My general Tso chicken recipe is a little different than what is usually served in Chinese restaurants across the globe. My version is baked, not fried, and comes with a sauce that has the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and sour. The use of crushed cornflakes makes the exterior of the chicken extra crispy without feeling oily. It’s so good that I prefer it over the real thing!
General Tso chicken is one of the most popular dishes served in Chinese restaurants across the United States and Canada. The dish is made of chicken pieces that have been dipped in egg and cornstarch and deep fried until crispy. The fried chicken is then tossed in a sweet and tangy gooey sauce and sometimes topped with sesame seeds.
While I do love the traditional way of serving general Tso chicken, sometimes I find the dish a little too oily and heavy. After succeeding at making a baked version of chicken katsu, I thought of trying a similar technique for general Tso. Instead of using panko breadcrumbs I chose cornflakes to give the exterior a super crispy, deep fried-like texture. I find that by baking the chicken this way, the outside stays crispy longer because no oil is used. This recipe is very easy to follow and is a hit with both adults and kids!
Table of contents
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Chicken: I always use pasture raised organic chicken because of its superior taste and best humane practices. I’m using boneless and skinless chicken breast but if you enjoy eating the skin, feel free to get one with the skin on!
- All-purpose flour: The flour acts as a glue for the whisked egg to stick to the chicken pieces.
- Eggs: One large egg, preferably pasture raised since they taste so much better!
- Corn flakes: The corn flakes should be crushed in sizes small enough to stick to the chicken pieces and and uniformly cover them.
- Sauce: A mixture of chicken broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sriracha sauce, rice vinegar, salt, and cornstarch. The mixture of all of these ingredients yields a sauce that’s savory, sweet, a little spicy, and tangy.
- Additional seasonings: The seasonings are optional but highly recommended! The toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds add plenty of nuttiness, and the Chinese dried red chilies add an element of smokiness and some extra heat.
Variations
- Make it vegan: Yes, you can make this dish vegan! Just follow my recipe for general Tso tofu – you won’t believe how good tofu can be!
- Make it more nutritious: For the sauce, swap the sugar for honey. Add some veggies by using 1 sliced bell pepper and 1/2 small chopped onion. Pan fry the bell pepper and onion for a few minute until the pieces are tender, and add them to the skillet once the chicken is coated with the sauce.
How To Make It
- Slice the chicken into bite size pieces.
- Dip the chicken in flour, egg, and corn flakes, and place them on a cooking tray covered with parchment paper.
- Bake at 450ºF for 13 to 15 minutes.
- Add the ingredients for the sauce, except for the cornstarch, to a small pot, and bring it to a low simmer.
- Make the cornstarch slurry and add it to the bubbling sauce, while stirring.
- Take the crispy chicken out of the oven and add it to a large skillet. Pour the sauce over the pieces and keep tossing until they are evenly coated.
- Add the additional seasonings and serve immediately.
Expert Tip
- Get the right color on the corn flakes: This will determine whether or not the corn flakes will remain crispy for a long time or a short time. In my instructions I mention to bake for about 13 to 15 minutes, but this could change depending on the type of oven you have. Yours make bake faster or slower than mine. Therefore, keep an eye on the corn flakes since they will tell you when the baking process is done. Look for a deep golden brown color, and also make sure that the chicken is fully cooked.
Storage and Reheating
Fridge: I recommend eating this dish fresh out of the skillet but if you end up with some leftovers, transfer them to an airtight storage container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Freezer: While some recipes will say that you can freeze general Tso chicken, I don’t recommend that you do. A big part of what makes this dish so irresistible is the crispy outside and the tenderness of the chicken. Freezing it will destroy both of these qualities and render the corn flakes mushy.
Reheating: To keep the chicken from overcooking and drying up, microwave on medium for a few minutes, until you are satisfied with the temperature. It can also be warmed up in a skillet with a little oil. Wait until the oil is hot before adding the chicken to keep the sauce from sticking to the skillet.
What To Serve With My General Tso Chicken Recipe
General Tso chicken is a pretty filling dish. This recipe makes enough for 4 people when served with a side of rice, for a regular size meal. If you are starving or like to eat bigger portions (because it’s so tasty!), I recommend doubling the recipe. To complete my meal, I like to stick to other Asian dishes that are on the lighter side like vegetables or soups. I also like to serve it with a simple fried rice or stir fried noodles instead of plain white rice.
Some of my favorite dishes that I like to pair with general Tso chicken are: Egg fried rice, Japanese fried rice (yakimeshi), Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce, bok choy with garlic and oyster sauce, egg drop soup, miso soup, hot and sour soup, Chinese green beans with garlic sauce, dan dan noodles, fried noodles with soy sauce, vegetable egg rolls, ad mushroom and cabbage dumplings.
Other popular Chinese takeout recipes you might like: Moo goo gai pan, sesame chicken, Singapore chow mei fun, restaurant style fried rice, smacked cucumber with chili oil, Szechuan potatoes with chili and vinegar, and mu shu tofu.
Frequently Asked Questions
No it isn’t. The recipes calls for soy sauce and all-purpose flour which contain gluten, and corn flakes, which contain sweeteners that have gluten in them. To make it gluten-free, swap regular cornflakes for a gluten-free brand such as Nature’s Path, and use gluten-free flour and soy sauce, or tamari.
Yes you can. I have never tried it myself but others who have done it said it was just as delicious!
Yes you can make it without sriracha sauce. You can simply omit it or replace it with ketchup instead.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Print
General Tso Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Poultry
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Chinese American
Description
An easy general Tso chicken recipe that’s baked, not fried! Tender and crispy chicken tossed in a tangy and sweet sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 2 cups crushed corn flakes
General Tso Sauce
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Additional Seasonings (Optional)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 Chinese dried red chilies, finely sliced
- Sesame seeds, as garnish
Instructions
- Turn the oven on: Move one of the oven racks to the upper-middle part and preheat the oven to 450ºF.
- Prep the cooking tray: Cover a large cooking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- Set up dipping station: Place three large bowls one next to another and fill the first one with flour, the second with eggs and the last one with crushed corn flakes.
- Dip the chicken: Dip each piece of chicken in flour and egg and cover with crushed cornflakes, while gently pressing to coat. Place them on the cooking tray.
- Bake: Bake in the oven for about 13 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the cornflakes are golden brown.
- Make the sauce: Meanwhile, add the chicken broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sriracha sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar, to a medium size pot, and bring to a gentle boil.
- Add the cornstarch slurry: Give the cornstarch and water a quick stir and slowly add to the sauce, while constantly stirring. Turn the heat off once the sauce has thickened.
- Coat the chicken with the sauce: Take the chicken out of the oven and transfer it to a large skillet. Turn the heat on to low and pour the sauce over the chicken, coating each piece evenly while tossing.
- Add the additional seasoning: If you are using the sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil, and dried red chilies, this is the time to add them.
- Serve: Turn the heat off, transfer to a plate and serve immediately.
Notes
Save the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 398
- Sugar: 10.9g
- Sodium: 857mg
- Fat: 4.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55.3g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 8.4g
- Cholesterol: 168.6mg
This is sooo good! I used two medium chicken breasts and it was the perfect amount of everything. And we have leftovers so ours did make four servings. My doctor has me on a very low fat diet for a medical condition and I’m so happy to have found this. Not a drop of oil and the restaurant versions have so much of it. Thank you for a great recipe!
Thank you so much Tom!
Opted to not use the broth and thickner. Huge flavor! Major hit with my little one =)
Question: Has anyone substituted the 1/4 cup of flour with cornstarch? My husband must avoid wheat.
Just made this and it was delicious! I did read the comments about portion size and doubled the recipe for me and my husband so we can have this a few nights this week.
I subbed out the cornflakes for Japanese style Panko (you can find at any Wal-Mart) and chili garlic sauce for the Sriracha (1/2 amount of what recipe recommends) and it was amazing!
I did most in the oven but tested one out in the Air Fryer and it cooked great.
I would also recommend flipping the chicken half way through baking to ensure both sides are crisp whether you go classic oven method or Air Fryer 🙂
Definitely a must try recipe!!!