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- For the Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Toss the chicken thighs with the quarter cup of cornstarch and let sit while you mix the sauce ingredients.
- Add the rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, water, sugar and tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk together.
- Add the chicken to a pan with the oil and fry until crispy.
Remove chicken from the pan and drain all but a tablespoon of the oil and add the chili flakes, ginger and garlic.
Cook until you smell the garlic (about 30 seconds).
- Add in the chicken and toss, then add in the sauce.
Stir for about 30 seconds until thickened.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Video
This recipe is absolute perfection! Our kids ask for it at least once a week! We like it spicy so I add a little more pepper flakes but it is certainly not necessary. Thank you for the recipe! You have taken away my fear of cooking Asian cuisine!
Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know. I know a lot of cuisines at first seem intimidating but I’m happy that you decided to give it a try. Opens a whole new world!
I’ve made this a few times and I have to say it is easy and so delicious! Better than take out for sure!!
Made this with tofu didn’t have the hoisin. I thought such a small amount wouldn’t be missed but it’s needing an oomph so i guess that’s what it is. Still good but can’t wait to try again with the hoisin
Excellent!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I experiment with a lot of similar recipes and my 3 co-eaters said this was one of, if not the best one. I don’t love the mess of frying the chicken (I only used 1/4 inch of oil in a deep pot and its still messy) but it is worth it. I didn’t change anything! Thanks!
Hey sabrina,
Never had general tso’s chicken before so thought i’d try it out as i had all the ingredients at home. My 9yo son LOVED it so much he licked the plate clean and wished for more (and of course his wish was granted, gave half my husband’s portions to him). Thanks for this great recipe, will be keeping it!
Absolutely delish! Fast and effortless loved it! Thanks!
I rarely comment on recipes but this one is PERFECT and we love it in my house! Perfect proportions of everything and great instructions. I add a lot more garlic and pepper flakes but that’s just our taste. Highly recommend!!
Yay! Glad to have inspired you to come back and let me know. I appreciate the 5 star rating.
The rice vinegar is way too strong and makes it less appealing.
Yum. Made it according to the recipe. Yummy. I think my frying oil temperature was too low, but the cornstarch breading still crisped up. Thank you for enabling me to enjoy one of my favorites.