What is General Tso’s Chicken
General Tso’s chicken (also known as General Tao’s or Tsao’s chicken) is an iconic Chinese-American takeout of deep-fried chicken coated in a thick sweet sauce. You can also make it spicy for those who like a little kick. This dish is served in all Chinese takeout restaurants here in the States but you won’t find it anywhere in China. This dish was specifically made for the Western palate. And it’s ok because it’s absolutely delicious.
How to Make General Tso’s Chicken
To make General Tso’s chicken, start by cutting chicken thighs into 1-inch cubes. Toss them with a beaten egg then corn starch until evenly coated, and then deep fried. The sauce ingredients are mixed together and set aside to be added later.
In a wok, pan fry minced garlic and ginger in a bit of vegetable oil to bring out their amazing aroma. Add the sauce mixture and heat until the mixture thickens. Add the deep-fried chicken. Give it a quick toss in the sauce and garnish with toasted sesame seeds. Boom. General Tso’s chicken in less than 15 minutes.
My kids absolutely love this chicken recipe. One even proclaimed he can eat this every day without getting sick of it. I highly doubt it but it melts my heart into a puddle of mush.
General Tso’s Chicken Sauce
The sauce for General Tso’s chicken sauce is the perfect blend of sweet, savory, and sometimes spicy flavors. Plus, it’s very simple to make. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine. That’s it. The recipe below makes enough sauce to coat the chicken but not so much that it drowns the chicken and makes them soggy, something I find too common in Chinese takeout restaurants.
Here’s what you will need to make the General Tso sauce:
Chicken stock — The base for the sauce. Any stock will do, including bone broth. If none is available, substitute with water.
Rice vinegar — Provides a nice touch of tang. You can substitute it with regular white vinegar.
Light soy sauce and hoisin sauce — Our two main salty umami flavoring agents.
Sugar — To balance the salty flavors of the hoisin and soy sauce. I’m using granulated cane sugar here, but you can also use brown sugar.
Chili paste or fresh chilies — For a spicy kick. You can omit this if you’re making this for kids or the kid inside of you who can’t tolerate heat.
Sesame oil — Provides a nutty aroma.
Corn starch — Helps to thicken the sauce.
Ginger and garlic — Our typical Asian aromatics that we can’t live without. Don’t put this in the sauce just yet. Leave this out of the sauce so that we can pan-fry ginger and garlic in a little bit of vegetable oil to bring out their aroma.
Make it a Meal
Typically, General Tso’s Chicken is served on a bed of steamed rice. You can also add your favorite steamed or blanched vegetables such as broccoli or bok choy for a more balanced meal.
If you are craving noodles, enjoy General Tso’s chicken with chow mien or soy sauce noodles.
It’s best to serve this immediately to retain the crunch. However, I find that leftover chicken is better the next day as the flavor soaks through. If you don’t mind losing a bit of crispiness in the chicken, double the recipe below for amazing leftovers.
General Tso’s Chicken
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Looking for a popular Chinese-American take-out dish that you can quickly whip up at home instead? Well, here you go! This popular recipe features small chunks of tender, deep-fried chicken coated in a sweet and optional spicy sauce.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken thighs (skinless, boneless)
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1/4 cup corn starch
Sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chili paste or sauce of your choice (optional; I like to use Sambal Oelek)
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Frying and Garnish
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare chicken: Slice chicken into 1″ chunks. In a medium bowl, combine egg and chicken pieces until they are evenly coated. Add corn starch and gently toss until evenly coated, as well.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, chili sauce (optional), and corn starch. Set this mixture aside.
- Deep fry: Add two inches of vegetable oil to a large skillet and heat to 350°F. Deep fry the chicken for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the fried chicken to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil.
- Toast aromatics: Remove all the vegetable oil from the skillet, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Heat the oil on medium-high and add garlic and ginger. Sauté until fragrant (about 20 seconds).
- Combine: Add sauce and let it bubble and thicken (1-2 minutes). Then add the fried chicken and toss until chicken is evenly coated in the sauce.
- Serve: Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds (optional) for garnish.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: side dish, appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese, chinese
