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General Tso’s Chicken

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General Tso Chicken – this is an easy homemade takeout recipe you can make in just minutes any night of the week.  A lighter version without deep fried chicken, but still so full of flavor with just a little kick. 

We love Asian food, but I don’t always love getting take out. It can be heavy, greasy, and not always that fresh.  But this recipe is light and healthier, but still all the same great flavors! The sauce has a little spice and all that great taste that you know and love from traditional general tso chicken. 

You can even serve with Egg Drop Soup to make it like a traditional Chinese take out meal!

Homemade general tso chicken is so easy and delicious!

 

What is General Tso Chicken

It is a dish that is often served at American Chinese restaurants. It is not a native Chinese dish, but something that was founded here in the states.  It is named after Zuo Zongtang, a Qing dynasty statesman, but that is the only real ties to China. It is traditionally made with breaded deep fried chicken in a rich sweet and spicy sauce that is served over rice. 

For this homemade recipe the chicken is coated in cornstarch before it is sauteed in oil. This gives it a little bit of crunch without the heavy breading or dealing with deep frying at home.

Skip the take out and make your favorite General Tso chicken at home!

 

How to Make General Tso Chicken

  1. Start by coating the chicken.  The chicken sits for about 20 minutes in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and an egg white. This makes sure the chicken stays super tender and a little crispy on the outside.  The chicken soaks up all the flavor so it gets a ton of flavor throughout.
  2. Next mix together the ingredients for the sauce.  Chicken broth, ginger, chili garlic sauce, sugar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and garlic all get whisked together. 
  3. In a large skillet you heat a little bit of oil over high heat to cook the chicken.  The chicken is cut into small pieces, so it only takes a few minutes for it to be browned and cooked through.  Remove from the pan and keep warm while you make the sauce.  
  4. Pour the sauce mixture into the pan and cook for a few minutes until it is thick and glossy.  Add the chicken back to the pan and make sure everything is well coated.  
  5. Serve the chicken over white rice. I like to garnish with green onions but you could use sesame seeds or just serve with the sauce.  

You can easily add any veggies you like to this recipe.  Mix in broccoli, bell peppers or even snow peas or a full meal.  

Easy General Tso Chicken Recipe is perfect for busy weeknights

 

This General Tso Chicken recipe is such a great weeknight recipe. You can get it on the table in no time and so much better than any take out!  I love that you can add whatever veggies you have on hand, make it spicier or milder based on what you like and really just make it your own.  If you have chicken thighs or chicken breasts, this is a great twist on chicken night!  

Other great Asian Recipes To Try

General Tso Chicken - this is an easy homemade takeout recipe you can make in just minutes any night of the week.  A lighter version without deep fried chicken, but still so full of flavor with just a little kick. 

Yield: 4

General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken

General Tso Chicken - this is an easy homemade takeout recipe you can make in just minutes any night of the week.  A lighter version without deep fried chicken, but still so full of flavor with just a little kick. 

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 egg white
  • 5 Tbsp soy sauce, divided
  • 5 Tbsp cornstarch, divided
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, , cut into bit sized pieces
  • 2 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tsp chili garlic sauce
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp ginger, grated
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 cups cooked White Rice

Instructions

  1. In a bowl combine sesame oil, egg white, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 4 Tbsp cornstarch. Whisk until smooth (make take a minute). Add the chicken, tossing to coat. Let sit for 20 minutes.
  2. In a liquid measuring cup mix together chicken broth, ginger, chili garlic sauce, sugar, 4 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, and garlic. Whisk until combined. Set aside.
  3. In a large skillet heat 2 Tbsp canola oil over high heat. Slowly add the chicken. Cook for about 3 minutes aside, until cooked through. Remove from pan, cover with foil, and set aside.
  4. Add the soy sauce mixture to the pan, heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. It should start to chicken, and turn glossy. Add the chicken back to the pan. Stir until coated. Remove from heat. Serve over white rice, garnish with green onions.

Notes

Adapted from From Arepas to Zwetschgen

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per ServingCalories 344 Saturated Fat 1g Cholesterol 74mg Sodium 1388mg Carbohydrates 28g Sugar 7g Protein 28g
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.
© Erin S
Cuisine: American / Category: Dinner Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Shelley C says

    Oh my gosh, brilliant choice – I LOVE General Tso’s Chicken, and I also, like you, love trying to make at home versions of my takeout favorites. Your chicken looks delicious – I will absolutely be trying this!!

    Reply

  18. Amy says

    Hi there! I am making this right now for dinner tonight. I do have a question though. In the directions, it says to add garlic into the soy sauce mixture but there is no garlic in the ingredient list. Also, the soy sauce recipe calls for 1/4 cup of soy sauce, but out of the 4 TBS that equal 1/4 cup it looks like I have used 1 TBS already in the chicken mixture, so that should only be 3 TBS left to add to the soy sauce mixture. I promise I am not being picky or mean, but just want to let you know that there are a few confusions in the recipe. I am going to go ahead and make it as listed this time though because all your recipes that I have made have always been awesome!!!!!! Thanks! 🙂

    Reply

    • Erin says

      Amy,

      Thanks for the comment. Ok, I just googled tablespoons and got conflicting answers. I always thought 3 Tbls = 1/4 of a cup. Some answers did say 3 but some said 4. I will update the recipe with just Tbls so it is less confusing. As for the garlic, sorry completely forgot to add that in. That was my addition to the original recipe. If you don’t use it, it will still be good.

      Reply

      • Amy says

        Hi again, Erin! Thanks for the response and even without the garlic, the recipe was delicious!!!!!!! I really did not have any doubt about that! Even my super picky 9 year old daughter loved it!!! 🙂

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