General Tso Chicken

Name: General Tso Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 pound chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch pieces); 1-2 cups flour (for dredging); oil (for frying); 1/4 cup sugar; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 1/4 cup pineapple juice (unsweetened); 1/4 cup white vinegar; 2 cloves garlic (crushed); 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (finely grated); 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 tablespoon cornstarch (mixed with 3 tablespoons water); 4 green onions (sliced)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This General Tso Chicken Recipe is an incredibly flavorful Chinese chicken recipe. It is a delicious, lightly fried, Chinese style chicken that is crispy, sweet, and slightly spicy.

Jared and I love this General Tso Chicken recipe! This is actually the first meal Jared ever made me. He made it for me back when we were dating. How lucky am I to have a husband that loves to cook! With a recipe as good and easy as this, you won’t ever have to, or want to, order-out for Chinese food again.

Jared actually worked for a Chinese take-out restaurant when he was in high school. He learned how to make a bunch of the dishes, so keep a look out for some of his recipes when you are browsing Favorite Family Recipes. General Tso Chicken was his favorite to make and to eat when he worked there.

How do you pronounce “Tso?”

Some people aren’t quite sure how to pronounce “General Tso.” Some say “General Cho”, others I have heard say “General Sow,” or even “General Toes.” I have always pronounced it “General Soh”, but Jared has always called it “General Chow.” I always thought he was way off but I have come to find out he is technically right. At the Chinese restaurant where he worked, it was pronounced “Chow” and the owners of the restaurant assured him that this is the correct way of saying it. There is the Americanized way of saying and the correct Chinese way of saying it, which is indeed “Chow.” No matter how you say it, people will figure out what you are trying to say sooner or later!

More Recipes Like General Tso Chicken

Crock Pot Cashew Chicken: Needing an easy recipe to throw in the slow cooker? This is definitely a reader-favorite recipe. Such an easy weeknight dinner idea!
Panda Express Chow Mein: Need a side dish to go with your meal? This is one of my favorites!
Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp: This shrimp has got to be my favorite thing at Bonefish Grill, hands down. Guess what? It is SO easy to make at home-check it out!
Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu): This is a delicious recipe for the smoker or grill. The pork is moist, tender, and flavorful.
Sesame Chicken Stir Fry: This is a low-calorie option if you are craving Chinese food but want keep it on the healthier side.
Check out ALL our Asian-inspired recipes HERE

How to make this General Tso Chicken Recipe

Anyway, back to the recipe. Now that we are married, General Tso Chicken is a favorite recipe for our whole family. Our kids love it! We love cooking it up with our Restaurant Ham Fried Rice and some steamed veggies on the side. We also like throwing pineapple right in with the chicken to make it go further. It is also delicious to add bell peppers or chili peppers in with the chicken. Do what you think your family would like best!