This recipe for Spicy General Tso Chicken is a delicious and easy way to make this classic Chinese-American dish at home. The chicken is coated in a crispy batter and deep-fried until golden brown, then tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce made with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chili peppers, garlic, and ginger. The result is a dish that is both flavorful and satisfying. This recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal or a casual get-together.
How to Make General Tso Chicken
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Add the broth, sesame oil, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl, and set aside. Combine the cornstarch, garlic, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
In another medium bowl, combine the chicken, garlic, ground black pepper, and one tablespoon of black vinegar and mix well; let it marinate for about 15 minutes.
Once marinated, add the beaten egg to the chicken's bowl and stir to mix well. Add the cornstarch mix and toss to coat the chicken.
Heat a wok over high heat, and when the wok starts to smoke, add the oil. Add a few chicken pieces at once and let the chicken settle in the wok for 1 minute before stir-frying. Fry, turning, until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side.
Remove the chicken from the oil to a paper towel to drain. Discard all but about 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok. Add the dried Sichuan chilies and stir-fry until nearly black. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring until it releases its fragrance, about 15 seconds or so.
Add the sweet sauce mixture, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add the chicken back to the pan and toss to combine. Garnish with sesame seeds or chopped green onion. Serve the General Tso Chicken with white rice. Enjoy!
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📖 Recipe
Easy General Tso Chicken
Ingredients
For marinate:
- 1 lb Chicken breast (cut into 1'' cubes or bite-size pieces)
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
For Sauce:
- 4 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Mushrooms Flavored dark soy sauce or dark soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon black vinegar , rice vinegar, or distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- ½ cup warm water combined with ½ teaspoon knorr granulated chicken flavor bouillon
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For Cooking:
- 4 Garlic cloves , minced
- 1-½ Tablespoons ginger , grated
- 3 Tablespoons Chili oil or canola oil
- 8 whole dried Sichuan chilies whole dried Chile (To taste)
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
For batter:
- 1 large Egg , beaten
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or ground black pepper
Instructions
For the sweet sauce:
- In a medium bowl, add the broth, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes, and set aside.
For the batter:
- In a small bowl, combine the corn starch, garlic, and cayenne pepper, and set aside.
For the Chicken:
- In another medium bowl, combine the chicken, garlic, ground black pepper, and 1 tablespoon black vinegar and mix well; let it marinate for about 15 minutes. Once marinated, add the beaten egg to the chicken's bowl and stir to mix well. Add the cornstarch mix and toss to coat the chicken.
For the stir-fry:
- Heat a wok over high heat, and when the wok starts to smoke, add the oil. Add a few chicken pieces at once and let the chicken settle in the wok for 1 minute before stir-frying. Fry, turning, until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side.
- Remove the chicken from the oil to a paper towel to drain. Discard all but about 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok. Add the dried Sichuan chilies and stir-fry until nearly black. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring until it releases its fragrance, about 15 seconds or so.
- Add the sweet sauce mixture, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add the chicken back to the pan and toss to combine. Garnish with sesame seeds or chopped green onion. Serve the General Tso Chicken with white rice. Enjoy!
Notes
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
