Description
General Tso’s Chicken is a popular Chinese-American dish featuring tender, boneless chicken thighs marinated and fried to a crispy golden perfection, then tossed in a tangy, sweet, and spicy sauce made with soy, hoisin, chili paste, and sesame oil. This recipe balances savory and sweet flavors with a touch of heat, delivering a restaurant-quality meal perfect for serving with steamed rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade and Sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (light or all-purpose, NOT dark soy)
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (substitute: white wine vinegar)
- 2 tsp chili paste (any variety; Sambal Oelek recommended)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock/broth
Chicken
- 600g (1.4 lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2.5 cm (1″) pieces (breast or tenderloin can be used as substitute)
- 1 tsp finely grated ginger
- 1 tsp finely grated garlic
- 1 cup cornflour/cornstarch
For Frying and Stir-frying
- 1 to 4 cups oil for frying (peanut, vegetable, or canola oil recommended)
- 2 tbsp oil (peanut, vegetable, or canola)
- 2 tsp finely chopped ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
Garnish
- Finely sliced green onion
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare Sauce-Marinade: In a bowl, mix soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, chili paste, and sesame oil thoroughly to create the base sauce.
- Marinate Chicken: Remove 2 tablespoons of the sauce-marinade and combine it with the chicken pieces. Add finely grated ginger and garlic to the chicken, mix well to coat evenly, and marinate for 30 minutes to infuse flavor.
- Coat Chicken: Add 1 cup cornflour to the marinated chicken and toss to coat each piece fully, making sure the pieces remain separated to avoid clumping.
- Remove Excess Coating: Transfer coated chicken to a colander and shake gently to remove excess cornflour for an even, light crust.
- Finish Sauce Mixture: To the remaining sauce-marinade from step 1, add brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cornflour. Mix well, then gradually stir in chicken stock until the sauce mixture is smooth and ready.
- Heat Oil for Frying: In a deep skillet or large pot, heat 2 cm (about 4/5″) of oil to 200°C (390°F). Use enough oil to deep fry, but you can adjust quantity to your preferred amount (see notes).
- Fry Chicken: Fry chicken pieces in hot oil for 3 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and crispy on the outside. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Prepare Clean Skillet: Discard used oil from the frying pan, wipe it clean, and return to heat; alternatively, use a separate large clean skillet for the sauce.
- Make Stir-fry Sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add chopped garlic, ginger, and red chili flakes. Sauté for about 30 seconds until garlic is lightly golden and aromatic. Pour in the prepared sauce mixture, bring to a simmer, and stir occasionally until the sauce thickens enough to coat the pan evenly when stirred.
- Toss and Serve: Add the fried chicken to the thickened sauce and toss quickly to coat all pieces while maintaining crispiness. Transfer immediately to a serving plate, garnish with finely sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve hot with your choice of rice.
Notes
- Use light or all-purpose soy sauce, not dark soy sauce, for balanced flavor.
- Chicken thighs are preferred for juiciness, but chicken breast or tenderloins can substitute if desired.
- Fresh grated ginger and garlic add the best aroma and flavor for marination and stir-frying.
- You can adjust oil quantity based on your frying equipment; shallow frying is possible but deep frying produces the crispiest texture.
- Cornflour/cornstarch is used in both marinating and sauce to ensure a crisp crust and thickened sauce.
- Toasted sesame oil adds deeper flavor but regular sesame oil can be used if preferred.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
Keywords: General Tso's Chicken, Chinese-American Chicken, Fried Chicken, Sweet and Spicy Chicken, Crispy Chicken Recipe
