General Tso’s Chicken Recipe
This easy homemade General Tso’s Chicken recipe delivers the perfect combo of crispy fried chicken bites and tangy-sweet sauce, all made in one pan at home.
Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl for tossing chicken
- 1 Skillet or wok for frying and sauce
- 1 Small bowl for mixing sauce
Ingredients
Chicken & Seasoning
- 2 lb chicken thighs trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup corn starch for coating
- ¼ cup extra light olive oil for frying, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoon minced ginger from a 2-inch piece
- 3 cloves garlic or 1 tablespoon grated
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional for garnish
Sauce Base
- ½ cup cold water
- 5 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar or more to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 4 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon corn starch for sauce
Instructions
Instructions
- Toss the chicken pieces with corn starch until fully coated and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and fry the chicken in batches for 4–5 minutes until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cold water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, hoisin sauce, and corn starch to make the sauce.
- Remove excess oil from the skillet leaving 1 tablespoon. Add ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the sauce mixture and simmer for 2–3 minutes until it thickens and coats a spoon.
- Add the fried chicken back into the skillet with the sauce. Cook another 2–3 minutes until hot and well coated.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds if desired and serve hot with rice or vegetables.
Notes
Let leftovers cool fully before storing to maintain texture. Keeps well for 3 days in fridge or freezer for 1 month.