General Tso's Chicken

Saturday, July 31, 2010
If you're a fan of Asian food like Orange Chicken or Sesame Chicken, this version of General Tso’s Chicken is a Chinese-American dish of fried chicken pieces that are floured and tossed in a spicer tangy sauce.

So many of the Chinese foods you try are similar to this one and in this dish, it’s the sauce that makes each dish different from the rest.

These unique flavors are made up of chili paste, rice wine vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and other blends of Asian flavors using fresh ginger, garlic, and more.

This chicken is bursting with a delicious sticky coating, a tad bit spicy in flavor, and super easy to make at home.

Our version for this Asian meal is a real classic Chinese takeout dish that comes together in 20 minutes on the stovetop, with an outer coating that makes the crispiest chicken served with tender veggies coated in a flavorful homemade sauce.

For printable step-by-step instructions, follow the recipe card below hit print to avoid the ads and adapt away with our basic recipe for the marinades and sauce.









Serving Suggestion Ideas:

  1. white or fried rice
  2. stir-fried vegetables
  3. chow mein
  4. soba noodles
  5. ramen noodles
  6. rice noodles
  7. use frozen medleys of Asian vegetables



Chicken Ideas and Tips

  1. cut into bite-sized pieces or boneless filets
  2. use any parts  of the chicken you prefer (although chicken thighs are recommended)
  3. keep the chicken warm while making the sauce
  4. boneless chicken is always used
  5. for a spicier sauce add some cayenne pepper or hot sauce




Easy to Make Asian General Tso's Chicken


General Tso’s Chicken can sometimes have recipes that are really complicated and with many different breading steps.


We just use an easy cornstarch coating that's seasoned and you can even just add some dry seasoning instead of fresh ginger and granulated garlic to save time.


This Asian-style chicken is a delicious replica and better than mall food just choose the chicken parts you prefer and with a few simple ingredients, you'll be very happy with the outcome and flavors of this version.




Serving Ideas

  • we love to garnish ours with toasted sesame seeds or toasted peanuts
  • drizzle the rice with teriyaki soy sauce or use a sweet duck sauce
  • rice
  • noodles
  • steamed vegetables make great side dishes

General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken

Yield: 6
Author: Claudia Lamascolo
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 50 Min
A spicy Asian dish that everyone loves. Better than takeout or mall food!

Ingredients

  • Marinade for Chicken:
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce.
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar seasoned
  • 2 teaspoons chili paste
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil or use olive oil if you want to
  • 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar.
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
  • 3/4 cup beef broth or chicken
  • Chicken:
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs skin removed
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, finely grated.
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, finely minced
  • 1 cup cornstarch for (dredging the chicken in) add salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of  ground ginger
  • oil for frying (peanut oil or vegetable)
  • Stir Fry Sauce:.
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons ginger finely minced
  • 2 cloves garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (red pepper flakes).
  • Garnishes: finely sliced green onion, chopped parsley, sesame seeds toasted

Instructions

  1. Mix the soy, hoisin, sugar, vinegar, chili paste, and sesame oil.
  2. Marinate the chicken thighs with a few tablespoons of the marinade plus garlic and ginger for around 1 hour.
  3. Add to a pie plate the cornstarch and seasonings and dip the chicken into it to coat evenly.
  4. In a small bowl add the rest of the marinade to it ( beef broth and mix it together setting aside.
  5. Fry the chicken in oil until crispy. Keep it warm while you finish the sauce.
  6. In a large frying pan, add some oil, garlic ginger, and chili flakes, and when the garlic turns golden add all the sauce mixture.
  7. Simmer and add some cornstarch to thicken mixed with water.
  8. Add the fried chicken to the sauce to coat.
  9. Serve with rice or Asian Noodles if you prefer stir-fried rice or stir-fried vegetables.
  10. Garnish with sesame seeds, onion, and parsley.
General Tso's Chicken, Asian food, Chinese mall food, Take out Chinese food recipe
Asian food, Chicken recipes, spicy chicken recipes, Chinese food recipes
Asian


Try Some of Our Other Favorite Asian Recipes



Slow Cooker Chicken and Broccoli


Bourbon Chicken


Mandarin Orange Pork Chops


Easy Fried Rice


17 comments

  1. it's so yummy,claudia,a lot of good ingredients !

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  2. I love lime - sounds like an awesome marinade. Looks delicious too!

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  3. They seem easy to prepare and with a fresh taste, I especially love the sesame lime sauce!

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  4. Did you use any of the pineapple juice for your marinade? We are grill-less for the summer, but can wok it indoors! Thanks.

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  5. Mouthwatering! I love this grilled chicken. And the sesame lime sauce sounds super too.

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  6. I love how fresh this dish looks! What a great way to use all the summer's fresh produce.

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  7. Hey Claudia, this is what I call 'home cookin'! It looks delicious. Ooh, and the photo just made me want to put some rice on the stove...

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  8. Claudia I'm going to make these this week. I love the lime and pineapple combo. Not sure how well the zucchini and squash will go over with the guys. We will see. Thanks for sharing this one!

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  9. The pineapple and lime marinade sounds heavenly! You have the best recipes and this one would not last long in my home. Yummy!

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  10. Hmm lovely chicken with lots of wonderful flavors, a full delicious and well balanced meal!

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  11. My family will go wild over that one, Claudia.

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  12. Lime is an amazing thing indeed!

    Wonderful flavors here!

    Bon appetit~
    =:~)

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  13. Claudia, now you know this is my kind of cooking - sounds yummy and love the marinade, sounds like something right out of my cookbook....

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  14. What lovely flavors:) Fantastic sauce...

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  15. Oh Claudia - lime, pineapple, chicken, marinating - I am going to do this next week. I can taste it. Which means I must make it!

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  16. This is a beautiful recipe, Claudia - I love the combination: lime, chicken, zucchini & rice - I love them separately; combined would be sublime! Stacey

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Remember to use the search option for a recipe you're looking for and thanks for all your kind words and support. We love our readers all the best Claudia