General Tso Chicken

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Sweet and Savory General Tso’s Chicken is a family-favorite. This flavorful chicken is served with broccoli or other veggies and filled with the sweet and salty combo everyone loves.

With all the Asian recipes we have on the site it’s no surprise how much we love our Asian food! I think it’s safe to say that it’s my favorite kind of food and my extended family agrees.

What Is General Tso Chicken?

One of our favorite Asian dishes is General Tso’s Chicken. I hadn’t tried it until recently, but it is my new, favorite Asian chicken recipe! I’ve made it a few times since we first tried it, and it is seriously addicting!!

So, what is General Tso chicken? It’s a sweet, deep-fried chicken recipe served mostly in North American Chinese restaurants. It has a bit of a sweet taste and after adding broccoli it makes it so hearty and tasty. It’s also very simple and because it’s so good, you better believe we will be making this often!

Who was General Tso? This chicken dish is named after Zuo Zongtang or Tso Tsung-t’ang. He was a military leader during the Qing dynasty. It’s unclear why this general gets his name associated with this delish meal. In fact, when asked, his descendants hadn’t even heard of the dish!

Is General Tso chicken the same as orange chicken? General Tso’s chicken is different from orange chicken. Orange chicken has more of a sweet and sour tangy taste with orange peel and juice. General Tso’s chicken is spicer with a little bit of sweetness in it. Both are delicious but they definitely have different flavors going on.

Coated in flour and ready for frying!

How to make General Tso Chicken:

To make the General Tso sauce, mix chili sauce, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.

In another bowl, mix flour and cornstarch. In a third bowl, beat egg white and soy sauce. Add chicken to the white white and soy sauce and toss to coat, and then add coated chicken to flour bowl and toss around.

Pour oil in skillet and cook floured chicken for 7-8 minutes or until chicken is cooked and crispy.

Add broccoli to skillet, stirring often and cook until broccoli is softened, then add chili/vinegar sauce to skillet and cook for a few more minutes making sure to coat the broccoli and chicken.

Customize General Tso’s chicken:

• If you like a sweeter sauce add half to one tablespoon of sugar or honey
• For a spicier dish add 5-6 whole dried chilies or you can use red chili flakes.
• Add 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce for an extra layer of flavoring
• Top with sesame seeds

Is General Tso chicken spicy? This recipe for General Tso’s chicken just has a little kick of heat. It’s not too spicy at all. The sweet chili sauce gives it a sweet and spicy taste that is undeniably delicious! You’ll love it.

You could add a teaspoon of ginger and/or a ½ teaspoon of red chili flakes to make it more spicy if that’s what you prefer.

How to store leftover General Tso Chicken:

• Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
• Freezer: For longer storage store in an airtight freezer safe container for 3-4 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in a saute pan. If you’re in a hurry you can also microwave the chicken.

How to freeze General Tso chicken?

This is a super easy dish to freeze. If you have any leftovers, just throw them into a freezer gallon bag or a freezer safe container and keep it in the freezer until you’re ready to eat it. Let it thaw in the fridge when you’re ready to eat and heat up in the microwave. Easy as that!

What to eat General Tso chicken with?

You’ll definitely want to serve General Tso’s chicken on top of a big pile of rice. You could make a rice bowl out of it with white rice or brown rice. We also like to serve it with:

• Fried Rice
• Lettuce Wraps
• Egg Drop Soup
• Fried Egg Rolls

I honestly cannot give this recipe higher praise. It is so good on its own or is even better served with rice or noodles. Most my kids don’t like broccoli just yet, but my little Evie enjoyed this recipe as much as I did. I hope you like it too!

For more Asian chicken recipes, check out:

• Honey Chicken
• Lemon Chicken
• Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken
• Moo Goo Gai Pan
• Kung Pao Chicken

General Tso Chicken Recipe

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5 from 11 votes

Sweet and Savory General Tso's Chicken is a family-favorite. This flavorful chicken is served with broccoli or other veggies and filled with the sweet and salty combo everyone loves.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes

Total Time 12 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 353 kcal

Author Lil' Luna

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 bunch broccoli florets cut into bite size pieces (about 3 cups)
• 2 cups cooked white rice or cooked noodles

Instructions

1. Make general tso sauce by mixing chili sauce, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, mix flour and cornstarch. In a third bowl, beat egg white and soy sauce. Add chicken to the white white and soy sauce and toss to coat, and then add coated chicken to flour bowl and toss around.

3. Pour oil in skillet and cook floured chicken for 7-8 minutes or until chicken is cooked and crispy.
4. Add broccoli to skillet, stirring often and cook until broccoli is softened, then add chili/vinegar sauce to skillet and cook for a few more minutes making sure to coat the broccoli and chicken.
5. Serve over rice or noodles and ENJOY!

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

General Tso Chicken Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 353 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 10g 15%

Saturated Fat 6g 30%

Cholesterol 80mg 27%

Sodium 425mg 18%

Potassium 257mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates 42g 14%

Sugars 10g

Protein 20g 40%

Vitamin A 0.4%

Vitamin C 0.3%

Calcium 1.6%

Iron 7.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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