Last Updated on 17 December 2023 by cooksimply
When I first tried General Tso’s chicken, I was blown away by the taste sensation of different flavours – tangy, spicy and sweet, covering crispy bite-sized pieces of chicken! And while I’m not a fan of sweet and sour chicken [I find it far too sickly and cloying], this takeaway favourite is really worth trying. And it’s even better homemade.
Why is it called General Tso’s chicken?
If you’ve never heard of it, that’s because it’s a popular North American takeout dish – although you can get it in a few select places here in the UK. That’s why making this recipe for General Tso’s chicken is well worth trying at home – and, even though there are a few steps, the recipe is pretty simple to follow.
There are several different origin stories to where General Tso’s chicken comes from. One says it was named after a 19th-century Hunanese general and was invented in the Hunan province of China. Other sources have said that it was created not in China, but in Taiwan by a chef called Peng in 1955. Whoever created it and took it over to the West – I thank them for inventing such a delicious dish.
What does it taste like?
There are lots of essential Chinese flavours in General Tso’s chicken, but the combination of the sweet hoisin sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar alongside the saltiness of the soy – and the sharpness of the rice wine vinegar – makes this chicken incredibly tasty and moreish.
What are the main ingredients in this recipe for General Tso’s chicken
- Chicken thighs – I prefer to use them instead of the breast. They’re much juicier and tender.
- Cornflour and plain flour – you use both to make the chicken batter, and thicken the sauce.
- Egg white – for binding the flour to coat the chicken
- Shaoxing wine – or dry sherry
- Light and dark soy sauce – you don’t want as much dark soy as it’s quite strong
- Hoisin sauce
- Rice wine vinegar – if you don’t have it, white wine vinegar will also work
- Oyster sauce
- Chicken stock – adds another depth of flavour and saltiness
- Brown sugar – for a caramel sweetness
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Red chilli flakes – great for adding a spicy heat
- Vegetable oil – for frying
How to make General Tso’s chicken
Firstly, you need to prepare the chicken. Coat the chicken pieces in the egg whites, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Then you can leave for a few minutes before cooking – or do this part ahead of time. Then you need to mix the corn flour and plain flour together. This is your chicken coating.
Evenly coat the chicken pieces in the flour, and then fry them in hot vegetable oil for around 4-5 minutes until golden and crispy. Set to one side while you make the sauce.
Simply combine all the sauce ingredients together – the soy sauces, chicken stock, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, hoisin and oyster sauce and cornflour.
Then heat up a wok or pan with more vegetable oil. Throw in the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes and stir-fry for 40 seconds to release the aromatics. Then pour in the sauce. This will bubble up and eventually thicken. Once this has reached the desired consistency – sticky and gooey, then add the fried chicken pieces. Stir quickly to coat the chicken in the sauce. Then sprinkle with chopped spring onions and sesame seeds before serving with plain boiled rice.
How to keep the chicken nice and crispy
The key to keeping the chicken crispy is to add it to the sauce at the very last minute. You want to coat the chicken in the unctuous sauce and warm it through for around 2 minutes before serving.
What to serve with General Tso’s chicken
I love it with plain boiled rice or egg-fried rice. Alongside green vegetables including my stir-fry pak choi. As part of a bigger banquet of Chinese dishes, you could also serve this alongside my chicken wings, sesame prawn toast or crispy chilli beef.
Easy recipe for General Tso’s chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade
- 500 g boneless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine
For the chicken coating
- 50 g cornflour
- 50 g plain flour
- 800 ml vegetable oil for frying extra for stir-frying sauce
For the sauce
- 1 inch piece of ginger peeled and finely chopped grated
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 100 ml chicken stock
- 2 tbsps oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsps brown sugar
- 1 tbsp corn flour
- 2 tbsps light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp red chilli flakes
Garnish
- chopped spring onions
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a bowl large enough to fit the chicken, add the egg white, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. Using a spoon or your hands, mix the ingredients together so the chicken is well coated. Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the sauce ingredients – the soy sauces, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, cornflour, brown sugar and chicken stock. Put to one side.
- Time to coat the chicken. Mix together the corn flour and the plain flour. And getting a piece of chicken, coat the chicken in the flour mix and shake off any excess. Put on a plate or baking tray and continue to coat the rest of the chicken pieces.
- To cook the chicken, get a large pan or wok and heat the vegetable oil to about 180c. You can check with a thermometer or test with a tiny piece of chicken and it will sizzle. Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and fry for around 3-4 minutes until crispy and golden. You’ll want to move the chicken around to make sure they evenly cook. Remove the chicken once done, and place on some kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.
- In a clean wok, or pan, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil, then add the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes. Stir-fry on a high heat for 30-40 seconds and then add the sauce.
- Stir the sauce for around a minute. The sauce will bubble up and begin to thicken. At the last moment, add the chicken pieces and combine with the sauce – making sure all the chicken is coated in the sauce. Don't keep it too long in the sauce, so the chicken retains its crispiness.
- Serve with a sprinkle of spring onions and sesame seeds on top. Perfect with boiled rice.
