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general tso's chicken served on a square white plate with egg rolls in the background

Easy General Tso's Chicken

Course: Main
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Chicken, Comfort Food, Easy, Family Friendly, Spicy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 700kcal
Author: Marilyn
Nothing beats this Easy General Tso's Chicken recipe. You can find the popular General Tso’s chicken in many Chinese restaurants in the United States. However making it at home is easier than you think with the added bonus that you can control the spiciness and sweetness of this popular Chinese-American dish.
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Ingredients

Marinade

  • 1 egg white
  • 7 tablespoons cornstarch divided
  • cup soy sauce divided
  • 1-½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch chunks

Sauce

  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
  • 4 green onions white and light green parts sliced

Fried chicken pieces

  • 3 cups canola oil (approximate) divided
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic

Serving suggestions

  • White sesame seeds for garnish
  • 3 cups steamed broccoli
  • 3 cups cooked white rice

Instructions

Marinade

  • In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and the toasted sesame oil. Add the chicken, stirring to coat. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Sauce

  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, sugar, chile-garlic sauce, the remaining ¼ cup of soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
  • In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat until shimmering. Add the ginger and garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the broth mixture and the green onions; cook, stirring, 3 minutes or until thickened and glossy. Keep the sauce warm over low heat.

Fried chicken pieces

  • In a wok or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add ½-inch of oil and heat until shimmering. Using tongs, carefully add the chicken, one piece at a time in batches. Cook, turning once, 4 minutes or until browned and crispy. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces, adding more oil as necessary. Drain the chicken on paper towels.
  • Add the chicken to the sauce and cook, folding gently with a spatula, 30 seconds or until coated with sauce.

Serving suggestions:

  • Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with the steamed broccoli and cooked white rice.

Notes

Do not use boneless skinless chicken breasts as they dry out too quickly and get tough.
If the chicken thighs are thicker in some sections you may want to cut them horizontally for more evenly sized pieces.
For a spicier dish, add chili pepper flakes when you add the chicken to the sauce in step 5.
If you don't have a wok use a Dutch oven.
Storage: General Tso's Chicken can be refrigerated in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days or it can be frozen for 2 to 3 months. 
Nutrition calculations: 
The total calorie and nutrition facts make an estimate for the amount of oil that is used in cooking the chicken. We used ½ cup in our calculation. This is based upon the amount of oil that was leftover after cooking. 
The nutrition facts also include the broccoli and the white rice. If you change your side dishes, these amounts will change.

Nutrition

Calories: 700kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1301mg | Potassium: 702mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 572IU | Vitamin C: 64mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 3mg