Easy General Tso’s Chicken
Love takeout but want to be able to make it from home? This Easy General Tso’s Chicken recipe is one of our favorite fake-out takeout Chinese restaurant inspired meals!
QUICK AND EASY AT HOME TAKEOUT
I love eating out or getting takeout just as much as the next person. But I like experimenting how to make some of my favorite restaurant foods (easily) at home. This Easy General Tso’s Chicken is a meal that makes an appearance at my house pretty often these days! This recipe is super easy and super flavorful and it will quickly become one of your new favorites. No frying or breading necessary! So if you are looking to make one of your Chinese restaurant favorites from home, then you need to try this Easy General Tso’s Chicken recipe.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
No you do not. You can make it from scratch. Dice up 1 pound of chicken breast or chicken thighs into 1-inch cubes. Toss the chicken with ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Cook the chicken in ½ inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat until just cooked through (internal temperature 165°F). Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate and then proceed with the sauce directions.
It’s a dish that was created by Chinese American restaurants specifically for the American consumer. It is in no way authentic Chinese. It’s basically fried chicken pieces tossed in a thick sweet and spicy sauce. It may not be authentic Chinese but it is still delicious!
General Tso’s Chicken is a sweet and lightly spicy meal. I kept it on the less spicy side. The spice will come from the chili paste that is in the recipe itself. If you wan’t less spice you can cut back on the chili paste or leave it out but it won’t taste the same in my personal opinion.
We like to serve ours over white rice or with Fried Rice but we also like to sauté some broccoli and add that as a side dish.
This recipe really needs you freshly grated ginger. Ginger is super easy to find in the produce section at your local grocer and you can break pieces off so you aren’t stuck with a huge chunk of ginger that you may or may not use. I promise this makes a huge difference in the final dish.
This can be placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The sauce will continue to soak into the chicken so it will become soggy. You can reheat in the microwave until heated through or pop it in the air fry to try to recover some of that crispiness.
GENERAL TSO CHICKEN INGREDIENTS: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- popcorn chicken (frozen or from the deli)
- chicken stock
- light brown sugar
- soy sauce
- hoisin sauce
- rice wine vinegar
- cornstarch
- sesame oil
- vegetable oil
- garlic
- fresh ginger
- chili paste
HOW TO MAKE EASY GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN:
Cook the popcorn chicken per the directions on the back of the bag for 15 minutes, flipping them halfway through. While the chicken is cooking, gather the ingredients for the sauce. Once the chicken is cooked, this goes together very fast so it is important to have everything ready to go.
Place the chicken stock, brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin, rice wine vinegar, cornstarch, and sesame oil in a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine, make sure the cornstarch is fully mixed in.
Once the chicken is done, make the sauce. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil to the pan once hot. Add the garlic, ginger, chili paste to the oil and fry it, stirring constantly until fragrant, 30 seconds.
Pour in the sauce and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes until thickened slightly.
Add the chicken to the skillet.
Toss chicken in the sauce.
Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, serve immediately.
WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES?
- Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Air Fryer Orange Chicken
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Beef Fried Rice
- Asian Lemon Chicken
- Air Fryer General Tso’s Chicken
- Beef Egg Roll In A Bowl
- Easy Sesame Chicken
- No-Fuss Vegetable Stir Fry
- Vegetable Fried Rice
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Asian Slaw
- Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
Easy General Tso’s Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound popcorn chicken
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon chili paste
- thinly sliced scallion for garnish
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the popcorn chicken per the directions on the back of the bag for 15 minutes, flipping them halfway through. While the chicken is cooking, gather the ingredients for the sauce. Once the chicken is cooked, this goes together very fast so it is important to have everything ready to go.
- Place the chicken stock, brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin, rice wine vinegar, cornstarch, and sesame oil in a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine, make sure the cornstarch is fully mixed in.
- Once the chicken is done, make the sauce. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil to the pan once hot. Add the garlic, ginger, chili paste to the oil and fry it, stirring constantly until fragrant, 30 seconds.
- Pour in the sauce and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes until thickened slightly.
- Add the chicken to the skillet.
- Toss chicken in the sauce.
- Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, serve immediately.
Notes
- You can make your own chicken instead of using popcorn chicken, see my tips above.
- If you do not like spice you can cut back the chili sauce, or omit it but it may not taste the same.
- This can be stored for up to 3-4 days but the sauce will make the breading become soggy over time.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Can you use fresh chicken breasts in this recipe?
I answer that question above in the FAQ (frequently asked question) section 🙂
I followed your recipe to the letter but used a jalapeño sliced and garlic. It was really good and fast. After a day of shopping, very welcome. Thank you.
Diane, do you mean push notifications? To do that you just go to the notifications setting on your phone and then turn off whichever notifications you no longer want. 🙂 Or do you mean my newsletter that gets emailed?