Crispy chicken bites slathered with a sweet, yet spicy sauce that is loaded with flavor. Ready within 25 minutes, this favorite takeout choice can be easily made at home! You’ll save money, which is another great plus. Serve with rice and sesame seeds.
Fun fact: this dish originates from China and was invented by a chef named Peng Chang-Kuei in the 1950s. This dish isn’t that old! This take-out recipe is healthier than the dish you would order at the Chinese restaurant you go to. It’ll also save you money, which is a great bonus. My recipe will have dinner on your table within 30 minutes. All the ingredients are easily accessible in your grocery store. No deep frying is required! You only need to shallow-fry this. You can use your air fryer if you want to completely eliminate the oil.
How to make General Tso’s Chicken
You won’t order this dish from your Chinese restaurant again once you see how easy it is to make at home. Substitutions are possible for this recipe. They will be listed further down. (Full ingredient amounts and complete instructions are available in the recipe card down below).
- Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs are an absolute must for this recipe. They remain juicy when cooking. I find that chicken breasts tend to overcook easily and dry out when frying. If you insist on using chicken breasts or tenders, I will provide instructions on how to keep them from drying out below.
- Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Sesame Oil, and Rice Vinegar: Used for the sauce. Low-sodium soy sauce is best to use because the salt won’t overpower the dish, since regular soy sauce tends to be extremely salty. Use Tamari as a gluten-free substitute.
- Vegetable or Canola Oil: Used for frying. Use avocado oil if you’re looking for less fat. Otherwise, an air fryer is totally suitable!
- Garlic and Ginger: Delicious notes that are required for this recipe! They bring a lot of flavor to the sauce.
- Brown Sugar: For sweetness. Use less if you desire.
- Cornstarch: This is used to coat the chicken so it’ll produce a nice, crispy coat when you fry it. You will also need some for the sauce to thicken it up.
- Red Chili Flakes: For the spice, of course! I used crushed red pepper flakes. You can also opt for chili paste.
Mix together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, brown sugar, a bit of cornstarch, and red chili flakes. Set aside. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes then toss in cornstarch. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet. To test if the oil is hot enough, throw in a pinch of cornstarch. If it bubbles on contact, then it’s ready to fry. Shake off the excess cornstarch from the chicken, then fry in batches until crispy. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Remove the chicken from the pan and drain all but 1 tbsp of oil. Add in the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds, nothing more. Pour in the sauce, whisking until thickened. Pour in a little bit of water if it gets too thick. Add the chicken back in and toss to coat. Top with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve with rice or noodles.
Tips & FAQs
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: The chicken won’t be as crispy, but it’ll still be delicious. Add a bit of water if the sauce thickened too much in the fridge.
- Make Ahead: You can make the sauce ahead of time. Cut the chicken ahead of time, but don’t toss them in cornstarch.
- Variations and Substitutions:
- Make the Chicken in the Air Fryer:
- Instead of tossing the chicken in cornstarch and frying them, add some cornstarch to a plate, and dredge the chicken bites. Transfer the chicken to the air fryer basket (you may need to fry in a few batches), then air fry at 400F for about 12-14 minutes until crispy and brown. Continue the recipe as instructed.
- Using chicken breast or tenders instead of chicken thighs:
- Add 3/4 tsp of baking soda for every 8oz of chicken breast you use. Toss with your fingers to coat as evenly as possible. Refrigerate for 30 minutes for bite-size pieces. Rinse the chicken in a colander to remove the baking soda. Shake the excess water off and pat dry. It doesn’t need to be completely dry.
- Substitute the rice vinegar with white vinegar, but I advise against it. Rice vinegar is super easy to find and inexpensive.
- Use Tamari in place of soy sauce for a gluten-free dish.
- Use toasted sesame oil in place of regular sesame oil.
- Make the Chicken in the Air Fryer:
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
General Tso’s Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, less if preferred
- 1 tsp red chili flakes, less or more if preferred
- Water, optional
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch bite-size pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Vegetable or Canola oil, for frying
Instructions
- Whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp cornstarch, sesame oil, brown sugar, and red chili flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the remaining cornstarch, chicken, salt if desired, and pepper if desired in a Ziploc bag. Shake to coat completely. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. To test if the oil is hot enough, throw in a pinch of cornstarch. If it bubbles and fries on contact, then it’s ready to fry.
- Shake off the excess cornstarch from the chicken and add to the heated oil. Do not overcrowd the skillet; fry in batches if needed. Allow the chicken to fry, undisturbed, flipping once, for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden.
- Drain all but 1 tbsp of the oil. Add in the ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring to prevent it from burning. Pour in the sauce and whisk until thickened. Add a little bit of water if it gets too thick.
- Add in the chicken and toss until completely coated. Serve immediately.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: The chicken won’t be as crispy, but it’ll still be delicious. Add a bit of water if the sauce thickened too much in the fridge.
- Make Ahead: You can make the sauce ahead of time. Cut the chicken ahead of time, but don’t toss them in cornstarch.
Variations and Substitutions:
- Make the Chicken in the Air Fryer:
- Instead of tossing the chicken in cornstarch and frying them, add some cornstarch to a plate, and dredge the chicken bites. Transfer the chicken to the air fryer basket (you may need to fry in a few batches), then air fry at 400F for about 12-14 minutes until crispy and brown. Continue the recipe as instructed.
- Using chicken breast or tenders instead of chicken thighs:
- Add 3/4 tsp of baking soda for every 8oz of chicken breast you use. Toss with your fingers to coat as evenly as possible. Refrigerate for 30 minutes for bite-size pieces. Rinse the chicken in a colander to remove the baking soda. Shake the excess water off and pat dry. It doesn’t need to be completely dry. This is called velveting and is a technique used in Chinese restaurants.
- Substitute the rice vinegar with white vinegar, but I advise against it. Rice vinegar is super easy to find and inexpensive.
- Use Tamari in place of soy sauce for a gluten-free dish.
- Use toasted sesame oil in place of regular sesame oil.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
306.44Fat (grams)
8.83Sat. Fat (grams)
1.54Carbs (grams)
31.64Fiber (grams)
0.89Net carbs
30.78Sugar (grams)
17.87Protein (grams)
23.73Sodium (milligrams)
854.35Cholesterol (grams)
108.21The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
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