General Tso’s Chicken Recipe (+ Video)
General Tso’s Chicken Recipe (+ Video)
Sweet and savory General Tso’s Chicken is a family favorite. This delicious chicken is served with broccoli or other vegetables and filled with that sweet-savory combination everyone loves.
With all the Asian recipes on our site, it’s no surprise how much we love Asian food! I think it’s safe to say this is my favorite food and my extended family agrees.
What is General Tso’s Chicken?
One of our favorite Asian dishes is General Tso’s Chicken. I haven’t tried it until recently, but this is my new favorite recipe for Asian chicken! I’ve made it a few times since our first try and it’s so addicting! !
So, what is General Tso’s Chicken? This is a sweet fried chicken recipe served mostly in North American Chinese restaurants. It has a hint of sweetness, and with the addition of broccoli, it becomes so hearty and delicious. It’s also so easy because it’s so good, you better believe we’ll be making this more often!
Who is General Zuo Zongtang? This chicken dish is named after General Tso or General Tso. He was the military leader of the Qing Dynasty. It is unclear why the general’s name was associated with the delicacy. In fact, when asked, his descendants hadn’t even heard of the dish!
Is this chicken the same as orange chicken? General Tso’s Chicken is different from Orange Chicken. The orange chicken has more of a sweet and sour tangy flavor with orange zest and juice. General Tso’s chicken was spicy and a little sweet. Both are delicious, but they definitely have different flavors.
Floured and ready to fry!
General Tso’s chicken recipe:
To make General Tso’s sauce, place the chili paste, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
Coat chicken. In another bowl, combine flour and cornstarch. In a third bowl, beat egg whites and soy sauce. Add the chicken to the white and soy sauce and toss to combine, then add the coated chicken to the floured bowl and toss to combine.
Cook. Pour oil into a skillet and cook flour chicken for 7-8 minutes or until chicken is cooked and crisp.
Add vegetables + sauce. Add the broccoli to the skillet, stirring frequently and cook until the broccoli is tender, then add the chili/vinegar sauce to the skillet and cook for a few more minutes, making sure to coat the broccoli and chicken.
Custom General Tso’s Chicken:
- If you prefer a sweeter sauce, add half to a tablespoon of sugar or honey
- For a spicier dish, add 5-6 dried chilies, or you can use red pepper flakes.
- Add 2 tsp hoisin sauce for an extra layer of seasoning
- put sesame on top
Is General Tso’s chicken spicy? This recipe for General Tso’s Chicken is a little hot. It’s not spicy at all. Sweet and spicy sauce gives it a sweet and spicy taste that is undeniably delicious! you will like it.
If you like, you can add a teaspoon of ginger and/or ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to make it spicier.
storage and service
- refrigeration: Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- refrigerator: For longer storage, store in an airtight freezer safe container for 3-4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the wok. You can also microwave the chicken if you are in a hurry.
What goes with General Tso’s Chicken? You definitely want to serve General Tso’s Chicken on top of a pile of rice. You can make a rice bowl with white or brown rice. We also like to pair with:
Honestly, I cannot give this recipe a higher rating. It’s delicious on its own, or even better with rice or noodles. Most of my kids don’t like broccoli yet, but my little Evie loves this recipe as much as I do. I hope you like it too!
For more Asian chicken recipes, check out:
main course
American food
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total time 12 minutes
Serving Size 4
Calories 353 kcal
by Lil’ Luna
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili paste
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 bunch broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
- 2 cups cooked white rice or cooked noodles
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Combine chili paste, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl to make a regular tso sauce. shelved.
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In another bowl, combine flour and cornstarch. In a third bowl, beat egg whites and soy sauce. Add the chicken to the white and soy sauce and toss to combine, then add the coated chicken to the floured bowl and toss to combine.
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Pour oil into a skillet and cook flour chicken for 7-8 minutes or until chicken is cooked and crisp.
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Add the broccoli to the skillet, stirring frequently and cook until the broccoli is tender, then add the chili/vinegar sauce to the skillet and cook for a few more minutes, making sure to coat the broccoli and chicken.
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Serve with rice or noodles and enjoy!