General Tso’s Chicken Recipe: Crispy, Sweet, and Spicy Takeout-Style Favorite Made at Home
General Tso’s Chicken is a sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy Chinese-American dish made with crispy fried chicken pieces coated in a rich savory sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Fry + Simmer
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, cubed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (or cornstarch)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic salt
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
- Oil for frying (about 3/4 cup)
Instructions
- Coat chicken pieces in flour, paprika, and garlic salt.
- Fry chicken in hot oil in batches until golden and cooked through.
- In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, vinegar, salt, soy sauce, and chili flakes.
- Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
- Add fried chicken to the sauce and coat well.
- Simmer uncovered for about 12 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Serve hot over rice.
Notes
- Use cornstarch for extra crispy chicken.
- Adjust chili flakes to control spice level.
- Best served immediately for crisp texture.