Authentic General Tso’s Chicken (VIDEO)

Ingredients for General Tso’s Chicken

Chicken

• 1 lb chicken thigh, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine – This is one of my favorite Chinese pantry staples. It adds a depth of flavor and complexity to the sauce and truly one of my “secret ingredients” for making restaurant quality Chinese food. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with mirin, sherry, or even chicken broth.
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce – You will need “light” (not “low sodium”) or “all-purpose” soy sauce. Do NOT use dark soy sauce, as it is too intense for a fried rice recipe.
• 1/2 tsp white pepper – I love white pepper and it’s used very commonly in Chinese cooking (another “secret ingredient” for cooking restaurant quality Chinese food at home). It has an earthier flavor than black pepper. I recommend having some in your pantry but if you can’t find it, you can always substitute with black pepper.
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Dry Batter

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour – Combining flour and cornstarch is how you get an addictively crispy and delicious batter. When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color! (It has to do with prevention of gluten development.) 
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder – Baking Powder is one of my favorite tricks in frying foods that still taste light and airy. The baking powder reacts with the oil and creates tiny air bubbles, which helps the outer layer get crispy while keeping it light and airy.
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp white pepper

Sauce

• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup chicken stock – if you don’t have chicken stock on hand, you can substitute with water
• 1 tbsp crushed szechuan chili flakes – if you don’t have this, you can substitute with another chili flakes (ex: Korean chili flakes or crushed red pepper flakes)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar

Cornstarch Slurry

• 1 tbsp cornstarch – Cornstarch slurry is used in a lot of Asian cooking to thicken sauces and soups. A slurry means a mixture of liquid (usually water) and a thickening agent (in this case, cornstarch). TIP: Make sure to re-mix your cornstarch slurry right before using it.
• 1/4 cup water

Other Ingredients

• neutral oil, for frying – My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. The flavor profile does not work with the flavors of Chinese cooking.
• scallions, chopped (for garnish)
• sesame seeds, for garnish

Recipe Instructions for General Tso’s Chicken

1. Marinate the Chicken

Marinate your chicken with garlic, ginger, Shaoxing wine, light soy, white pepper, and kosher salt for 30 minutes.

2. Mix the General Tso’s Chicken Sauce

Premix your sauce by combining light soy, sugar, Szechuan chili, and warm chicken stock to help dissolve your sugar. The warm chicken stock will help dissolve the sugar into the sauce. Otherwise, the sugar may have sunk to the bottom when you pour the sauce in step 5.

3. Mix the Dry Batter for the Chicken

In a large bowl, whisky together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in some of your extra chicken marinade and combine to create craggily bits for extra texture. Coat your chicken pieces well, pressing the dredge in to make sure there are no bald spots.

5. Finish the General Tso’s Chicken

Before you start the final step, make sure you have the garlic and ginger, mixed General Tso’s Chicken sauce, vinegar, and mixed cornstarch slurry. The cooking will be fast so it’s best to have everything within arms reach. Over high heat, fry garlic and ginger for 15 seconds in 2 tablespoons of neutral oil.

Once the aromatics are fragrant, add the premixed General Tso’s sauce. Stir to combine until bubbling, then add in vinegar. We add the vinegar at the very end to preserve the potency of the vinegar. Mix to combine, then add the cornstarch slurry. Stir it in for and you’ll see the sauce thicken up and become glossy (about 30-45 seconds).

Once the General Tso’s Chicken sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, add in the crispy chicken and stir in sauce until coated!

Storage and Reheating

You can store this in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

I like reheat General Tso’s Chicken in the air fryer in order to crisp up the chicken (if you love air fryer recipes – try my Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, or Air Fryer General Tso’s Chicken). When reheating the chicken in the air fryer, the sauce with further caramelize and infuse into the crispy batter! Air fry at 350°F for 6-8 minutes or until warmed through and crispy.

Alternatively, reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. I don’t recommend reheating General Tso’s Chicken (or any fried chicken) in the microwave unless you don’t care about the texture and just want to heat it back up as quickly as possible.

What to Serve with General Tso’s Chicken

In my opinion, General Tso’s Chicken goes perfectly with a rice or noodle dish like my Chicken Fried Rice or Chicken Lo Mein (try my Egg Fried Rice or Panda Express Chow Mein if you want a vegetarian option!). For those making multiple dishes, you can’t forget about the Honey Walnut Shrimp and Beef and Broccoli for a multi-course meal!

If you want to try other chicken Chinese Takeout dishes, try my sticky Sesame Chicken, tangy Sweet and Sour Chicken, classic Orange Chicken, Chicken and Broccoli or String Bean Chicken! If you love the bright citrus of Orange Chicken, you definitely have to try Chinese Lemon Chicken!

Cooking With a Wok (Alternatives)

By now, you know that I LOVE cooking with my carbon steel wok! It is my #1 most recommended kitchen tool, as I believe it is perfect for high-heat cooking and results in restaurant quality Chinese food!

If it is your first time cooking with a wok, make sure to read my “How To Season a Wok” post. There is a video included that shows exactly how to season your brand new wok and how to maintain it so it lasts for years.

If you cannot or do not want to use a wok, you can use a large pan, cast iron, or even a dutch oven.

My KEY TIP would be to avoid crowding your pan – crowding can lead to your General Tso’s Chicken not cooking thoroughly and becoming mushy. If you think your dish will be crowded, use a larger pan, cast iron, or dutch oven, OR cook in batches.

If you tried this General Tso’s Chicken or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!