the Ultimate Guide to Crispy Homemade General Tso’s Chicken
General Tso’s Chicken is a crispy, sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy Chinese-American dish made with fried chicken coated in a glossy chili-soy sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dinner
- 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
- 3/4 cup oil (for frying)
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp red chili pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Coat chicken pieces in flour, paprika, and garlic salt.
- Heat oil in a pan and fry chicken in batches until golden and crispy. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, vinegar, salt, soy sauce, and chili flakes.
- Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened.
- Add fried chicken into the sauce and toss until fully coated and glossy.
- Simmer for a few minutes to let flavors combine, then serve hot.
Notes
- Fry chicken in batches to keep it crispy.
- Adjust chili flakes for more or less heat.
- Serve with steamed rice for best results.