Go Back
General Tso's Sauce

General Tso's Chicken Recipe

General Tso's Chicken is a quick skillet meal made with crispy chicken pieces tossed in a sweet and savory sauce.
It is ready in about 30 minutes and tastes just like takeout at home. This is a great dinner for busy nights when you want something flavorful and satisfying without leaving the house.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 386
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb chicken thighs trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup corn starch
  • 1/4 cup extra light olive oil for frying, plus more as needed
  • 2 tbsp minced ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds optional for garnish
General Tso's Sauce
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 4 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch

Equipment

  • Large skillet or wok
  • Mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Tongs or spatula
  • Knife and cutting board

Method
 

  1. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Toss the chicken in batches with cornstarch, shaking off the extra. Place the coated chicken on a platter and set aside.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
  3. Preheat a non stick skillet with the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the chicken in 2 to 3 batches. Sauté until golden on both sides and cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl. Add more oil as needed, leaving at least 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan.
  4. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Sauté for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
  5. Pour the sauce into the skillet and bring it to a simmer while stirring. Let it simmer for about 1 minute to slightly reduce and thicken. Taste the sauce and adjust with more soy sauce or rice vinegar if needed.
  6. Return the chicken to the skillet and toss until fully coated in the sauce. Serve warm, garnished with sesame seeds if desired.

Notes

I tested this recipe using both chicken thighs and chicken breast. While both worked well, thighs stayed noticeably juicier after being coated and simmered in the sauce.
I also experimented with different amounts of sugar and vinegar. Increasing either ingredient quickly threw off the balance, which is why I prefer the current ratio of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors.
For texture, lightly coating the chicken with cornstarch produced better results than using a thick batter because the sauce was able to cling directly to the chicken.