Authentic General Tso's Chicken (VIDEO)

General Tso's Chicken on a plate with rice and chopsticks.

5 from 10 votes

Authentic General Tso's Chicken (VIDEO)

An authentic General Tso's Chicken should be crispy, sweet, spicy, and slightly tangy, and this recipe delivers! You'll never order from delivery again after you try this deliciously authentic General Tso's Chicken recipe that's better than takeout!

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

Equipment

Wok
Infrared Thermometer for monitoring oil temperature

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

Dry Batter

Sauce

1/4 cup light soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp szechuan chili flakes you can adjust based on your heat preference
1/2 cup chicken stock

Cornstarch Slurry

1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Other Ingredients

1 quart neutral oil for frying; I used avocado oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp ginger minced
2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
scallions chopped (for garnish)
sesame seeds for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add the chicken to a bowl and season with garlic, ginger, Shaoxing wine, light soy, white pepper, and kosher salt. Mix well and let marinate for at least 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and white 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. Keep the chicken in the dredge until ready to fry.
Premix your sauce by combining light soy, sugar, Szechuan chili, and chicken stock. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. In a separate bowl, mix together cornstarch and water to create a slurry.
Add the neutral oil to a large pot or wok and heat over medium high until the oil reaches 325°F. Fry the chicken pieces at 325F for 3-4 minutes (oil should not come down below 300F, work in batches if needed). Remove the chicken and bring the oil to 350F; fry the chicken pieces a 2nd time at 350F for 2 minutes until deep golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken to a plate.
In a large wok, take 2 tbsp of the frying oil over medium high heat, and add the garlic and ginger. Stir fry for 15 seconds, then add the sauce. Turn the heat to high, stirring to combine, then add in the white vinegar and cornstarch slurry. Mix the sauce for 30 seconds or until sauce has thickened and is glossy. Add in the chicken and stir in sauce until well coated, about 1 minute.

Video

Notes

Cut the Chicken into Uniform Pieces and Coat Thoroughly - Whether you use chicken breast or thigh, make sure to cut your chicken into uniform pieces to ensure that the chicken cooks evenly. Be sure to pack the dry mix in to the chicken with your hands (I like squeezing it in) to properly coat the chicken so the batter sticks.

Craggily Texture - To get the crispiest texture on the General Tso's Chicken when frying, you must create craggily bits in the dry batter! I do this by pouring a little bit of the flavorful chicken marinade into the dry batter and rub it together with my hands until small, uneven clumps form.

Monitor the Oil Temperature and Avoid Overcrowding - Do not let the frying oil drop below 325F when frying! I highly recommend you use a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. If you see it dropping below 325F, fry your chicken in batches. Frying at a low temperature will result in too much moisture and result in soggy chicken. 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.

Storage and Reheating

You can store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

I like reheat General Tso's Chicken in the air fryer in order to crisp up the 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 Orange 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.

Nutrition