General Tso S Chicken Recipe: History, Variations and Easy Preparation

General Tso’s chicken is a Chinese-American battered chicken dish served in many restaurants. It uses small chicken cubes, a light egg-and-cornflour coating, and a soy-based sauce with ginger, garlic, spring onions, and dried chilli. It serves 4 and takes about 15 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to cook in a wok.

The dish is often linked to Hunan province in China and to Zuo Zongtang (General Tso). The stories about its exact heritage are likely not reliable. It is more likely based on similar Hunan-style flavours, then shaped to suit American diners. This recipe keeps the same sweet, savoury, and spicy balance.

The chicken is traditionally deep-fried for a crisp coating. You can also shallow-fry it and still get good colour and flavour. Shallow-frying uses less oil and feels easier for many home cooks. In both methods, the sauce finishes the dish quickly, so it stays glossy and coats the chicken well.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Measure everything before you start, as the cooking moves fast once the oil is hot. Keep the sauce mix ready in a bowl so you can pour it in at the right moment. Use dark meat for a juicier bite, or use white meat if that is what you have at home.

• Chicken and batter: 750 g boneless, skinless chicken dark meat, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 1 egg
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) light soy sauce
• Seasoning, to taste
• 20–30 g (2–3 tbsp) cornflour (cornstarch), as needed
• 700 ml (about 3 cups) oil for deep-frying, or enough for shallow-frying

• Sauce: 30 ml (2 tbsp) dark soy sauce
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) rice vinegar
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) red Shaoxing rice wine
• 12 g (1 tbsp) sugar
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) chicken stock or water
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) finely chopped ginger
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) crushed and minced garlic
• 8 g (1 tbsp) cornflour (cornstarch), optional, to thicken

• Vegetables: 4 spring onions, chopped
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped dried chilli peppers

Equipment

Use a wok if you have one, as it heats fast and suits both frying and stir-frying. Keep tools close to the hob so you do not step away from hot oil. A clean bowl for sauce and a plate lined with paper towel also help manage the flow of cooking.

• Wok (or deep frying pan)
• Mixing bowl for batter
• Small bowl for sauce
• Knife and chopping board
• Slotted spoon or tongs
• Measuring spoons and jug
• Kitchen paper for draining
• Thermometer (helpful for deep-frying)

Procedure

Cut the chicken evenly so it cooks at the same speed. Mix the egg, light soy sauce, and seasoning first, then coat the chicken. Add cornflour until the mixture clings to the chicken and looks like a thick batter. Stir the sauce well so there are no lumps before you start frying.

1. Cut chicken into 2 cm cubes.
2. Beat the egg with light soy sauce and seasoning in a bowl.
3. Add chicken, then stir in 2–3 tbsp cornflour until the coating thickens.
4. In a second bowl, mix all sauce ingredients. Stir until smooth, then set aside.
5. Heat oil in a wok. For deep-frying, aim for 180°C.
6. Deep-fry in batches until crisp, about 3 minutes, or shallow-fry until cooked and golden. Drain excess oil.
7. Carefully empty and wipe the wok. Add 30 ml (2 tbsp) oil and return to heat.
8. Fry spring onions and dried chilli for about 30 seconds.
9. Add chicken and stir-fry with the vegetables until lightly browned.
10. Stir the sauce again, pour it in, bring to a boil, then cook about 1 minute until it thickens.
11. Remove from heat and serve straight away.

Notes, tips, and variations

Serve General Tso’s chicken with steamed rice or fried rice to catch the extra sauce. If you do not have Shaoxing rice wine, use dry sherry instead. You can swap spring onions for a small onion. Adjust dried chilli up or down to match your heat level.

If you like more sauce, increase the sauce mix in the same balance of soy, vinegar, wine, sugar, and stock. Dark meat is preferred, yet white meat also works, or use a mix. If you add the optional cornflour in the sauce, whisk it in well so it thickens smoothly once it boils.

Warnings and food safety

Handle raw chicken with care. Wash hands, knives, boards, and bowls that touch raw chicken. Keep raw chicken and its juices away from other foods unless they will be cooked. Hot oil can burn or start a fire, so stay close to the wok and work in small batches.

Nutritional values (approx. per serving)

These values are approximate and change with oil absorption, exact cuts of chicken, and how much sauce you use. Deep-frying often increases total fat more than shallow-frying. For a more exact count, weigh cooked portions and check labels for your soy sauces, stock, and sugar.

For best texture, serve the dish as soon as the sauce thickens, while the coating is still crisp. If you plan to pair it with rice, start the rice first so both finish close together. Keep extra dried chilli on the side so each person can adjust heat without changing the whole wok.