Description
General Tso’s Chicken is a beloved Chinese-American dish featuring crispy chicken thigh pieces coated in a savory, sweet, and tangy sauce with a spicy kick. This recipe balances flavors of soy, hoisin, vinegar, chili, and sesame oil, and achieves its signature crispiness through frying. Perfect for a flavorful dinner served over rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade & Sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (light or all-purpose, NOT dark soy)
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- 2 tsp chili paste (Sambal Oelek preferred)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock/broth
Chicken & Coating
- 600g (1.4 lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2.5cm (1″) pieces
- 1 tsp finely grated ginger
- 1 tsp finely grated garlic
- 1 cup cornflour/cornstarch
Frying & Stir-fry
- 1 – 4 cups oil for frying (peanut, vegetable, or canola oil)
- 2 tbsp oil (peanut, vegetable, or canola)
- 2 tsp finely chopped ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes (red pepper flakes)
Garnish
- Finely sliced green onion
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare Sauce-Marinade: In a bowl, combine soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, chili paste, and toasted sesame oil. Stir well to blend all flavors.
- Marinate Chicken: Remove 2 tablespoons of the prepared sauce-marinade and mix it thoroughly with the chicken pieces. Add 1 tsp grated ginger and 1 tsp grated garlic to the chicken mix. Let this marinate for 30 minutes to absorb flavors.
- Coat Chicken with Cornflour: Add 1 cup of cornflour to the marinated chicken and toss to coat each piece evenly and separately to avoid clumping.
- Shake off Excess Cornflour: Place the coated chicken into a colander and gently shake to remove any excess cornflour. Alternatively, hold handfuls of chicken and shake so excess coating falls through your fingers.
- Finish Sauce: To the remaining marinade from Step 1, add 3 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tbsp cornflour. Mix well, then stir in 3/4 cup chicken stock. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
- Heat Oil for Frying: Pour about 2 cm (4/5 inch) of oil into a deep skillet or pot and heat it to 200°C (390°F). This amount ensures the chicken can fry properly; see notes for using less oil.
- Fry Chicken: Fry the chicken pieces in hot oil for about 3 minutes, turning halfway through, until they become golden and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Prepare for Stir-frying: Discard the frying oil, wipe the skillet clean, and return it to medium heat, or use a separate clean skillet for the sauce stir-fry.
- Stir-fry Sauce: Heat 2 tbsp oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped garlic, ginger, and red chili flakes. Sauté for about 30 seconds or until the garlic turns light golden.
- Simmer Sauce: Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the skillet. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens enough to leave a trail when you drag a spoon along the pan base.
- Toss Chicken: Quickly add the fried chicken pieces to the thickened sauce and toss well to coat evenly. Work swiftly to keep the chicken crispy.
- Serve: Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with finely sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately with your preferred rice.
Notes
- This recipe features a perfect blend of sweet, savory, spicy, and tangy flavors characteristic of Chinese takeout favorites.
- Use light or all-purpose soy sauce for the best flavor—not dark soy sauce.
- To reduce oil usage during frying, shallow-fry in a smaller amount but keep turning chicken frequently for even crispness.
- Toasted sesame oil is preferred for its rich nutty aroma—regular sesame oil can be used but will alter flavor.
- Add the cornflour coating carefully to ensure chicken pieces do not clump and are evenly coated.
- Serve immediately to enjoy the crispiness of the chicken before the sauce softens it.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 465 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 974 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 143 mg
