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General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's chicken is crispy, twice-fried breaded chicken pieces in a deliciously sweet and sticky glaze. This mouthwatering dish delivers a combination of Asian flavors that will knock your chopsticks off! Serve with steamed broccoli and white rice and garnish with sliced green onions.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 6 people
Calories 1178 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Deep Fryer or Large Saucepan For safe and even frying.
  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl For coating the chicken.
  • 1 Wok or Large Skillet Essential for making the sauce.
  • 1 Slotted Spoon or Spider For safely removing chicken from hot oil.
  • 1 Whisk For eggs and cornstarch slurry.

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1 pinch white pepper
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons chopped green onion
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 6 dried whole red chilies
  • 1 strip orange zest
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions
 

  • Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  • Whisk egg in large mixing bowl. Add chicken, salt, sugar, and pepper; mix well. Mix in cornstarch, a little bit at a time, until chicken is well coated. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Working in batches, carefully drop one piece of chicken at a time into the hot oil. Fry until chicken turns golden brown and begins to float, about 3 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and allow to cool as you fry the next batch. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Once all of the chicken has been fried, refry the chicken, starting with the batch that was cooked first. Fry each batch until chicken turns deep golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
  • To make the sauce: Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir in green onion, garlic, whole chiles, and orange zest. Cook and stir until garlic turns golden and chiles brighten, 1 to 2 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Add sugar, soy sauce, chicken broth, peanut oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger; bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in water until dissolved. Stir into the boiling sauce. Return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about 1 minute. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Stir chicken into the boiling sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook until chicken is heated through and has absorbed some of the sauce, about 3 minutes. DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS 

Notes

Ensure uniform chicken pieces for even cooking and frying. Maintain oil temperature between 350-375°F (175-190°C); overcrowding the fryer will drop the temperature, resulting in greasy chicken. Double frying is crucial for the signature crisp texture of General Tso's. For the sauce, toast the aromatics briefly to release their full flavor. Consider grating the orange zest for a more potent citrus note. Thoroughly dissolve cornstarch in cold water before adding to the sauce to prevent lumps. Serve immediately after tossing to preserve crispness.