Description
General Tso’s Chicken is a popular Chinese-American dish featuring crispy fried chicken thighs coated in a sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy sauce. This recipe combines savory soy, hoisin, garlic, and ginger flavors with a perfectly caramelized glaze, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds. Perfect as a vibrant main course served with rice or steamed vegetables, it offers a delightful balance of texture and taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying (about 2 inches deep)
Sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 4–5 dried red chilies (optional)
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (for slurry)
Garnish
- 2 green onions, sliced
- Sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: In a large bowl, toss the chicken pieces with cornstarch, salt, and black pepper until each piece is evenly coated, which helps achieve a crispy texture when fried.
- Fry the Chicken: Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Carefully fry the chicken in batches for 4–5 minutes each or until golden brown and crispy. Remove the cooked chicken and drain on a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.
- Make the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, sugar, and water. Set this sauce mixture aside for later.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a clean skillet or wok, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and dried red chilies (if using). Stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Simmer the Sauce: Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the skillet with the aromatics and bring it to a gentle simmer. In a separate small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water to create a slurry. Stir this slurry into the simmering sauce and cook for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens to a glossy consistency.
- Toss Chicken in Sauce: Add the fried chicken pieces to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat each piece evenly with the thickened sauce. Cook for an additional 1–2 minutes to heat through and allow flavors to meld.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onions and optional sesame seeds. Serve hot alongside steamed rice or vegetables for a complete meal.
Notes
- For a lighter version, you can bake or air fry the chicken instead of deep-frying it.
- Adjust the amount of sugar and rice vinegar in the sauce to make it sweeter or tangier according to your preference.
- Dried red chilies are optional but add authentic heat; adjust quantity based on your spice tolerance.
- Using boneless, skinless chicken thighs keeps the meat tender and juicy compared to breast meat.
