General Tso’s Chicken
General Tso's Chicken is one of the most popular Chinese-American takeout dishes, and this easy homemade version delivers all the same flavors at a fraction of the cost. Crispy pan-fried chicken gets coated in a bold, sticky sauce made with hoisin, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger; ready in about 30 minutes.
Servings: 4
Calories: 745kcal
Recipe Link
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts , cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)
- hot cooked white rice , for serving
General Tso's Sauce:
- 2/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar , packed
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger , or 1 Tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more, to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Make General Tso's Sauce: Add the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk well to combine. Set aside.2/3 cup hoisin sauce, 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Make breading: Add cornstarch, flour, and salt and pepper to a large ziplock bag and shake to combine. Whisk egg whites in a separate bowl.1/2 cup cornstarch, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, salt and freshly ground black pepper, 2 large egg whites
- Coat chicken: Add chicken pieces to the egg whites and toss to coat. Spoon coated chicken pieces into the ziplock bag, allowing excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Shake the bag to coat chicken evenly in the cornstarch mixture.1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Cook chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Once oil is hot, add some of the chicken (it's best to cook the chicken in 2 or 3 batches, so it browns better). Cook the chicken 2-3 minutes on each side, until the coating is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Remove to a plate. Repeat until all of the chicken has cooked, and set aside on a plate.1/2 cup oil
- Add sauce: Add the sauce to the pan and simmer until warm and thickened. Toss the chicken in the sauce just before serving.
- Serve with hot cooked white or brown rice. Garnish with chopped green onions.hot cooked white rice
Video
Notes
Make Ahead Instructions: Make the general tso's sauce up to several days ahead, stored in the fridge. The chicken pieces can be coated a few hours ahead of time, stored in the fridge.
Vegetarian: Sub extra-firm tofu for chicken. Press excess moisture out of the tofu by putting it between paper towels then putting something heavy like a cast-iron skillet on top, leaving it for a few minutes. Proceed as with the chicken.
Air Fryer: Preheat to 400 degrees and after breading, spread chicken pieces evenly so they don't touch, spray with olive oil, and cook for 15 minutes.
Slow Cooker: Mix sauce ingredients together. Prepare the chicken the same, but cook on very high heat for only 1 minute on each side, to brown the coating but not cook the chicken through. Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and add chicken, then pour half of the sauce on top. Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. Stir in the remaining sauce then garnish with chopped green onions.
Gluten-free Adaptations: use gluten-free all-purpose flour, soy sauce, and Hoisin sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 745kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 1743mg | Potassium: 842mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 129IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg
