Perfectly crispy coated chicken is tossed in a deliciously sweet and spicy sauce and served with steamed rice. Ready in less than 30 minutes and better than the takeout version, for spicy food lovers General Tso’s Chicken is totally irresistible!
General Tso’s Chicken has been one of America’s most popular Chinese takeout dishes for decades. You’ll find it on practically every Chinese menu in every Chinese restaurant in the U.S.
Its origin goes back to the 1950’s in Taiwan where it was first created by a Hunan chef named Peng Chang-Kuei. He developed this dish in his restaurant and named it after a 19th Hunanese general. While the original dish of the 50’s shares some similarities to today’s version (bold, hot, spicy, heavy, salty), the version we know today that is sold as a popular takeout dish is largely a Chinese-American invention. And a delicious one at that!
Bite-sized pieces of tender chicken are dipped in a coating and fried until perfectly crispy, then tossed in a deliciously sweet and spicy sauce. Steamed broccoli is a popular accompaniment in many takeout places and of course a bed of fragrant steamed rice. For spicy food lovers, General Tso’s Chicken is practically irresistible!
So the next time you’re craving General Tso’s chicken, skip the takeout joint. Not only will this rival your favorite takeout version, it’ll be hot and ready in less than 30 minutes!
Let’s get started!
Combine the sauce ingredients in another bowl until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved and set aside until later.
Place the chicken in a medium-sized mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients together and then pour over the cubed chicken. Stir to thoroughly coat and set aside.
Combine the coating ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
Pick up the chicken pieces and shake off the excess marinade, then dredge the pieces in the cornstarch mixture, evenly coating the pieces and shaking off the excess.
Heat the oil in the deep fryer to 375 degrees F.
Working in batches, deep fry the chicken until the chicken is cooked through, golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes.
Place the chicken on paper towels to drain.
Heat the tablespoon of oil in a wok or large heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the garlic, ginger and red chilies for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the sauce and simmer until thickened, a minute or two.
Add the fried chicken and stir to thoroughly coat. Simmer for a minute until the chicken has absorbed the sauce but is still crispy. Stir in the green onions.
Serve immediately with steamed rice and broccoli (traditional in many takeout places).
Enjoy!
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BEST General Tso's Chicken
Ingredients
- For the Marinade:
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- For the Coating:
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour gluten free: substitute GF flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- For the Sauce:
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 6 small dried red chilies seeded and broken into pieces
- 3 green onions cut into 1 inch pieces
- High heat oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients together and then pour over the cubed chicken. Stir to thoroughly coat and set aside.
- Combine the sauce ingredients and stir until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. Set aside.
- Pick up the chicken pieces and shake off the excess marinade, then dredge the pieces in the cornstarch coating mixture, shaking off the excess.
- Working in batches, deep fry the chicken in oil heated to 375ºF until the chicken is cooked through, golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Place the chicken on paper towels to drain.
- Heat the tablespoon of oil in a wok or large heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the garlic, ginger and red chilies for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the sauce and simmer until thickened. Add the fried chicken and stir to thoroughly coat. Simmer for a minute until the chicken has absorbed the sauce but is still crispy. Stir in the green onions.
- Serve immediately with steamed rice and broccoli (traditional in many takeout places).
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Adina says
This dish looks delicious, it might be worth borrowing the Friteuse from my friend. :)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Homemade take-out is where it’s at!! And you feel so accomplished when everything’s done ;) YUM!
Christie says
Wow does this look good. The chicken looks so crunchy and moist and that sauce is divine.
heather @french press says
this is one of our favorite take-out dishes, and while I don’t love to fry at home, I cannot wait to try it!
Laura says
Learning to make this at home would be nothing short of dangerous lol–although I could add all the broccoli I wanted that way! Well done, this looks wonderful!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
General Tsos is my favorite thing to order, definitely making my own next time! Hoemamde takeout is always so much better!
Erin says
My favorite! I made beef and broccoli for dinner tonight and my kids devoured it. I bet they would LOVE this.
Cathy | Lemon Tree Dwelling says
This looks absolutely amazing! And now I’m craving it!!!!
Erin @ Texanerin Baking says
Interesting that it’s an American thing! I’ve always wondered why that’s not on menus in Germany. And I love that you deep-fried the chicken. Deep-fried chicken is my absolute favorite!
Sarah Walker Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella) says
This is one of my favorite things to order at the Chinese food place. And your homemade version looks amazing.
Andi @ The Weary Chef says
This looks so delish!! I love Chinese takeout! Can’t wait to try this!
Maryanne @ the little epicurean says
Love the step by step photos! I’ll have to try this out next date night in. We love general tsos chicken!
[email protected] says
Perfection! I’ve not made this at home yet and now I’ll totally try it. Looks amazing!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
This looks absolutely perfect! So much better than takeout!
Christina | Christina's Cucina says
LOve, love, love this! What a tasty dish and you’ve made it look so simple! On my “to make” list! ;)
Vicky @ Avocdo Pesto says
Looove making my own take out recipes at home and this is another classic that can be so much healthier and more delicious when made at home : ))
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
Love that this recipe comes together so quickly – and that, when you make it at home, you have total control over what goes in! Fabulous!
Christiane ~ Taking On Magazines says
That really does look JUST like take-out General Tso’s. I’m definitely giving it a try!
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
HOW have I never tried General Tso’s chicken!?! It looks so amazing and I can’t believe how little time it takes! I need to make this!
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says
This recipe makes me want to buy a deep fryer :P The finished General Tso’s Chicken looks SO good.
Karyn @ Pint Sized Baker says
Homemade General Tso’s Chicken sounds amazing!! No more take out for me!
Steph @ Steph in Thyme says
This is restaurant perfection! Skipping the take out next time – bravo!
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
This looks delicious!
Heather | All Roads Lead to the Kitchen says
This is our most requested dish – yours looks just right!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Heather! :)
Candace Nielson says
Made this tonight and it is A++! Better than any takeout we’ve had, we all loved it and my boys left nothing remaining. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Candace, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Danielle says
Just made this and served it with pan fried noodles! This will become a regular meal at my house. The sauce is perfect. Not overly sweet and just enough heat. My fiance was craving chinese take out and this blew him away. We didnt use all the sauce, but we dont like things swimming in sauce. This recipe is fabulous.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s awesome, Danielle, I’m so happy to hear that, thanks so much!
Dan says
Great recipe! I made this for my wife and I and she loved it. Didn’t change a thing! We recently had General Chicken at a very good local restaurant and this recipe was just as good. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s so awesome, Dan, I’m glad to hear it was a hit, thank YOU!
Krista says
Wow! This is a great looking Chinese dish! No more take out!
Erin @ The Speckled Palate says
Huh. I had no idea that General Tso’s Chicken was a Chinese-American creation! You learn something new every day. Pinning this recipe so we can make General Tso’s Chicken, my husband’s favorite takeout order, next time we get the hankering for Chinese!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
It does take a bit of time, but the results are so worth it. Your chicken looks incredible!
Debra A Attinella says
This looks amazing and needs to be on my dinner plate!
Serene @ House of Yumm says
This is always one of the things I order for take out!! I definitely need to try making it on my own now :)
Suzanne says
Made this for my picky family tonight. My son said it was the best Chinese meal I’ve ever prepared….hmmmm, that’s high praise! Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe with great instructions!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s terrific, Suzanne, I’m so glad it was a family hit – thank you!!
Fran G says
Only made one change – one additional tablespoon of sugar, we like it a bit sweeter but it’s still not all that sweet. Very, very good. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s great to hear, Fran – thank you and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Dorothy Brown says
After making this recipe I deleted the one I was previously using. Meant to comment sooner. I’ve made this about three times since I found this. It’s a little more complicated than my other recipe but worth the effort. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Dorothy, thank you so much!
Sadie says
Can Mirin be substituted for the sherry and/or the rice vinegar? And can chili flakes be used instead?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sadie, yes, mirin can be used instead of the rice wine/sherry but not as a substitute for the rice vinegar. Yes, you could use some chili flakes instead.
Nathan Lombough says
THE BEST recipe I’ve tried for General Tso’s (and I’ve tried several). Straightforward recipe, easy to follow instructions, and the result is amazing – DELICIOUS!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Nathan, thanks so much!
James says
It is really good, but lacking slightly from the recipe I am trying to recreate. It is worth fixing again definitely. The best I have had was near where I lived a few years ago at a restaurant called “the double dragon 2” and it surpassed every other by miles. This recipe the chicken is almost exact (I used boneless and skinless chicken thighs as never had this with white meat). But just slightly lacking something. I tried adding some honey and ketchup and it added a few notes, but not quite the exact symphony I wanted.
Lou says
This dish is sooooooo good!I’ve made it a few times now, even with drumsticks one time because they were reaching expiry date. Does it need to be serve immediately thought like you suggest in the recipe? I’ve got a party coming up and I’d love to bring this dish along and keep it in a warmer. Would that be OK?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Lou, thank you! The main reason it’s recommended to serve immediately is so that the breading retains a bit of its crispiness. Otherwise, there’s no problem with keeping it in a warmer and serving it later.
Christine Whittard says
15 minutes prep time. You have te joking!
Nicholas says
Really, really good. An almost perfect replication of one of our favortie local joints.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, thank you, Nicholas!
Matt barrett says
I have been looking for this for 5 years. This is the best recipe I have made. Just added an extra 1\2 teaspoon of cornstarch to the sauce.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Matt, thanks so much!
Jake Norton says
This recipe ROCKS! Seriously the best I’ve tried and beats takeout any day.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Jake, thank you!
Natalie Loftus says
I’ve tried several of your recipes and this one’s another winner. So much better than any takeout version I’ve had. Delicious!
Tammy Worden says
I made this exactly as written and it’s the best recipe I’ve found for General Tso’s. Everyone loved it, thanks for sharing this recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, thanks so much, Tammy!
Renee says
I cooked this last night for 2 friends and it was delicious! The ratios for the sauce are perfect. I sprinkled some sesame seeds on top. The soy sauce is very salty so do not add any extra salt to the recipe. If you like spicier you could probably add some cayenne powder.
I didn’t deep fry the chicken, I just pan fried it with lots of oil so it would crisp up, and turned it often. Then put it on paper towels before it went in the sauce.
You could probably add some orange juice or orange zest to the sauce and make “orange chicken”. The sauce is very good, it gets thick and sticky. I will definitely make this again for friends.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Renee, thank you!
Kerry says
Am I the only one who thinks his recipe is so salty you want to die! Made a huge batch for my family I was very very disappointed no one would eat it!
Cortney Myers says
I use low sodium soy sauce so maybe try that.
Margi says
I have made your General Tso’s several times and it is awesome! Thank you so much. Better than at Chin Chins!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Margi, I’m happy to hear that, thank you!
Cortney Myers says
6 chilis made it way too spicy for my family so when I made it the 2nd time, I only used 3. It was perfect! A fantastic recipe!!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Cortney, I’m glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Christy Snipes says
What is the size of one serving? I know it makes 4 servings, but I wondered the size of the servings, 1 cup?
Nancy says
It was really great! Been searching forever for a General Tso’s Chicken recipe. I finally found it. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nancy, thank you!
Anonymous says
Better than the best general tsos takeout I’ve ever had. Flavors all line up perfect. Good heat, DONT skip on the whole dried res chilis. Hot enough that I blow my nose, not so hot that it takes away from the dish (and I’m Scandinavian. My forte is pickled and fermented foods, not spicy foods). Follow this recipe to the letter.
Linda altom says
Love General Tao’s chicken. The recipe sounded good. Tried it tonight. The only change I made was pepper flakes an I used pork. Turned out very good. Would have been hotter if I had used the peppers. I think the pork is as good as the chicken. Try it and see. Great recipe.
Linda Altom
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Linda! Pork is a great choice and I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you!
Natalie Corina says
The double the sauce for this General Tso Chicken and it was outstanding!!! I will be making this recipe from now on with double sauce. Very tasty even my whole family loved it!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Natalie, I’m so gad it was a hit, thank you!
Tara says
I made this last night, and it is absolutely divine! Totally better than the takeout place I could walk to. Absolutely worth the effort!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s so awesome, Tara, I’m thrilled to hear that, thank you!
Brian Wirduam says
Made this followed the recipe except I did not use corn flour in sauce as the chicken will thicken the sauce added orange zest and peanuts at the end just to give it a twist but very nice
Sylvia says
I love that I can use the same recipe for my vegetarian guests by substituting the chicken with cauliflower florets. That way everyone eats the same delicious meal! Makes cooking for different dietary needs so simple!
I love it both ways!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Sylvia, thank you!
Stephanie says
This was so delicious and tasted just like what we get when we order take out!
Kristyn says
Your pics are making me so hungry!! General Tsos’s is so good! Love how crispy & tender it is!
Kelly Dixon says
Oh this looks delicious! Perfect for summer! Can’t wait to try:)
Sara Welch says
I know what I will be having for dinner tonight; this looks amazing and so flavorful!
Cheryl S says
Great recipe my family asks for time and again.
Chrissie Baker says
This is such a delicious homemade take on a take out classic – I’ve got to try this! It looks incredibly delicious.
Kim Seghers says
Wow! This recipe looks so good. I need to try it. I bet my family would love it. We love anything with chicken.
Vik says
Looks very crispy and tasty, definitely making this for dinner!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
I know what I want for dinner tonight! What a healthy dinner!
Jacque Hooper says
This looks like a restaurant worthy dish, indeed! Delish!
Beth Pierce says
Why order take out when I can make this instead?! Amazingly flavorful!
Melanie Bauer says
This look beyond delicious! Definitely way better than store bought, can’t wait to try!
Chris says
Not heard of this one here in the UK but it’s so similar to Sezchuan Chilli Chicken found on many a Chinese menu it must be the same. Definitely pinned for later use though!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
No doubt it’s very similar, Chris. Probably the same roots with subtle differences in their adaptations.
Alene says
This was delicious! I made it tonight, and my husband and I loved it. I thought it was even better than the many restaurant versions we’ve had. Deep frying is not my favorite thing but I will make it again. Yum, and thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Alene, I’m glad you both enjoyed it! I rarely deep fry either but this is one of those rare exceptions and well worth it :)