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    🏠Home » Recipes » Chinese Recipes

    General Tso Chicken Recipe

    May 2, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 66 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.44 from 85 votes

    This General Tso Chicken Recipe is a great combination of sweet, spicy, and savory. Ready in 30 minutes, this healthy alternative to takeout only has 269 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.

    General Tso Chicken on a white plate with rice
    Jump To:
    • 👍Why you should try this recipe
    • 🐓Ingredients
    • 👨‍🍳How to Make General Tso Chicken
    • ✔️Tips
    • 🇨🇳What is General Tso Chicken
    • ❓FAQs
    • 🍽️Serving and Storage
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • Recipe
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    👍Why you should try this recipe

    • This version is lighter and healthier but has the same great taste as the full-fat version.
    • It uses stovetop pan frying instead of deep frying, making it home cooking friendly and healthier.
    • It fits low-calorie and low-fat diets. And it can be adapted to be gluten-free (see FAQs).
    • You can have the great taste of Chinese takeout at home in only 30 minutes.

    Adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe as the inspiration and made lighter and easy for the home kitchen.

    For other easy Chinese takeout at home, try these easy recipes Chicken Stir Fry, Crock Pot Cashew Chicken, or Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli.

    🐓Ingredients

    raw chicken with General Tso ingredients
    • Chicken—usually skinless boneless chicken breasts
    • Coating Ingredients—corn starch, egg, salt, pepper
    • General Tso Sauce Ingredients—corn starch, Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, dry ginger, crushed red pepper
    • Serving—toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onion, cooked rice.steamed vegetables

    👨‍🍳How to Make General Tso Chicken

    1. Trim and dry chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.
    2. Make the batter coating of egg, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Coat the chicken and shake off the excess topping. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before cooking, if possible, to improve adhesion.
    3. Brown the chicken in a large skillet or wok in hot oil in one or two batches. Turn occasionally and cook to 165°.
    4. Mix the General Tso sauce with 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 to the sauce and serve.

    This is a summary of the steps. See the recipe card or the step-by-step photo instructions below for full instructions.

    ✔️Tips

    • The Chicken and Coating
      • Skinless boneless chicken breasts are usually used, 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 180-185°.
      • You can use a whole egg instead of two whites. The whites are used to continue the "lighter" theme by decreasing the fat.
    • The General Tso's Sticky Sauce
      • The Hoisin sauce provides a 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. 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 can be cut in half without much effect.

    🇨🇳What is General Tso Chicken

    General Tso 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.

    ❓FAQs

    What can I use to substitute for Hoisin sauce?

    You can find a few suggestions, but there is no great substitute. Many components 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 like Tien Tsin peppers can be used, 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.

    Is General Tso Chicken gluten-free?

    No, but it can be adapted.

    Hoisin sauce is usually thickened with wheat, but gluten-free versions are available. Soy sauce is packed with gluten, but Tamari is a good substitute and is generally gluten-free but read the label. The third issue is ketchup, some have gluten, so read the labels.

    🍽️Serving and Storage

    Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and slices of green onions. For rice, try Cooking Rice in the Oven or Fried Rice in 10 Minutes. Serve with steamed vegetables to complete the meal.

    Store leftovers sealed airtight for four days. It will not freeze well.

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    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, Healthy Recipes, Low Fat Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    trimmed and cubed raw chicken on white board

    Start by trimming two skinless boneless chicken breasts, then cube it into about 1-inch pieces—pat dry with paper towels.

    whisking coating ingredients in a white bowl

    Whisk together 2 egg whites or one whole egg, cornstarch, salt, and pepper.

    coating the chicken with coating mixture in white bowl

    Add chicken to the egg mixture and stir to coat. Shake the excess coating and let set for 5 minutes if you have the time to help the coating adhere better. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet or a wok.

    Cooked chicken in black skillet

    Add the chicken 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 185° as your endpoint if using thighs.

    pouring sauce mixture into skillet

    While the chicken is cooking, start the sauce — Whisk cornstarch 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 it 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.

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    Recipe

    General Tso Chicken on a white plate with rice

    General Tso Chicken Recipe

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    This General Tso Chicken Recipe is a great combination of sweet, spicy, and savory. Ready in 30 minutes, this healthy alternative to takeout only has 269 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.44 from 85 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes 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
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Start by trimming two skinless boneless chicken breasts, then cube it into about 1-inch pieces—pat dry with paper towels.
      trimmed and cubed raw chicken on white board
    • Whisk together 2 egg whites or one whole egg, cornstarch, salt, and pepper..
      whisking coating ingredients in a white bowl
    • Add chicken to the egg mixture and stir to coat. Shake the excess coating and let set for 5 minutes if you have the time to help the coating adhere better. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet or a wok.
      coating the chicken with coating mixture in white bowl
    • Add the chicken 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 185° as your endpoint if using thighs.
      Cooked chicken in black skillet
    • While the chicken is cooking, start the sauce — Whisk cornstarch 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 it 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 chicken back into the sauce and stir to coat.Transfer to the serving dish. Garnish with the toasted sesame seeds and slices of green onion. Serve with 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.

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. You can use chicken thighs but should cook to 180° to 185° for better texture. They are safe at 165°.
    2. The Hoisin sauce is needed, and do 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

    Nutrition Facts
    General Tso Chicken Recipe
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 269 Calories from Fat 36
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 4g6%
    Saturated Fat 1g5%
    Cholesterol 37mg12%
    Sodium 958mg40%
    Potassium 334mg10%
    Carbohydrates 44g15%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 33g37%
    Protein 15g30%
    Vitamin A 149IU3%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 29mg3%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    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.

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    1. Mike Roark

      May 03, 2023 at 5:32 pm

      5 stars
      General Tso chicken is really good. I used dark brown sugar like your picture shows instead of brown sugar like the recipe says. I will probably use dark when I make it again because it really has a lot of positive flavor notes that my wife and I like. I really appreciate the hard work you must put into this article each time and my wife and I love the smaller recipes because we are both 65 and our eating habits have changed drastically over the last few years. Your recipes are easy and the extra work you do with the pictures is really helpful. Thank you for sharing your recipes and your experiences.

      Reply
    2. Debra

      May 03, 2023 at 11:53 am

      I’m inspired to make this with your plain fried rice!
      Have to ask; are your pups from the same litter?
      Love all things dogs and cooking😉
      Also love your improved site!

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        May 03, 2023 at 5:02 pm

        Hi Debra,

        That is a good pairing.

        The girls are littermates so yes, they are sisters.

        Dan

    3. Patti

      February 17, 2023 at 11:29 am

      4 stars
      Just a comment about the ginger. I buy a small stalk of it, usually available in any grocery store or Asian store. I freeze it, in a freezer ziplock bag and then when I want it, I’ll take it out, scrape off the skin for the amount I need, and usually grate it, frequently with garlic, since they always seem to go together. I then put it back in the freezer. I’ve never had a problem with it getting frost bite or anything. It tastes so much better in my opinion.
      I found the difference in flavor when I had a recipe for Skillet Egg Rolls, which I took pieces of another recipe for the pressure cooker for Egg Roll Bowls. The pressure cooker one used dry ginger, but the taste wasn’t good. The skillet one which used all fresh, including garlic, tasted better. So I took bits from one recipe, and bits from another. My way of cooking 😋
      Thanks, love your recipes and your website. And of course the pictures of your doggies.

      Reply
    4. 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
    5. 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

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