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general tso's chicken on top of white rice in a bowl with wooden chopsticks. garnished with sesame seeds and scallions
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5 from 4 votes

General Tso's Chicken

This signature Chinese takeout dish features deep fried chicken thigh pieces coated in a thick, sweet and spicy sauce.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Marinate time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Julie Chiou

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound (454 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
  • Frying oil canola or peanut oil
  • 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

For the batter:

  • ¾ cup (96 g) cornstarch
  • ¼ cup (31 g) all purpose flour
  • ⅔ cup (158 ml) water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground white pepper

For the sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons Shaoxing wine
  • 4 cloves garlic grated or finely minced
  • ½ teaspoon ginger grated

For the slurry:

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water

Garnish:

  • Sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions

Instructions

  • Add cut up chicken to a large bowl then add the ingredients for the batter and using your hands, coat the chicken and allow to sit marinate for at least 2 hours.
    1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, ¾ cup cornstarch, ¼ cup all purpose flour, ⅔ cup water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
    chicken thigh pieces marinating in a flour mixture
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
    3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 ½ tablespoons Shaoxing wine, 4 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon ginger
    a metal whisk whisking ingredients for general tso's sauce in a bowl
  • In another small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the cornstarch slurry and set that aside.
    1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
  • Once the chicken is done marinating, heat a deep wok or pot with oil to 350 °F (177 °C). Fry battered chicken for 5-6 minutes until golden brown. You’ll want to fry in batches so it doesn’t take the temperature of the oil down too fast.
    Frying oil
    frying battered chicken in a large pot of oil
  • Using a metal strainer, scoop out the chicken and allow chicken to drain onto a paper towel lined-plate as you finish the other chicken pieces.
    deep fried chicken pieces on a paper towel-lined plate
  • Next, you will do a double-fry on the chicken. Fry a second time for 4-5 minutes. Allow to drain on a freshly paper towel-lined plate.
  • Remove all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok or pot and set the heat to medium-high. Add the red pepper flakes and toast them, but take care to not burn them!
    1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
    general tso's sauce in a large cast iron skillet
  • Add the sauce you made from earlier and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch slurry and the sauce should thicken almost immediately.
    thickened general tso's sauce in a cast iron skillet
  • Add all the fried chicken to the sauce and toss until everything is evenly coated.
    fried chicken added to the general tso's sauce in a cast iron skillet
  • Garnish with sesame seeds, thinly sliced green onions, and more red pepper flakes.
    Sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions
    general tso's chicken in a cast iron skillet topped with white sesame seeds and fresh scallions

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 333 kcal | Carbohydrates: 43 g | Protein: 24 g | Fat: 5 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g | Trans Fat: 0.02 g | Cholesterol: 108 mg | Sodium: 1435 mg | Potassium: 345 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 10 g

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