General Tso’s Chicken is the popular American-Chinese Restaurant food we love to takeout! It’s the sweet coated, deep-fried chicken pieces similar to sesame or orange chicken only a tad spicy! This General Tso’s Chicken Recipe is so easy to make and Better-than-Takeout!
General Tso’s Chicken is one of my favorite Chinese foods to order! Sesame Chicken and Lo Mein noodles are among the others I’d instantly order off a Chinese menu because how can you resist sweet and sticky chicken or chow mein? Many General Tso’s Chicken recipes can be complicated and some call for special sauces you’re likely to only find at an Asian store, but not this recipe! All you need are simple pantry ingredients and soy sauce is the only Asian condiment you’ll need, so skip the hoisin sauce!
My breading calls for flour but cornstarch can be easily swapped out, as I have for this General Tso’s Chicken. The process is broken down into 2 simple steps, breading the chicken and then thickening the sauce with the chicken. I can’t get over how simple the ingredients are for the sauce which is why it out beats all the others! I mean how could you go wrong with sugar, water, vinegar, salt, and soy sauce? Do they not call for easy ingredients? No fancy Asian sauces and similar to Japanese chicken the flavors here are so Takeout-style!
Best over steamed rice or a side of Chicken Lo Mein this General Tso’s chicken is even easier than my Orange Chicken Recipe because you’re seriously using the simplest ingredients to throw it together! Garnish with sesame seeds or green onions and serve with steamed broccoli for a complete Chinese Takeout Dinner, only homemade!
What is General Tso’s Chicken?
General Tso’s Chicken is a sweet and spicy chicken dish popular in Chinese-American Restaurants. Deep-fried chicken pieces are coated in a sweet sauce with a kick of heat from chili pepper flakes. More orange in color than Sesame chicken it does sometimes have whole dried chili peppers right in the sticky sauce at some takeout locations. It’s not as savory in flavor as Sesame chicken but sweeter and often seen served with a side of steamed broccoli, as seen in some Chinese Takeout Restaurants. Sesame chicken is also known to be covered in lots of sesame seeds whereas General Tso’s is often seen without.
Making homemade General Tso’s Chicken is easy so, don’t be discouraged by any complicated recipes that you’ve come across. Homemade is healthier and can save you lots of money in the long run.
This battered chicken dish is typically coated with a sauce and served with a side dish of steamed broccoli or charred bell peppers.
Making a General Tso’s Chicken Recipe at home is so easy! Follow these steps to achieve a 5-star Asian chicken dish at home!
- Make your breading! Season your flour with spices and set aside. (Can use cornstarch for a crispy breading.)
- Cube your chicken into 1-inch chunks, then toss the chicken into flour or a corn starch breading.
- Fry and cook your chicken in batches until golden brown. The chicken will continue to cook in the sauce later.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the pan.
- Now is the time to saute veggies like onion chunks or sweet bell peppers or even fresh garlic, ginger and red chili pepper flakes. Sear veggies until charred looking over high heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove veggies and add the chicken and sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat until sauce reduces in size and thickens (about 12 minutes.)
- The chicken will be coated in a glossy sweet sauce. Serve over rice and the charred veggies (if using.)
Broccoli Side: place a colander of broccoli florets onto the simmering pot of General Tso’s Chicken. Remove after 7 minutes and you’ll have a side of steamed broccoli!
Spices: Intensify the sauce with dried or fresh garlic and ginger.
Can I make it gluten-free?
Yes! This can be gluten-free just substitute cornstarch for the flour.
How to Make Takeout Icon General Tso’s Chicken
FAQ
What is the Chinese chicken called?
What is the white Chinese chicken called?
What is the difference between General Tso and Hunan chicken?
What is restaurant-style Cantonese chicken?
Restaurant-style Cantonese Chicken is a simple and delicious Chinese dinner recipe you will make again and again. Chicken, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, molasses, garlic, onion, chicken stock and cornstarch come together to make this delightfully fragrant dish.
What is a typical chicken & poultry dish?
Here are typical chicken and poultry dishes: General Tso’s chicken: Chicken cubes are coated in cornstarch and deep-fried, cooked with a sauce that includes hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, and chili peppers. Kung pao chicken (Kung pao chi ting): Deep-fried diced chicken and roasted peanuts are used in a spicy dish made with chili peppers.
How do you make Chinese garlic chicken?
Our take on Chinese Garlic Chicken will be ready in less time than order and delivery takes at your favorite restaurant. Whisk together minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and cornstarch until smooth. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat.
What is Chongqing chicken?
Chongqing chicken is a famous Sichuan dish consisting of chicken and chilis. The dish is usually made with chicken on the bone, which is then chopped into small pieces, marinated, and deep-fried. Traditionally, there is almost always more dried red chili peppers in the dish than chicken, nearly covering the meat underneath.