• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
101 Cooking For Two
  • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
  • 📋About
  • ❓FAQs/Help
  • 🛒Shop
  • 📮Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
  • 📋About
  • ❓FAQs/Help
  • 🛒Shop
  • 📮Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
    • 📋About
    • ❓FAQs/Help
    • 🛒Shop
    • 📮Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    🏠Home » Recipes » Chinese Recipes

    Easy General Tso Chicken in 30 Minutes

    May 15, 2022 | Last Updated May 15, 2022 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.43 from 77 votes

    Time for quick and easy Chinese takeout at home. This lighter version of my favorite Chinese dish with a full-flavored sweet and slightly spicy sticky sauce.

    General Tso Chicken on a whte plate

    Table of Contents
    • 🇨🇳What is General Tso's Chicken
    • 🐓Ingredients for General Tso Chicken
    • 👨‍🍳How to Make General Tso Chicken
    • ❓FAQs
    • 🍽️Serving and Storage
    • 📖Chinese Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📖Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    I have worked on this General Tso's Chicken recipe for almost a month which is long for me. Most recipes are easy, but the workflow and the taste of model recipes didn't work for me.

    I started with an American Test Kitchen version that was an absolute disaster. After an hour of hard cooking, I created the biggest mess I have ever made in the kitchen and a meal that went in the garbage—way too much vinegar and poor results overall.

    I went through more recipe trials, and it was starting to get old—too much work, too many odd ingredients, and poor results. Ultimately, I used a Martha Stewart recipe as the inspiration and made it lighter with some hints from other recipes.

    My Rating

    My rating system. Great 5 out of 5

    Yep, a five but a lower five. There is some room for improvement but not much. I will be doing this over and over.

    🇨🇳What is General Tso's Chicken

    General Tso's chicken is generally a sweet and somewhat spicy deep-fried chicken dish served in most North American Chinese restaurants.

    Although it is probably some basis in standard Chinese fare, it is not a traditional Chinese dish. Most likely, what we now know as General Tso’s Chicken originated in New York City in the 1970s, but there are many conflicting claims about who and where.

    Wherever it started, it is now standard fare in almost every North American Chinese restaurant—and has always been one of the most popular dishes.

    🐓Ingredients for General Tso Chicken

    The Chicken

    This is a "lighter" version, so skinless boneless chicken breasts are my choice here, but boneless skinless chicken thighs will work fine. Or chop up some chicken tenders.

    If you use thighs, the cooking temperature should be 180°-185° instead of 165°. This is a texture suggestion. Thighs are safe at 165°, but you will like the texture much better at 180°.

    Coating ingredients

    The chicken is coated with egg white, corn starch, salt, and pepper, then pan-fried. So healthier than deep-frying and more manageable at home. If you don't care about the fat, use the whole egg instead of two egg whites.

    Sauce ingredients

    The sauce is flavored with brown sugar, Hoisin sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, dry ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes.

    The Hoisin sauce provides vinegar flavor for this dish, but you may want to add a small amount of rice wine vinegar. Likewise, garlic is in the Hoisin but add more if you wish.

    Dry ginger is used, but many recipes call for fresh ginger, which I don't usually have on hand. Use 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger for each ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger.

    The red pepper flakes are "to taste." ¼ teaspoon has minimal heat (1/10)  but some pleasant taste. ½ teaspoon is about what you would typically have in a restaurant (3/10), but 1 teaspoon is more for the heat lover (7/10).

    Brown sugar adds sweetness to the sauce, but it can be cut in half without much effect.

    👨‍🍳How to Make General Tso Chicken

    1. Trim two chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.
    2. Coat the chicken with a mixture of egg whites, corn starch, salt, and pepper. Shake off the excess topping before proceeding.
    3. Brown the chicken in a large skillet or wok in hot oil. Turn occasionally and cook to 165°.
    4. While cooking the chicken, mix the sauce of Hoisin sauce, ketchup, and other seasonings.
    5. When the chicken is brown and 165°, remove the chicken from the skillet.
    6. Add the sauce to the hot pan and cook until thickened while whisking continuously.
    7. Add the chicken into the sauce and serve.

    ❓FAQs

    What can I use to substitute for Hoisin sauce?

    You can find a few suggestions, but there is no great substitute in reality. There are many components that make this a unique sauce, and you will not get the desired results with substitutes. Hoisin is commonly available in most markets and is worth buying for this recipe.

    How to adjust the spiciness of the General Tso sauce?

    The red pepper flakes are "to taste." ¼ teaspoon has minimal heat (1/10)  but some pleasant taste. ½ teaspoon is about what you would typically have in a restaurant (3/10), but 1 teaspoon is more for the heat lover (7/10).

    Dried Chinese chilies can be used, like Tien Tsin peppers, but be careful since they can be very hot.

    How do I get the breading to stick better?

    Several hints: first, dry the chicken as much as possible with paper towels before coating. Second, let the coating set on the chicken for 5-10 minutes before cooking. Third, flip gently in the skillet with a fork. And lastly, you can cook the chicken in several batches to not crowd the pan.

    🍽️Serving and Storage

    Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and slices of green onions. Sided dishes of rice and steamed vegetables should be added to complete the meal.

    Store leftovers sealed airtight for four days. I don't expect this to freeze well.

    📖Chinese Recipes

    How to Cook Rice in the Oven

    Easy Fried Rice in 10 Minute

    Easy Chicken Stir Fry

    Easy Crock Pot Cashew Chicken

    Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Chicken Breast Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Chinese Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    raw chicken with General Tso ingredients

    The only "special" thing is Hoisin sauce. I'm now going to stock it in my refrigerator.

    trimmed and cubed raw chicken on white board

    Start by patting dry and trimming two skinless boneless chicken breasts. Then cube into about 1-inch pieces.

    whisking coating ingredients in a white bowl

    Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet or a wok. Whisk together 2 egg whites or one whole egg, corn starch, salt, and pepper.

    coating the chicken with coating mixture in white bowl

    Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Add chicken to the egg mixture and stir to coat.

    Cooked chicken in black skillet

    Shake excess coating off the chicken and add one piece at a time to the hot oil. You can be a perfectionist and half-turning them nicely for 8 to 10 minutes and repeat. OR put them all in and occasionally stir like lazy me for about 12-14 minutes. Be sure the internal temp gets to 165° by checking multiple pieces. Use 180° as your endpoint if using thighs.

    pouring sauce mixture into skillet

    While the chicken is cooking, start the sauce — Whisk corn starch into ½ cup of water. Then add brown sugar, Hoisin sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, dry ginger, and crushed red pepper.

    whisking sauce in pan to thicken

    When the chicken is done, transfer to a bowl and decrease the heat to medium-low. Add the sauce and whisk continuously while boiling until well thickened 2-3 minutes.

    adding cooked chicken into the sauce

    Add the chicken back into the sauce and stir to coat.

    General Tso chicken topped with sesame seeds

    Transfer to the serving dish. Garnish with the toasted sesame seeds and slices of green onion. Serve with sides of rice and steamed vegetables.

    graphic Subscribe to 101 Cooking for Two

    📖Recipe

    General Tso Chicken on a whte plate

    Easy General Tso Chicken in 30 Minutes

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Time for quick and easy Chinese takeout at home. This lighter version of my favorite Chinese dish with a full-flavored sweet and slightly spicy sticky sauce.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.43 from 77 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 4 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts - about 10-12 oz. each.
    • 2 teaspoons oil

    Coating

    • 3 tablespoons corn starch
    • 2 egg whites - or one egg
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoons pepper

    Sauce

    • ½ cup water
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch
    • 3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • ½ cup brown sugar - or less
    • 3 tablespoons ketchup
    • ¼ teaspoon dry ginger
    • ¼ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper - See recipe notes below

    Serving options

    • toasted sesame seeds
    • sliced green onion
    • cooked rice
    • steamed vegetables

    Instructions

    • Start by patting dry and trimming two skinless boneless chicken breasts. Then cube into about 1-inch pieces.
      trimmed and cubed raw chicken on white board
    • Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet or a wok. Whisk together 2 egg whites or one whole egg, corn starch, salt, and pepper.
      whisking coating ingredients in a white bowl
    • Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Add chicken to the egg mixture and stir to coat.
      coating the chicken with coating mixture in white bowl
    • Shake excess coating off the chicken and add one piece at a time to the hot oil. You can be a perfectionist and half-turning them nicely for 8 to 10 minutes and repeat. OR put them all in and occasionally stir like lazy me for about 12-14 minutes. Be sure the internal temp gets to 165° by checking multiple pieces. Use 180° as your endpoint if using thighs.
      Cooked chicken in black skillet
    • While the chicken is cooking, start the sauce — Whisk corn starch into ½ cup of water. Then add brown sugar, Hoisin sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, dry ginger, and crushed red pepper.
      pouring sauce mixture into skillet
    • When the chicken is done, transfer to a bowl and decrease the heat to medium-low. Add the sauce and whisk continuously while boiling until well thickened 2-3 minutes.
      whisking sauce in pan to thicken
    • Add the sauce and whisk continuously while boiling until well thickened 2-3 minutes.
      whisking sauce in pan to thicken
    • Add the chicken back into the sauce and stir to coat.
      adding cooked chicken into the sauce
    • Transfer to the serving dish and top with the toasted sesame seeds. Garnish with slices of green onion and sides of rice and steamed vegetables.
      General Tso chicken topped with sesame seeds
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    My Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. You can use chicken thighs. I feel you should cook to 180° for thighs for better texture. They are safe at 165°.
    2. The Hoisin sauce is needed, and I would not skip it.
    3. The sweetness is on the high side. Decrease the brown sugar if you want.
    4. I used two egg whites to make this "lighter" but use one whole egg if you want.
    5. The red pepper is "to taste". ¼ teaspoon has minimal heat (1/10)  but some nice taste. ½ teaspoon is about what you would normally have in a restaurant (3/10), but 1 teaspoon is more for the heat lover (7/10).
    6. To decrease the sodium, cut out the salt and use low sodium soy sauce.
    7. Good refrigerated for  3 to 4 days. I don't see this freezing well.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories : 269 kcal (13%) | Carbohydrates : 44 g (15%) | Protein : 15 g (30%) | Fat : 4 g (6%) | Saturated Fat : 1 g (5%) | Cholesterol : 37 mg (12%) | Sodium : 958 mg (40%) | Potassium : 334 mg (10%) | Fiber : 1 g (4%) | Sugar : 33 g (37%) | Vitamin A : 149 IU (3%) | Vitamin C : 1 mg (1%) | Calcium : 29 mg (3%) | Iron : 1 mg (6%)
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : Chinese

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor's Note: Originally Published October 17, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

    dogs hanging out

    Originally Published October 17, 2012.

    « Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli
    Easy Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennie

      May 17, 2022 at 6:36 am

      5 stars
      I made this for supper last night. I'd been marinating chicken in buttermilk w/garlic and trying to decide which recipe to use it in. I opted for this and everyone loved it! I added half a zucchini matchsticked and three green onions, chopped, used 1/4 c brown sugar, added a little sesame oil and some garlic powder and served It over fresh pasta. It was excellent and easy. I'll be making it again! Thanks for another great recipe. 😃

      Reply
    2. Carolyn S.

      May 16, 2022 at 11:52 am

      This is an old recipe, BAF - Before Air Fryers. A lot of us have them now. Can you update it to include that option?

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        May 16, 2022 at 12:14 pm

        Hi Carolyn,
        I have seen air fryer versions but I don't see that as a good option here. You could cook the chicken in the air fryer but you need to sauce. To me, an air fryer is an oven and making this in an oven would be harder not easier.
        Dan

    « Older Comments

    Leave a Comment (Policy Link in Footer) Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    DrDan image Hi, I’m DrDan and welcome to 101 Cooking for Two, the home of great everyday recipes with easy-to-follow step-by-step photo instructions. About DrDan

    Popular Recipes

    • Pan Seared Oven Roasted Filet Mignon
    • Pan Seared Oven Baked Chicken Breast
    • Oven Baked Chicken Legs - The Art of Drummies
    • Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
    • How To Cook Sausage in the Oven
    • How to Cook Bacon in the Oven - Step by Step
    • Oven Pulled Pork - Low & Slow Pork Butt
    • Pan Seared Oven Roasted Strip Steak

    kitchen reference sheet graphic wide blue
    graphic of sites that I work with or have had recipes featured or referenced.
    SITES THAT I WORK WITH OR HAVE HAD RECIPES FEATURED OR REFERENCED.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top ↑

    About

    • About DrDan
    • Sign up for Emails
    • Contact
    • The Shop
    • Blog Business and Guest Posts
    • Helpful Links

    Top Content

    • Saved Recipes Collections
    • 101's Best Recipes
    • Recipe Index

    Policies

    • Comment Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Copyright Policy

    Educational

    • Food FAQ
    • Kitchen Reference Sheets
    • Guide To Cooking for Two

    dogs by the pond

    COPYRIGHT © 2010-2022 101 COOKING FOR TWO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | BASED ON FOODIE PRO THEME