General Tsos Chicken (Printable)

Crispy chicken coated in sweet tangy sauce with aromatic ginger, garlic, and dried chilies.

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Chicken

01 - 1.3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1 tbsp soy sauce
04 - 1 tsp sesame oil
05 - ¼ tsp white pepper
06 - 1 cup cornstarch
07 - ½ cup all-purpose flour
08 - Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

→ For the Sauce

09 - ½ cup chicken broth
10 - 3 tbsp soy sauce
11 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
12 - 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
13 - 3 tbsp sugar
14 - 1 tbsp cornstarch
15 - 1 tbsp water (for slurry)
16 - 2 tsp sesame oil
17 - 1 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine (optional)

→ Stir-fry & Garnish

18 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
19 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
20 - 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
21 - 6-8 dried red chilies (or 1–2 tsp chili flakes, to taste)
22 - 2 spring onions, sliced
23 - Steamed white rice, for serving
24 - Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

# How-To:

01 - Whisk eggs with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, and white pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat thoroughly.
02 - Mix cornstarch and flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge each chicken piece in the mixture, shaking off excess coating.
03 - Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or wok to 350°F. Fry chicken in batches until golden and crispy, about 4–5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towels to drain.
04 - Combine chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and Shaoxing wine (if using) in a small bowl. Mix cornstarch with 1 tbsp water to make a slurry, then stir into the sauce mixture.
05 - Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a clean wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add dried chilies, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
06 - Pour in the sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens and becomes glossy, about 2–3 minutes.
07 - Add the fried chicken pieces and toss until evenly coated in the sauce. Serve immediately over steamed rice, topped with spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce achieves that restaurant quality gloss without needing fancy techniques or hard to find ingredients
  • Chicken thighs stay impossibly juicy even after double frying and sauce tossing
  • You can customize the heat level from gentle warmth to serious kick without changing anything else
02 -
  • The sauce continues thickening off the heat, so pull it slightly earlier than you think is necessary
  • Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature and makes the coating soggy, so fry in small batches
  • Room temperature chicken fries more evenly than cold straight from the fridge
03 -
  • Cut chicken into uniform pieces so everything finishes cooking at the same time
  • Let the coated chicken rest for 10 minutes before frying to help the coating adhere better
  • Double frying is optional but creates that restaurant style crunch that lasts even under sauce
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