My 30-Minute General Tso’s Chicken Is Restaurant-Worthy

At my house, the presentation of General Tso’s chicken at the dinner table is typically in a white paper takeout carton or Styrofoam clamshell. Those gooey little nuggets still manage to hit the spot even though I know they’ll be subpar: too soggy, too greasy, too sweet. The deep-fried nature of General Tso’s doesn’t hold up to travel well, even across town.

For a General Tso’s worth remembering, plan ahead and make it at home. It feels magical to conjure up a super-fresh upgrade of a Chinese takeout classic, and the results are transformative. The exterior is crispy and glistening with superbly balanced sauce. The chicken itself is juicy and piping hot. Pair it with steamed white rice to capture all that sauce and everyone will be spellbound.

Takeout will always be there on those “I can’t even” nights, but be warned: after making this superlative General Tso’s, you may have to pivot to another menu item when you order in. 

What To Know About Making General Tso’s Chicken

Many recipes for General Tso’s chicken involve a marination step, but because the sauce here is so flavorful, we skip marination to streamline the recipe.

General Tso’s chicken involves deep-frying, but with a little prep and pluck it comes together without a hitch. Just take it step by step, set out all your ingredients before you start, and stick to your station once you get going. All told, the frying process only takes about 15 minutes.

You’ll often see cornstarch in frying recipes because cornstarch helps make fried foods crispy. Since cornstarch doesn’t brown well, in this recipe you’ll mix it with all-purpose flour to enable a golden-brown exterior. It’s a win-win combo.

Tips for Making General Tso’s Chicken

• If you don’t have a thermometer, try this go-to trick for Chinese cooks. Stick a wooden chopstick in the hot oil. If you see a few bubbles that don’t move quickly, keep heating. Lots of bubbling around the chopstick means the oil is about 350°F, ready for you to start frying. 
• Frying the chicken in batches keeps the pan from getting too crowded. Too much chicken in the oil at once makes its temperature drop, resulting in pale, less crispy chicken. 
• You can use chicken breast here, but thighs hold up the frying better, delivering juicy and tender chicken in each bite.
• My mom never drains fried food on paper towels. Instead, she uses newspaper, which works just as well.

Make-Ahead

This dish is best eaten right after it’s made, but you can whisk the sauce together up to three days in advance and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Wait until right before cooking to add the cornstarch so it doesn’t thicken on the bottom of the sauce. You can also cut the chicken pieces up to two days in advance and refrigerate them in an airtight container.

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