General Tso's Chicken Recipe

Fill your dinner plate with flavor with this easy, saucy, ultra-savory, just a bit tangy and sweet General Tso's chicken recipe, perfect over rice with a bit of green onion and sesame seeds!

With a little sweet, and little spice, and a whole lot of flavor, this chicken is a fun way to dress up dinner and make it even more delicious, without anymore effort!

Easy At-Home General Tso's Chicken

I'm a sucker for good takeout, whether it's spicy Thai or saucy Chinese. And this General Tso's chicken recipe is basically all the good flavors of a universal favorite takeout dish, without wondering what's in it or feeling like it's too indulgent. After all, anything homemade is automatically a bit healthier in my book! And it's not deep fried like many traditional versions. This dish is one you'll want to make week after week, it's so scrumptious and addicting. The sauce is pretty much everything; I would drink it if it weren't totally frowned upon.

Serve it up over your favorite rice or other grain (quinoa would work well, too, to soak up all the saucy goodness). And don't forget the green onion and sesame seeds on top! They're not necessary but they add just a little more flavor and texture that makes this dish truly irresistible. The best part is how easy and fast it is to cook up, no matter if you're crunched for time. You just pan fry the chicken, whisk up the sauce, combine them in your pan, and serve! How simple is that?! I can't wait for you to dig into your new favorite at-home "takeout."

What does General Tso's chicken taste like?

There are a bunch of yummy flavors at work in General Tso's chicken, like garlic, ginger for a tangy bite, green onion, hoisin sauce and soy sauce for a salty element, red chili for a kick, brown sugar for a cut of sweetness, and more. Basically, it's big flavor and big-time delicious.

Is General Tso's chicken spicy?

The good thing about this recipe is that you can make it as spicy (or not) as you like! It's up to you to scale up or down the red chili paste or red pepper flakes depending on how hot you like it. I like it spicy, but my kids like it a bit milder, so you can also add chili flakes to your own bowl to give yours more heat.

Is General Tso's chicken healthy?

This rendition is pretty healthy because it's not deep fried like the takeout kind or full of questionable ingredients (I promise you can pronounce everything that goes into it! Well, except maybe "hoisin"... That's a weird one, but not bad for you!)

How to make General Tso's chicken:

1. In a shallow bowl, combine cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Dredge chicken pieces in cornstarch mixture.
2. Cook chicken pieces in batches over medium-high heat, using a few tablespoons of oil to cook each batch.
3. Make sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mixing well.
4. Return chicken to skillet and pour in sauce.
5. Stirring occasionally, cook over medium heat until thickened, about 3 minutes.
6. Serve over rice with your favorite stir fried veggies.

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Other Better Than Takeout Recipes you Might Enjoy:

• Easy Korean Beef and Rice
• Easy Vegetable Curry
• Orange Chicken with Stir Fry Veggies
• How to make egg rolls

Give These Easy Dinner Recipes a Try:

• One Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice
• 15 Simple One Pot Dinners

This post was originally published in 2010, and has been updated and rephotographed in December 2019.

General Tso's chicken is a big flavor, better-than-takeout, everyone-will-love-it dish that is so easy to make and fun to eat!