Description
This General Tso’s Chicken recipe features tender, crispy double-fried chicken thighs coated in a rich, tangy, and slightly spicy sauce made with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and chili paste. Perfectly balanced and bursting with flavor, it’s a restaurant-quality dish you can easily make at home and serve with steamed rice for an authentic Asian-inspired meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 1 pound chicken thighs, boneless skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups potato starch
Sauce
- 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons sake (Japanese rice wine)
- 2 tablespoons chili paste (Gochujang or Sriracha)
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Other
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Heat the oil: Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep-frying skillet set over medium heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C), preparing for frying the chicken.
- Season the chicken: In a medium bowl, combine the chicken pieces with salt and black pepper, mixing well to evenly season.
- Coat the chicken: Add 8-10 pieces of the seasoned chicken to the potato starch, tossing to fully coat each piece.
- First fry: Carefully add the coated chicken pieces to the hot oil and fry for 4-5 minutes until they start to crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and place it on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat for all chicken pieces, letting the oil return to 350°F between batches.
- Second fry: Fry the chicken again in 2-3 batches for approximately 3 minutes per batch until the chicken is golden brown, crispy, and fully cooked.
- Prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together the soy sauce, grated ginger, minced garlic, sake, chili paste, hoisin sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, and red chili flakes. Whisk in the cornstarch until smooth and lump-free.
- Cook the sauce: Heat a large wok or skillet over medium heat and pour in the sauce mixture. Stir continuously with a whisk until it thickens, about 3 minutes. If too thick, add water 2 tablespoons at a time to reach desired consistency.
- Toss chicken in sauce: Add the double-fried chicken pieces to the thickened sauce and gently toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately with steamed rice and optionally garnish with sliced green onions.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Double frying the chicken produces an extra crispy texture typical of General Tso’s chicken.
- Adjust chili paste and red chili flakes to your preferred spice level.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute soy sauce with tamari and verify all other sauces are gluten-free.
- Serve with steamed white rice or fried rice for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/4 recipe)
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
