General Tso’s Chicken Recipe
General Tso’s Chicken is saucy, juicy and crispy. The signature sauce is thick and loaded with flavor. If you are a die-hard orange chicken fan, you must try this dish! Make it all in one dish in the comfort of your home for a sweet and spicy treat!
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Hi there! My name is Natalya and I run the blog Momsdish. If you already follow me, you know I can’t get enough of easy meals that require simple ingredients. My family loves ordering in Chinese takeout, but lately, I’ve been having a blast recreating my favorite dishes at home.
Not only is homemade “takeout” healthier, but you’ll save money. That’s a win-win in my book. Let’s get started!
General Tso’s Chicken
General Tso’s Chicken is a Chinese-American dish of fried chicken pieces that are breaded and tossed in a tangy sauce. This dish is very similar in style to sesame or orange chicken. But, like in much of Chinese food, it’s the sauce that makes each dish unique.
Typically, General Tso’s Chicken is served with a bed of steamed rice and a side of steamed broccoli. If you want to make a full spread of takeout favorites, try your hand at making some chow mein too. Don’t forget the chopsticks!
How to Make General Tso’s Sauce:
The sauce for General Tso’s chicken is so simple to make with pantry staple ingredients: rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, water, sugar, and some corn starch to thicken the sauce. Simply add the ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.
How to Prepare General Tso’s Chicken
Don’t be intimidated about making your own General Tso’s Chicken! It’s so easy, you’ll never call it in again. Follow these easy steps to nail it every time:
- Cut chicken into 1-inch size cubes. Toss the chicken with corn starch.
- Cook your chicken until all sides are golden brown.
- Remove the chicken from the pan.
- Saute garlic, ginger and pepper flakes in the pan.
- Add the sauce and bring to a simmer then add chicken.
- Toss the chicken, making sure to evenly coat each piece. Serve hot to hungry people!
Tips for the Best Tso’s Chicken
- Prepare ingredients ahead of time. This recipe will have you moving fast. Prep all your ingredients ahead of time so you can add them on the fly.
- Adjust the Spice. Add more or less red pepper flakes according to your spice preference.
- Use Fresh Ginger and Garlic. It might be tempting to use the powdered stuff, but great Chinese food is defined by the freshest ingredients.
- Opt for Low Sodium Soy Sauce. I always purchase low-sodium soy sauce just in case I want to tweak the salt levels before serving. It’s just perfect for this recipe, as it also calls for hoisin, a salty, and garlicky sauce used frequently in Chinese cooking.
- Chicken Thighs Bring the Most Flavor. Chicken thighs make for the juiciest pan-fried chicken. I find chicken breast tends to be too dry for this recipe.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan. Cook chicken in small amounts or use a very large pan. Be sure to give the chicken a good stir here and there to prevent it from sticking.
- Use a non-stick pan. The coating can be a bit delicate, so use a non-stick to ensure it stays intact.
- Hot Tip: Serve and enjoy General Tso’s Chicken immediately. The sauce tends to absorb into the crispy outer layer, leaving it a bit soggy if it sits around too long.
More Asian-Inspired Dishes:
- Beef Stir Fry: This simple stir fry is perfect for a hectic weeknight with a sneakily high serving of veggies.
- Chicken Stir Fry – easy, saucy and loaded with veggies and cashews
- Chicken Fried Rice – a genius way to use up leftover rice and frozen vegetables
- Yakisoba Noodles: This quick-and-easy noodle dish is always on my rotation.
- Lo Mein: Your vegetarian friends will love you. These noodles are great hot or cold.
General Tso’s Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 1/4 cup extra light olive oil, for frying, plus more as needed
- 2 tbsp minced ginger, from a 2-inch piece of ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, or 1 Tbsp grated or finely minced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or added to taste
- 1 tsp sesame seeds, optional for garnish
General Tso's Sauce
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar, or more to taste
- 1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Toss chicken in batches with cornstarch, tapping off the excess. Set dredged chicken on a platter and set aside.
- In a separate dish, combine all the ingredients for your sauce and whisk to combine.
- Preheat a non-stick skillet with oil. Cook chicken in 2 to 3 batches, sauteeing until golden on both sides and cooked through then remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more oil as needed. Leave at least 1 Tbsp oil in the pan.
- Add the garlic, ginger and pepper flakes. Sautee for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the sauce to the skillet and bring it to a simmer while stirring. Let it simmer for 1 minute to cook off the vinegar a little. Taste the sauce and add more soy sauce or rice vinegar to taste if desired. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Serve garnished with sesame seeds if desired.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natalya Drozhzhin
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi Natasha! Just wondering if you think this recipe would still work with chicken breast instead of thighs. Thanks!
Hi Livia! Yes- it will work, it just will be more dry since chicken breast is leaner.
This recipe is fantastic, but I prefer the version that came before it was updated at some point! I was thought I was going insane when I was mixing the sauce and none of the proportions seemed to match up to the memories of making this recipe dozens of times in the past.
Keep up the amazing cooking, Kitchen Staff!
Thank you for sharing. Glad you like it!
Made this for first time tonight. Response: You hit this one out of the ballpark!
Thx for the recipe. I followed it to a T. Said 8 servings. We got 3 servings 😂
I’m so glad it was a hit!
Holy Cow! Like I legit can not believe how incredible this is, and can’t believe how easy it was to make! I am beyond impressed! THANK YOU!
That’s great to hear, Alissa! Thank you for the feedback.
Its very good. I didn’t have freshginger, so I used powered. I added red pepper and broccoli to mine, served over rice.
Sounds delicious!
I made this for my family last night. My son said it was just as good or better than the General Tso’s from a restaurant! It was not difficult to make and I will definitely make this again!
So glad to hear that! Thank you for the feedback.
I made this recipe for dinner. I added only 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes because my sister wouldn’t eat if it was too spicy. It was easy to follow. It was better than takeout. We all enjoyed this recipe. Thank you.
I actually had some tsang’s tso sauce so I used that, but I followed the rest of the recipe. I’ll use less ginger next time but it was pretty darn good. I served it with white rice mixed with broccoli, red bell peppers, carrots and white onion. Family loved it.
Hi Vee, thanks for sharing. I’m glad to hear that you and your family loved it!
Made it as written, or at least as close as I could manage, and my mom loved it. I did substitute garlic and ginger pastes (in the little tubes), because it was what I had on hand. I also used some grilled chicken strips, steamed some frozen stir-fry veggies, and mixed it all up. Didn’t have any rice to serve with it, but if I did, it would have definitely made a complete meal. My mom was delighted that it wasn’t as sweet as it usually is when ordered at chinese restaurants, and she’s asked me to make up more sauce for her so she can try freezing it. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
You’re very welcome! I’m glad it was enjoyed.
Such a great recipe and dinner! The directions are clear and everything came together quickly. I think this is better than my local establishment. I’d leave a picture if I could. Thanks for this yummy dinner.
That’s wonderful, Elisabeth! Glad you loved the recipe.
I’m writing you from China my Chinese wife and I are here visiting her family. I’ve made this now twice for two different sides of the family, they can’t get enough of it. Made 3 and 4 pounds of it at a time they eat it all. Thanks big hit from the American husband. Liked seeing you on TV.
Thanks for sharing, Eric! Great to haer that this is always a hit!
Love this!! One question,
Would it be okay to make the sauce in advance then add cooked chicken later?
Thank you for sharing your recipes 🙂
Theresa
Hi Theresa! I don’t see why not. Let us know if you experiment.
This is the best General Tsos Chicken recipe I have tried. So delish. Thank you
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that great feedback with us, Monica!
This is the best recipe of your many I have made so far!
I’ve never had it before and this was so delicious I will make it again and again! Thanks so much to you and your Mom!
Hi Marci! That’s great to hear. I’m so glad you loved the recipe.
Can I fry the chicken in my cast iron skillet? Or should I use another one?
Hi Irene, anytime I am cooking with an acidic ingredient, I prefer using a non-stick skillet or wok. Cast iron can react with acidic ingredients.
I’ve never commented on a recipe before, but I have to say this came out REALLY good and everyone seemed to love it. I did modify to one less tablespoon of the wine vinegar based on other reviews, that’s the only modification. So sticky and delicious. Thank you for this easy recipe!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Cs!
It was good but as for taste I felt like it was missing something.
Absolutely delicious. Easy instructions. Instead of olive oil, we used coconut oil and a little bit (1 tsp) of sesame oil when cooking the chicken. Definitely one we’d make again!
Thank you for sharing, Colleen!
Made it as wrote and it’s nothing like any General tso’s i’ve ate before. Looks like it. Taste is off.
Hi Mildred, I think it depends on where you’ve tried it – they’re all a little different.
Yummy! My friend told me how much she liked this recipe and I’ve been meaning to make it for quite some time now. Glad I did. It did turn out salty, but that actually went really well with steamed broccoli. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
My son loves this meal. The only modification I have made is I use about one teaspoon of ginger powder instead of grated ginger because the amount with real ginger is overpowering (or use half of the grated amount and adjust later). In addition, once I mix the chicken with the sauce, I bake it in the oven at 425 fahrenheit for about 15 minutes to make it crispy, then toss it with the toasted sesame. It’s delicious!
Sounds great, I’m glad that he loves this recipe a lot!
General Tao is my favorite take out dish! This was simple and delicious! Excellent!
So glad you loved it, Rosalyn! Thank you for the feedback.
Very tasty I served a banana and orange salad with it , my very picky husband loved it !!!
That sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing, Debra!
This was delicious and easily adaptable to be lower calorie and lower sugar.
Hi Denise! Thank you for the feedback. Glad you loved it.
it was delicious! the chicken was so crispy and even good before the sauce of my little one. I am just so happy now to know this technique. Used organic chick thighs and felt good knowing way healthier then take out! I would do way less ginger next time for us as the flavor of the ginger dominated but I did double the recipe. I think if doubling ill double everything except the ginger. I will be making again!
Thank you for sharing your experience trying out this recipe. So glad that you enjoyed it!
Don’t normally comment on recipes, but after seeing so many negative ones about this recipe…just had to!
This was A M A Z I N G. The texture was so perfect and the sauce really turned into that sticky glaze that you look for with Chinese food. I added a little extra chili flakes because husband loves spice. The flavor was so dang good. Chicken kind of crunchy, sauce spicy and sweet with a little light tang. I followed measurements and did not end up adding more rice vinegar or soy. We made egg drop soup and jasmine rice on the side. We were stuffed.
This is now going into my collection of favorite dinner recipes! 10/10
Hi Alexis! That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you so much for sharing.
Doesn’t taste like general tso’s. It tastes like hoisin, even with the reduced amounts. I would look elsewhere for a better sauce recipe.
Hi T, it should have more complexity of flavor than just hoisin with the adjusted amounts – did you change anything else in the recipe?
I am wondering if you can do the chicken in the air fryer and then toss it in the sauce? I saw one comment on the sweet and sour chicken recipe that they did the chicken in the air fryer and even the leftovers the next day had a crunch. Thanks in advance for any info on this!
Btw, I have yet to have a recipe from Natasha that wasn’t an absolute hit. Her recipes are the BEST!
Hi Brooke! Thank you. I’m so glad you love my recipes.
I think it could work in the air fryer but I have not tested it myself to advise. Let us know how it turns out if you try it.
Right, Brook? I totally agree. I always check with Natasha first for any recipe. They are all amazing. This dish was quick, easy, and delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and served with steamed rice and broccoli. Yum!
I’m from the part of Missouri where this fried chicken style originated. I have to say, no restaurant I’ve ever been to has general tso that tastes like this. I didn’t care for it. It’s sour like others have said, and there’s something with the overall flavor that is off. I followed the recipe to a T. Maybe the old version of this was better like some have said. I’m not sure, but I won’t be making it again.
My cooking is very hit-and-miss. It follows that my boys can be very picky eaters. We have a list of “safe” foods that won’t cause a fuss. The list just got longer! It was way easier than I anticipated. I used the fresh stuff and it was a hit.
Hi Nathan! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit! I love when I find one the kids love. Thanks for sharing.
This recipe was absolutely delicious, thanks so much for sharing. I followed it to a T.
That’s great, Anna! So glad you loved it.
Hello! Can this be made ahead and frozen? What would be the best way to freeze and thaw/cook?
Hi Jacqueline, this recipe is best fresh, but there shouldn’t be any issues freezing and reheating it.
Hello, is it possible to just buy the General Tso’s sauce in a bottle without making the sauce? Just wonder if it is close to the same taste. Thank You
Hi Karen! Sorry, I think that could work but I can’t advise on the taste. You’ll have to experiment and find a brand you like.
Per my husband “This is how I have wanted General Tso’s chicken to taste every time I have ordered it for the past 20 years of my life!”.
Aka never going back to take out!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Sarah!
We updated the recipe on January 10, 2023 to address a measurement error in the sauce. It’s now better than ever. I hope you all love this General Tso’s Chicken recipe!
Have been making this for so long now, so when I went to the recipe I was dumbfounded. Made it as it is but not enough sauce changed the flavor. Any chance I can get a copy of the old recipe?
We would so appreciate it.
Hi Tricia, we discovered a significan’t oops in the measurements so I had to update. There was 6 times the amount of hoisin sauce which made it crazy salty. That’s really the only difference in quantity of sauce though (about 4 1/2 Tbsp so it shouldn’t have made a significan’t impact on amount of sauce)
Found my old recipe, but thanks. We preferred the old recipe.
Could you please share the old recipe? I liked that one better as well!
Hi Emilia, the only difference is the quantity of sauce. I hope that helps.
This was just okay. It doesn’t really have the taste and consistency of General’s Tso. The real deal has a wet batter over the chicken which gets deep fried until golden. Unfortunately I only had regular soy sauce (not low sodium) so this ended up tasting more like a kung pao chicken especially without the batter. Also General Tso’s has a sweeter more citrus-y finish.
If anyone is using just regular soy sauce I would definitely cut the amount by half. Soy sauce is liquid salt. You could always add a little more later but you can’t undo it if you added too much.
Natasha,
I think your recipe for tres leches cake is out of this world! But if this is intended to be a copycat recipe of GT’s it needs to go back to the drawing board IMO.
What’s the differents between rice vinegar and rice wine vinegar?
Hi Ronda, Rice vinegar and white vinegar are both acidic, but there are two key differences between the preparation and flavor. White vinegar is made by fermenting grain alcohol, while rice vinegar is made from fermented rice. Rice vinegar is less tangy and acidic than white vinegar, with a subtle sweetness
I think Ronda was asking what’s the difference between Rice Vinegar and Rice WINE Vinegar, not regular White Vinegar….which I’m curious too if it matters which one of the rice vinegars is used in your delicious recipe?
Hi Amanda! You may find this article helpful, comparing rice vinegar and rice wine.
Can I use ginger paste instead of minced ginger? I can’t seem to find minced ginger at my local store but I do have a tube of ginger paste in the fridge. Would I use the same amount if so?
I honestly haven’t tested that to advise. I think that’s alright but I would add little by little just to be sure.
I think this is the first recipe I got from the internet that was awesome!
Family loved it
Wonderful, Lorri! Thank you for trying my recipe.
This dish is phenomenal. The only adjustments I made was to reduce the vinegar to 3 tbsp and the sugar to 4 tbsp, since others mentioned it being too sour or sweet. Everything came out great.
Thank you for the wonderful feedback, Eric! So glad you loved the recipe.
DELICIOUS! I didn’t have hoisin sauce so I subbed bbq sauce and used chicken tenderloins instead of thighs. Making due with what I had in the fridge. Everything else was as the recipe called for. The sauce was sticky and sweet and spicy and perfection.
Thank you for sharing, Amy! I’m so glad you loved the recipe.
too much vinegar. tasted very sour. I would suggest cutting the vinegar by half or even more.
Hi Natasha, I’m very interested in making this recipe but I wanted to ask if you thought it would be okay is substituted minced ginger with ground ginger?
Hi Megan, if you’re using ground ginger, you will need to use a lot less. One of my readers wrote they used 1/4 tsp ground per Tbsp of fresh minced.
I made this last night for my family, it was a hit! Thank you for an easy, delicious recipe!
So glad to hear that, Mary! 🙂
I made this recipe for dinner. I added only 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes because my sister wouldn’t eat if it was too spicy. It was easy to follow. It was better than takeout. We all enjoyed this recipe. Thank you.
I cooked this for my family for an Asian themed Thanksgiving. We had some slight modifications:
Used chicken breasts.
I fried the chicken in a wok, and then transferred to sauce. Doesn’t look like the photo, understandable, but a hit nevertheless. Would make again.
How fun! Glad it was a hit. Thanks for sharing.
This was soooo good. Much better than take out….family approved
Glad they loved it!
Very good recipe. I made mine with broccoli and rice for my husband and cauliflower rice for me. Thank you this is a keeper.
You’re welcome! So glad you loved it.
Too much ginger – or maybe I needed a conversion for ground ginger rather than fresh = for me (and I love ginger). One thing I really, really liked about it is that I had ALL the ingredients on hand in my pitiful pantry.
Was about to make this w ground ginger too, glad I read your comment first. So I looked it up and it’s a 1/4 tsp : 1 Tbs… big difference.
Absolutely delicious! The sauce was perfect, I wouldn’t change anything about it. It’s an instant love for my family and I’ll definitely be making it again.
Hello Brooke, thank you for your good comments and feedback! Happy to know that you loved this recipe, thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I had tried a different one and this one was so much better. Everyone had seconds! The only thing I did differently based on the reviews was cut the sugar to 5 tbsp. This recipe just made the list of my favorites!
Hello Becky, that’s alright and sounds good! So glad you loved it and it is now one of your favorites.
Would using potato starch give a crispier coating than cornstarch?
Totally agree with using thigh meat. A lot tastier.
Hi Rick! Check out this article on Cooks Illustrated HERE, it may be helpful in describing the differences between the two.
Good and tasty! I would cut down on the corn starch in the sauce. That’s all I would change.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, George!
I’m excited to try this! Getting the ingredients over the weekend.
I’m excited for you, Aiko! I hope you love this recipe!
have you ever heard of putting peanut butter in this?? I could swear that there is a slight peanut butter taste in the chicken I get from a favorite restaurant.
Hi Barry! I believe some recipes do use peanut butter.
I’m gonna to prep this for my lunch. Will this taste okay when its microvaed?
Hi Moni, this recipe is best fresh, but we haven’t had any issues reheating it. Just be sure not to overheat it.
Delicious. I used chicken breast and cut the sugar in half. Absolutely wonderful. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing, Patricia! I’m glad you loved it.
Just made this tonight!! We loved it!! So much flavor and waaaaayyyyy better then the restaurants. Thank you for sharing! Made it EXACTLY the way you posted it!
Thank you for the awesome review!
Made this for the first time tonight for my husband’s birthday dinner. It was delicious. I will be making this again, and again, and again. My whole family loved this dish (and that’s unusual with very different palates.) Thank you for sharing this recipe. ❤️🤍
That’s great. I’m so happy to hear that, Cindy! You’re very welcome.
This was VERY sour tasting, and oddly sweet at the same time. Doesn’t taste like general Tso at all. Won’t be making this again.
Hi Daya, I’m sorry to hear that as this has been a very popular recipe on our site. you might consider if there were any substitutions made in the recipe or in the timings.
I love most of your recipes, but this does not hit home as far a General Tso chicken goes. It’s supposed to be a spicy dish and this way too sweet. Red pepper flakes do not belong on the chicken side of the recipe (or at all), dried chinese hot peppers belong in the sauce part to make the dish spicy. This recipe totally misses the mark as far as this dish goes. I judge all chinese restaurants on their General Tso. Haven’t found many that pleases me.
hank you for the feedback, Ray. I’m sorry you did not enjoy this recipe.
Too much rice vinegar it came out sour must be tsp not tbsp! It also needed more liquid, or just slightly less corn starch? Too brown not orangy and sweet. Would have liked maybe several tbsp chicken broth?
Hi Susan, make sure to bring the sauce to a simmer before taking it off the heat. Also with vinegar, the longer you simmer, the more it mellows out so you could simmer a little longer. Lastly, make sure not to substitute with other ingredients for the sauce – I’m not sure if it applies, but I always recommend making a recipe as written before altering.
I cooked a lot of Natasha’s recepies and never complained but this one I didn’t like. Followed step by step and it came out way too sauer. Had no General TSO’s flavor at all.
HI Natalia, did you change any of the ingredients and cook for the required amounts of time, particularly the sauce cook time? Also make sure to use rice vinegar and not a substitute which can be stronger and alter the flavor.
Great dish, but compared to your picture, my dish was much darker in color. What do you think made it so dark?
Did you use a different kind of soy sauce? Possibly a dark soy sauce?
Family dinner winner! Used slightly less sugar, I’ll cut sugar in half next time. And there will definitely be a next time! Sweet, tangy and sticky good sauce that’s restaurant comparable for sure.
Sounds good, feel free to make some minor changes with the sugar level. Thank you for the awesome feedback!
Thanks for cutting the sugar. I have to watch how much I take in and I am glad that it does turn out great with less.
I Love all yr cooking but this dish has way too much sugar 6 tablespoons I’ll make again with only 1 Its way too sweet
Not a beginner recipe, haven’t even eaten it yet and I know it’s not going to be right. coating is completely off the chicken as I obviously did not cook it right since there were no directions on how to prevent this 🙁
Hi Kari! I’m happy to help troubleshoot. You may try patting dry the chicken with a paper towel to remove excess moisture so that the cornstarch coating sticks well. Also, be sure to use a good quality non-stick skillet so it doesn’t stick, and allow your skillet with oil to fully preheat before placing the chicken. Allow the chicken to cook and get golden, only turn them as needed, if you handle them too much, the coating tends to fall off. I hope that helps.
WAY too much vinegar. Was so excited for this but as soon as I tasted it I couldn’t even eat it. I simmered the sauce and everything. Awful. 🙁
Waaaay too much vinegar. It’s almost all I could taste. Used leg meat as indicated since it can’t overcook like breast. In my opinion cut the vinegar in half or even third and the rest is fine (it does make a lot of sauce). I used a wok to make it so I could use less oil to make the chicken.
Hi Jonathan. I’m sorry to hear that. Make sure it’s not wine vinegar, we used Rice vinegar. Also, it’s very important to let the sauce come to a simmer. You can even cook it slightly longer if you prefer a more toned-down vinegar flavor but using less vinegar should help as well.
I swear this recipe used to be different and better…anyway, the comment’s are right, it’s too much rice vinegar. Also, too much sauce in general.
It’s too much vinegar indeed but the extra sauce is good for leftover to put on rice or just with another batch of chicken ( you don’t need to make the sauce again so it saves time)
Family favorite! I do add a little more heat with some Sriracha sauce and top it with some sliced green onion. And of course, some egg fried rice to go.
Sounds great! Thanks for the comments and feedback, glad to know that this is one of your favorite recipes at home!
OMG so enjoyed this recipe!!! Actually had ordered Chinese food from our favourite restaurant. Had lots of rice and noodles left over so wanted to make a chicken dish to pair up. We order General Tso chicken from Mandarin, but to tell you the truth the taste is great but the quality of chicken meat is garbage. We prefer breast meat. I saw this recipe, used breast meat and prepared and was soooo good! Sauce was great and every bit as tasty as the Mandarin and just loved that the meat was all white breast meat. Will definitely prepare again and will make our own home Chinese food as done ordering expensive rice and noodles.
Hello Donna, thanks for sharing your experience making this recipe. So happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Love all of your recipes! I’d like to try this but I can’t use store bought hoison sauce because my husband can’t have moden wheat. Any homemade hoision sauce recipe suggestions?
Hi Crystal! I do not have a recipe for homemade hoisin sauce! You may be able to find a gluten-free version of hoison sauce at the store. Most likely at a whole foods store if not your local grocery store. Another possible alternative could be Tamari sauce..
It’s was a bit heavy with vinegar flavor added some sweet Thai chili sauce to help balance it out. Next time we will use less vinegar and add big chunks of onion and green bell pepper
I use Mr Yoshida’s sweet teraki mainade & cooking sauce, simmer, then add mixed 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Add to simmering sauce and mix while boiling for 2 minutes.
Thanks for sharing, Lawrence! 🙂
Are there appropriate substitutions for the corn starch and soy sauce? Member of my household has extreme allergies to corn and soy.
Hi Joni! I think you could use flour instead of cornstarch and liquid or coconut aminos in place of soy.
Followed the recipe exactly, and it just wasn’t that good. I have used other General Tao recipes in the past that were more taste. It was overly thick with too much cornstarch and very strong.
This is my grandsons favorite dish. I made it today and we both loved it. We like spicy so I increased the amount of red pepper flakes. It was awesome. So quick and easy to make. We will probably have this again very soon.
That’s wonderful! Thank you for the review. I’m so glad it was enjoyed.
Awesome This was so easy to prepare and it taste much better than any carry out. This will be my go to recipe
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for the good feedback.
I made this dish today along with Lo mein, it was delicious. I only used two tables spoons of reg vinegar as it was all that I had in my pantry. i gave 4 stars because it was great!, I suggest tasting your sauce along the way and adjust the ingredients to taste. I mean we all know what it suppose to taste like. To see the pictures of my dish @monikastable on instagram
Why didn’t I read the comments before making this.? Way too sour and YES I used rice wine vinegar. Shame!
I don’t recall seeing anyone else say it was too sour – I wonder if maybe you used a different product? Here is the rice vinegar (affiliate link) that works well for this recipe. Make sure it’s not a wine vinegar and also it’s very important to make sure the sauce comes to a simmer. You can even cook it slightly longer if you prefer a more toned down vinegar flavor.
Followed the recipe exactly and if I could give zero stars I would. Six tablespoons of rice vinegar is TOO MUCH. All you can taste is an overpowering vinegar, sour taste. Two tablespoons would have been more than enough. I was trying to find a recipe like takeout and this one doesn’t come even close to that. I threw the leftovers out.
HI Sharon, I don’t recall seeing anyone else say it was too sour – I wonder if maybe you used a different product? Here is the rice vinegar (affiliate link) that works well for this recipe. Make sure it’s not a wine vinegar and also it’s very important to make sure the sauce comes to a simmer. You can even cook it slightly longer if you prefer a more toned down vinegar flavor.
Delicious! Added peanuts and cooked the white part of green onions with the ginger/garlic. Makes a lot of sauce but better too much than not enough!
Hi Jennifer! That’s great. So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Too sweet. Had to counter with salt and hot sauce just to make it edible. Wasn’t bad after that, but wouldn’t make again personally.
Way to much vinegar im my opinion. Nobody ate it. Suggestion would be to add 1 tabs instead of 6.
Hi Chrissey! Yes, you can decrease the vinegar and that will help. Did you by chance use another type of vinegar and not rice vinegar? If so, this could have been the reason as well. One of my other readers used white vinegar but reduced it to 3tbsp and had good results.
It’s very good. I think it’s important to taste the sauce first just to make it fit your own preferences. Just because this recipe might not be perfect for everyone it’s meant to be played around with to make it suit everyone’s needs.
Thank you for the excellent feedback. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
We have homemade General Tso quite often. This was my least favorite recipe we’ve had. Vinegar was the overpowering flavor.
I’m sorry, but I don’t recommend it
This is better than takeout and took only 30 minutes! This recipe is practically impossible to mess up. I used all the ingredients listed but eyeballed measurements and it turned out amazing. I took the chicken out after browning and sautéed red peppers before adding the aromatics & sauce and added the chicken at the end to thicken the sauce up. Thanks for sharing Natasha!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Maggie!
Sauce is overly sweet and thick, needs some vegetables, onions/peppers. I thinned the sauce with additional water.
Agree, the sauce tasted like sweet and sour, wasn’t expecting this. And I think it’s too much sauce for that chicken amount. I followed the recipe carefully, chicken by itself tasted okay, I even used the highest quality of chicken breast, but not the sauce. I wish I would taste the sauce before putting chicken into it.
Made this last night for my family of 4 in my new wok on the grill and it was gone in 10 minutes. They begged me to make a double batch next time! This is going into the rotation, for sure and can’t wait to try the Yakisoba recipe.
I can relate, no leftovers with this recipe. So glad your family enjoyed it! 🙂
if you add a tiny tiny of orange marmalade you will have orange chicken but only a little bit because the orange is sweet and will overpower the chicken love your recipes
trish
Thank you, Trish. 🙂
I made this today to try out my new Wok. Amazing! I couldn’t believe this came out of my kitchen! I think next time I will add Sriracha to the sauce to give it more heat!
That is great! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. So much better than take-out!
I made this last night and it was a huge hit!! There was nothing left! My 17 year old son devoured the majority of it!
That’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear that everyone loved this recipe.
My husband’s favorite Chinese meal when we order take out. I made it for him tonight and he loved it! He doesn’t like ginger, but he couldn’t tell it was in the dish!
It’s a “keeper” recipe!
Wonderful! I’m glad you found a keeper recipe. We love this one too.
Can you use the same recipe but use shrimp instead of chicken?
Hi Leslie, that sounds creative and delicious! I have not tried a shrimp substitute for this recipe, however. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Why so much sodium? a way to cut sodium? Sounds so easy though. Will cut receipe for 2 people Thank you
Hi Susie, you can substitute the soy sauce for low sodium soy sauce to help reduce some of the sodium in this recipe.
For us, the sauce was way too sweet. Was excited to try but disappointed.
Hello , my question is can I use chicken breast instead of thighs ? I really want to try your recipe , it looks so delicious . I am a fan of general tos ! Thank you !
Hi Donna, yes, this will work with chicken breast.
Wasn’t overly crazy about the sauce. Too much sodium and sugar.
I cheated and used frozen grocery store popcorn chicken that I baked and added to the sauce. This is an excellent quick dinner.
Hello Allison, that should be alright! Good to know that you loved it!
I’m a huge fan of General Tso’s Chicken. It used to be the number one dish I would order out. There was only one change I did to the recipe, and it was because I didn’t have the sugar, I used brown sugar instead. Tell you what, this was a super easy recipe and hands down the best tasting General Chicken I’ve had in my life! Bravo and thank you for posting this recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Nick! It sounds like you found a favorite!
I loved this recipe – as I love all your recipes and you! My husband not so much as he said it was too gloopy…..not sure if that is a word lol. The sauce was too thick in his opinion. My pan was still pretty hot from frying the chicken and it boiled the sauce very quickly (pretty much instantly). I used a wok. Could that be the issue or should I possibly decrease the cornstarch by half to get a more brothy sauce to appease the spouse?
Hi Sabrina! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It could be a mixture of the two. The cornstarch thickens the sauce but cooking it down will reduce it more. You can try less of one or the other to get your desired consistency.
Hi Sabrina, thanks for sharing and I’m glad you liked the recipe. I think you can try decreasing the cornstarch and see how it goes. Please share with us if you give that a try!
I made this for lunch and it was a hit. My mother thought it was a Chinese take-out food.
I don’t have rice vinegar in my pantry so I used a mix of Mirin + White Vinegar, the result is amaaaaazziiing!!! 🔥
Lovely to hear that, Deyb! Thanks so much for sharing that with us.
Outstanding dish, better than I’ve ever eaten in a restaurant! Will definitely make again. Thanks Natasha!
Thank you for your good comments and feedback, Barry!
Loved this recipe!! So good for a quick dinner. Just a beginner cook and love your page! Thank you Natasha
Great to hear that you’re enjoying my recipes, Lauren. Thank you for your good comments and feedback!
The recipe is great. One comment/question – What was the acidity of rice vinegar that you used in your dish? The one I have had at home 9%. Therefore, I got very sour/acid sauce. Please advise. Thanks.
Hi Zenovy, I linked to the one we used in the post. I hope that helps
Thank you for this recipe. Its been a number of years since I had General Tso chicken. I followed your recipe and your version is even better. Five stars 🙂
I’m so glad you discovered my recipe, Anthony! Thank you for sharing your excellent review with me!
Can you marinade in sauce before coating in corn starch? I want to make sure the chicken is tender as I am using chicken breast.
Hi Alan, I haven’t done that, and it turns out tender. If you are happy to try that out, I hope you love it!
Velveting chicken the before coating. Simple mix your chunks of breast meat in tbsp baking soda (bi-carb) til it is covered well. Let it rest for 20 minutes. Rinse in colander then continue with recipe. I usually pat dry before throwing into a wok dish yet slightly wet would be good for coating in cornstarch (which will tenderize it more). Natasha…thank you for this 5 star recipe!
I usually use sesame oil to put my chicken in as I cut it up. Let it soak in it for a while. I use the same oil to fry in. Sesame oil comes in heat also.
This looks delicious! What’s the serving size for this? Does the nutrition page include rice or just the chicken itself?
The serving size and nutritional info is always at the bottom of the recipe card. Enjoy!
Can you make this without deep frying the chicken? Thank you
That will work too but this is the process that we love.
I made this last night, with only one modification….1/2 tsp red pepper flakes instead of 1 full tsp. It was AMAZING!!! The flavor is just huge. It took me a bit longer to make because I took the time to cut off all the fat,etc from the boneless chicken thights, but well worth that extra time. Wow! Just a 10 star WOW recipe!!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Linda! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Why can’t I ever print your recipes. In the Ben’s toss chicken-are they boneless thigns??
Hi Ann, yes, we used boneless thighs. The print-friendly recipe is at the bottom of each post. Once you scroll there, click on the print icon in that recipe card, which will open a print screen, then you would need to click file —> print. I hope that helps! If not, please let me know exactly what steps you are taking and where you are navigating to print our recipes.
I only have the powder Ginger? Has anyone ever used it?
Hi Andi, I haven’t tested that yet. Fresh would be good but if you only have butter, I think that would work too. If you do an experiment, please share with u how it goes.
What can I use instead of hoisin sauce
Hi Abishag, I haven’t tried a substitution, but garlic teriyaki may work here per research online.
Can I use white vinegar
Hi Abishag, we prefer it with rice vinegar, but here is what one of our readers wrote: “I made this tonight, and it was fabulous. I didn’t have rice vinegar, so I used white vinegar and decreased it to 3 TB. Also didn’t have fresh ginger, so I used ground. This is a great recipe!” I hope that helps.
I really liked this recipe, except I dread making it because when frying the chicken, the oil starts to explode like geysers! Please help, I’ve tried several times and it just makes a huge mess of my kitchen!
Hi Elena, I highly recommend making sure your heat is not too high but also using a splatter guard has been my go-to for this. YOu can find my favorite one in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
Is this served over rice or just by its self?
Hi David, we enjoy it over rice but it can be enjoyed with other sides also.
could you please add a jump to recipe button to save us time? Thank you in advance! I love your recipes and if I want to save them I don’t want to have to wade through a bunch of stuff
Hi Lorie, we have it on each recipe link towards the top right. It’s a red button. I hope that’s helpful!
My husband liked the dish, only criticism was that it had too much ginger, so I will add only a 1 teaspoon next time and then it will be perfect for our taste.
Sounds like a good plan! Feel free to adjust it according to your personal preference. Thanks for your good review!
Hi there! Is there anything I can substitute for Hoisin sauce?
Hi Brooklyn, I haven’t tried a substitution but garlic teriyaki may work here per research online.
I love to cook and this is the best Asian chicken recipe I’ve ever made ! I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing. The chicken was crisp and juicy and the sauce is simply amazing. It even looked as pretty as your photos!!
Awesome! I’m so happy to know that you loved the recipe, thanks for giving it a try and for sharing your great feedback with us.
I made this and it turned out really good.. I did not have any low sodium soy sauce so instead I used 4 tbsp regular soy sauce instead of 5 low sodium.
Also, I had no rice vinegar on hand so instead I used 2 tbsp white vinegar mixed with 1 tbsp water and 1 tbsp sugar.
I also used chicken wings.
Still turned out pretty amazing.
Hi Andy! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Natasha!
I made this tonight and it was amazing. It even looked as pretty as your photo which recipes rarely do 😉 I love to cook so for me to think a recipe is perfect without any tweaking is a statement. Best Asian chicken recipe I’ve ever made. I will never order it in a restaurant again !!
Hi Laura, that sounds perfect! I’m happy to know that the results were great, thank you so much for sharing that with us!
This was the best Asian type chicken I’ve ever made! It actually even looked like the photos. The chicken was crisp and the sauce was amazing! I love to cook so for me to not want to change any part of a recipe is saying something 😉 follow this exactly and you will love it.
Love it! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, we appreciate it.
Hi Natasha,
I made the General Tso’s Chicken Recipe tonight for the family who loved it. The star ratings I give is from the family.
Cheers.
Henry
I mad it with chicken tenders and was great.
Was curious how the chicken in the pictures turned out with such a red color? Mine was brown and didn’t think there was enough chili in the recipe to make it that red.
Hi Nate, the color is mostly form the hoisin sauce and it should be more brown than red.
Love it! Thanks to you and your family for the wonderful review!
Hello!
I was wondering if i could make this with chicken breasts instead of thighs? Thank you!
Hi Tiana, yes, this will work with chicken breast.
Thank you for posting this fine blueprint for General Tso’s. I was not aware how simple it is to prepare and assemble. Also, this can be done with tofu as a substitute for chicken if you omit the cornstarch. Just be sure your oil is hot before you fry the tofu.
Thanks for your comments and feedback, Joel. Tofu sounds like a good idea too, thank you for the tip!
I made this tonight and it was fabulous. I didn’t have rice vinegar so I used white vinegar and decreased it to 3 TB. Also didn’t have fresh ginger so used ground. This is a great recipe!
Hi Cecile, I’m glad that worked well! Thank you for your good feedback and for sharing that with us.
Do you use light or dark soy sauce.
Hi Troy, we used a dark soy sauce.
Wow, this is so good and so quick and easy to make! My husband prefers white meat so I used1 lb thighs and 1 lb breasts. He couldn’t stop saying how delicious it was! Love every recipe I have tried from you!
Thank you for your good comments and feedback, Michelle!
Wow, I just realized that I used Worcester sauce instead of the hoisin sauce. Makes sense why it was a bit sour. Still 6/10 with the wrong ingredient. Great recipe. Also would it hurt the recipe if I had to use more cornstarch then the 1/2 cup to coat the chicken?
I’m glad you still liked it! I haven’t tried that yet to advise but feel free to experiment and please share with us how it goes.
Natasha,
I just wanted to tell you that I love your wonderful corky personality. You make cooking easy and fun. I am not one to like cooking but with you I find myself wanting to try new recipes. Your recipes are user friendly and easy to follow. If someone ever feels overwhelmed then your easy to follow videos will bring anyone bake on track.
You’re a blast of fresh air. I am so happy I found your blog.
I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying my blog! Thank you for sharing that with us 🙂
can this be made in an air fryer?
Hi Kate, I haven’t tested this in an Air Fryer to advise. If you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like it. `