General Tso’s Chicken Recipe – Crispy, Sweet, and Spicy Takeout-Style Favorite Made at Home
General Tso’s Chicken is a crispy, sweet, and spicy takeout-style dish made with golden fried chicken pieces tossed in a tangy soy, vinegar, and chili sauce. Perfect served over rice for a classic homemade Chinese-inspired meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
Ingredients
Scale
- 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: Toss chicken with flour, paprika, and garlic salt.
- Fry: Fry chicken in hot oil until golden and cooked through.
- Make Sauce: Combine sugar, water, vinegar, salt, soy sauce, and chili flakes in a saucepan.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
- Combine: Add fried chicken and coat well in sauce.
- Thicken: Simmer uncovered for about 12 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Serve: Serve hot over rice.
Notes
- Use cornstarch for extra crispy chicken.
- Adjust chili flakes for more or less heat.
- Best served immediately while crispy.