Authentic General Tso's Chicken (Video)

General Tso's Chicken on a plate with white rice.

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

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
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp crushed szechuan chili flakes
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp ginger minced
2 tbsp distilled white vinegar

Cornstarch Slurry

1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Other Ingredients

neutral oil for frying; I used avocado oil
scallions chopped (for garnish)
sesame seeds for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinate your chicken with garlic, ginger, Shaoxing wine, light soy, white pepper, and kosher salt for 30 minutes.
Premix your sauce by combining light soy, sugar, Szechuan chili, and warm chicken stock to help dissolve your sugar.
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.
Fry your chicken at 325F for 3-4 minutes (oil should not come down below 300F, work in batches if needed). Remove chicken and bring oil to 350F; fry a 2nd time at 350F for 2 minutes and set aside.
Over high heat, fry garlic and ginger for 15 seconds; then add your premixed sauce. Stir to combine, then add in vinegar and cornstarch slurry. Stir for 30 seconds or until sauce has thickened and is glossy; add in your chicken and stir in sauce until coated.

Notes

Cut the Chicken into Uniform Pieces - Whether you use chicken breast or thigh, make sure to cut your chicken into uniform pieces to ensure that your Sesame Chicken cooks evenly.

Coat Your Chicken Thoroughly - Individually coat the chicken pieces in the dry seasoning mix so that there are no dry spots. 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.

Monitor the Oil Temperature - Do not let your 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 (AKA SOGGY chicken!)

Rest After Dredging - Once the chicken is dredged in the seasoning mix, let them rest for 10-15 minutes. This helps the batter stick to the chicken when frying!

Pre-mix Your Sauce - The cooking process for the General Tso's Chicken sauce is FAST so it’s a great idea to premix your sauce together, then add it straight into the pan! The corn starch will help thicken the sauce into that velvety texture that Chinese restaurants made so famous.

Success is in the Prep! - For a recipe that comes together extremely quickly, the key to pulling General Tso's Chicken off successfully is having your ingredients prepped and in bowls right next to your wok or pan! Have your premixed sauce, chicken, and vegetables ready and easily accessible during the cooking process.

Double Fry - If you want your General Tso's Chicken to be extra crispy, you can fry for a second time for 1 minute at 350F! I love this technique because it gets the batter of the chicken EXTRA crispy and also allows for batter to stick better to the orange sauce.

Avoid Overcrowding - 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 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. 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