Air Fryer General Tso's Chicken

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5 from 11 votes

Air Fryer General Tso's Chicken

This air fryer version of the classic General Tso's Chicken is an easy weeknight meal without deep frying!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

Ingredients

Chicken

1 lb chicken thigh cut into 2" pieces
4 cloves garlic grated
1 tbsp ginger grated
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 egg white
1 cup potato starch
neutral oil cooking spray I used avocado oil

Sauce

Cornstarch Slurry

1/2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp water

Aromatics

3 cloves garlic chopped
1 tbsp ginger chopped
1 tbsp neutral oil for frying; I used avocado oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut chicken thigh into 2" pieces and marinate with white pepper, salt, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, grated garlic and ginger, and one egg white. Mix thoroughly to ensure the egg white is mixed well with the chicken and marinate for 30 minutes.
Premix your sauce by combining soy sauce, sugar, chicken stock and crushed szechuan chili.
Chop 3 cloves of garlic and 1 tbsp of ginger and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup of potato starch. Lightly the chicken in the potato starch one piece at a time.
Give your air fryer tray a spray with oil, then lay your chicken down on the tray in a single layer. Spray the chicken pieces with your oil spray until coated then air fry at 350F for 10 minutes.
After the first air fry, pull out the chicken and spray again with another coat of oil spray, then fry a 2nd time at 400F for 6 minutes or until the chicken is nice and crispy and reads 165F internal. I would recommend checking the chicken after 2 minutes due to differences in power with different air fryers!
Over high heat, add 1 tbsp of neutral oil and fry your garlic and ginger for 15 seconds, then immediately add your premixed sauce. Stir for a few seconds then add your vinegar and cornstarch slurry. Stir for a few more seconds until the sauce has thickened.
Add back chicken toss to combine. Serve with freshly steamed rice. Enjoy!

Notes

Potato Starch - Potato starch might be hard to find depending where you live (I usually get the Bob's Red Mill kind from Whole Foods) but this is the KEY ingredient. I tested this recipe with different flours and starches, and potato starch was the absolute winner. You get the lightest, crunchiest results every time!

"Double" Air-Fry - The method that resulted in the crispiest chicken was "double frying" in the air fryer - once at a lower temperature for a longer period of time, then at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time. You want to cook the chicken to about 90% done at a lower temperature, to avoid burning the coating. Once almost done, you cook at a higher temperature (with another coat of cooking spray) to get the batter nice and crispy at the very end!

Neutral Oil Cooking Spray - The cooking spray is the only source of oil in Air Fryer General Tso's Chicken, so you will need to be generous with it! You'll want to spray the tray thoroughly to avoid the chicken sticking while cooking, and you'll want to spray the chicken thoroughly to allow the coating to cook nicely (otherwise it will look & taste dry). Don't forget to spray again when cooking for the 2nd time!

Storage - Store any leftover Air Fryer General Tso's Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The chicken will soften and not be crispy anymore - however, I think the leftovers still taste great! Reheat in the microwave until warmed through completely.

Nutrition