Better-Than-Takeout General Tso’s Chicken Recipe

Published Jun 19, 2024 By Elle Ann

Image credit: Soul Food Cooking via YouTube

I love takeout food because they are so delicious and convenient especially when I’m too busy or tired to make my own food. I have a couple of favorite dishes and one of them is General Tso’s chicken, and it’s so good to pair with rice or enjoy as is.

If you also love this dish but don’t want to order it from the restaurant, then try doing it at home with the help of this video tutorial and recipe by Soul Food Cooking on YouTube. This copycat recipe is so good and it tastes just as yummy as the original, if not better!

Ingredients for General Tso’s Chicken:

Chicken

3 chicken thighs
2 tbsp of all-purpose flour
3 tbsp of cornstarch
1 egg
½ tsp of salt
2 tbsp of cooking sherry

Sauce

1 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tbsp of cooking sherry
1 tbsp of white vinegar
1 tbsp of minced garlic
¼ cup of water
1/3 cup of sugar
¼ cup of honey
4 whole dried chilies

Additional

Canola oil, for frying
Sesame seeds, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish

How to Make General Tso’s Chicken:

Step 1

Clean the chicken thighs, then pat them dry, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, add the egg, cooking sherry, cornstarch, flour, and salt, then mix them until smooth and combined, add in the chicken pieces, and give them a good mix until well coated. Prepare a deep fryer or plate a large skillet on a stove over medium-high heat, then add in the oil until about 1 inch high, and heat it until it reaches a temperature of 350°F.

Step 2

Add the breaded chicken one at a time, then cook them in batches to not overcrowd the pan, and allow them to fry for about 1 minute. Remove them from the oil and set them aside, then return all of the cooked chicken to the pan, and cook them for an additional 4 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken, then place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain off the excess oil, and prepare the sauce.

Step 3

Place a new pan on the stove, then add the water, honey, sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, cooking sherry, garlic, and white pepper, and whisk them until combined. Let the sauce cook while stirring occasionally until thickened, then add the dried chilies, and mix well before adding in the cooked chicken. Toss everything carefully until evenly coated with the sauce, then garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, and serve. Enjoy!