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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My family loves ordering in Chinese takeout, but lately, I’ve been having a blast recreating my favorite dishes at home. Not only is this homemade copycat recipe 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 or Korean Carrot Salad. 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.
- Veggie 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 corn starch
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
Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
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.