General Tso’s chicken
- Preparation 15 min
- Cooking 45 min
- Servings 4
- Freezing I do not suggest
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📖 Created for my first book
I created this General Tao chicken recipe, better known as General Tso’s chicken, for my first book, which came out in 2016. I wanted a version that was mine: sweet, really sweet, but still pretty tangy. I suggest you try it, because it’s ridiculously good.
⚖️ Vinegar against brown sugar
What makes the difference is the balance between the vinegar and the brown sugar. The sugar is right there, no hiding, and the vinegar holds it in place so the sauce stays lively instead of cloying. Around it, cubes of chicken in a tempura batter, fried until they’re deep golden.
🍚 Eat it right away
General Tao chicken is meant to be eaten while the coating is still crisp. I serve it over rice, with broccoli, green beans and bell peppers. And if deep-frying makes you hesitate, there’s my air fryer General Tso’s tofu, the no-fry option.
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🧊 Ice-cold water in the tempura.
Make your tempura mix with ice-cold water. The colder the water, the crispier the coating.
🌡️ Oil at 350°F, and let it come back up.
Heat the oil to 350°F (180°C) before you start. And between batches, wait for the oil to come back up to 350°F. If you don’t, the coating won’t cook properly and it stays soft. A thermometer takes the guesswork out, but the little drop of batter from step 2 does the job too.
🥢 Small batches, well browned.
Fry a few pieces at a time, otherwise they’ll stick together into one big loaf. If that happens, gently pull them apart with tongs. Count 6 to 8 minutes in total, and it has to be well browned: the more golden the chicken, the crispier it is.
📄 Two minutes on paper towels, not one more.
Out of the oil, two minutes MAXIMUM on paper towels, then onto a rack, in a single layer. If the pieces sit on the paper or get stacked up, the coating goes soft.
🍗 Breasts or thighs.
I used breasts. Thighs work too.
🍶 No white wine? Rice vinegar.
Swap it for rice vinegar, lightly diluted with water.
📅 Make ahead.
The sauce and the vegetables can be prepped ahead, so you only have to pull them out at the right moment. The frying, though, happens at the last minute: it’s meant to be eaten right away, while the coating is crisp.
✅ What to serve with my General Tao chicken?
Over rice, first, and if you want to get it right, there’s my rice cooking guide. Add broccoli, like my air fryer broccoli, and green beans, like my Thai-style sautéed green beans. The bell peppers are already in the pan. For a no-fry version, it’s my air fryer General Tso’s tofu.
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General Tao chicken
- 2 cups (500 ml) tempura mix
- 3 to 4 cups (750 ml to 1 L) canola oil
- 500 g (1.1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) peanut oil
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) sesame oil
- ½ red bell pepper, sliced
- ½ green bell pepper, sliced
- 2 green onions, sliced (keep a few slices for garnish)
- Sesame seeds
General Tao sauce
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) white vinegar
- ¾ cup (180 ml) brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) white wine
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) Sriracha
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) fresh ginger, grated
- 4 teaspoons (20 ml) cornstarch, dissolved in ¼ cup (60 ml) cold water
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Preparation
- In a bowl, prepare the tempura batter mix following the instructions on the box. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, pour in enough canola oil to reach about 2 inches (5 cm) deep. Heat the oil to 350°F (180°C). It needs to be hot enough to sear the batter without burning it. Test with a small drop before you start!
- Dip the chicken pieces in the batter and drop them right away into the hot oil, one piece at a time. Fry in small batches, otherwise the pieces will stick together and form a loaf. If that happens, gently separate them with tongs. Fry on all sides for 6 to 8 minutes in total, until the chicken is deep golden! The more golden the chicken, the crispier it will be.
- Lift the chicken out of the oil, drain it and set it on paper towels for 2 minutes MAXIMUM. Then move the cooked pieces to a rack, in a single layer only. If the chicken sits on the paper towels too long or the pieces are stacked on top of each other, the coating will go soft!!! Keep going with the rest of the chicken.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients (except the cornstarch mixture) and mix well. Set aside.
- In another large skillet or a wok over high heat, heat the peanut and sesame oils. Add the bell peppers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Pour onto a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan over medium heat, add the sauce and the cornstarch mixture and stir well. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens, which should go pretty fast!
- Add the chicken, bell peppers and green onions and toss to coat everything! Keep cooking for 2 minutes and take off the heat.
- Serve over rice, add plenty of sesame seeds to taste and top with green onions!
It’s cubes of chicken fried in a crisp coating, then tossed in a sauce that’s sweet, tangy and a little spicy. You’ll see it written General Tso or General Tao, it’s the same dish. Mine is really sweet, but the vinegar keeps it tangy, and that balance is what makes it work.
A tempura mix, prepared following the instructions on the box, but with ice-cold water: the colder it is, the crispier the coating. Dip the chicken cubes and drop them right away into the hot oil, one piece at a time.
Water, white vinegar, brown sugar, white wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce, Sriracha and fresh grated ginger, thickened with cornstarch dissolved in cold water. A few minutes in the pan and it thickens fast. No white wine? Lightly diluted rice vinegar does the job.
I don’t have an air fryer General Tao chicken. What I do have is my air fryer General Tso’s tofu, if you want a no-fry version.
Over rice, with broccoli and green beans. Try my air fryer broccoli and my Thai-style sautéed green beans. For the rice, my rice cooking guide shows you how.
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