Get ready to elevate your takeout game with our homemade oven baked General Tso’s Chicken Recipe. Crispy, tangy, and perfectly glazed, this dish brings the iconic flavors of your favorite takeout restaurant straight to your kitchen without the deep fryer fuss. Prepare for a dish that will finally have you saying goodbye to the delivery menu!
Table of Contents
- This recipe is…
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- General Tso’s Chicken Recipe Ingredients
- Recipe Variations and Modifications
- How to Make General Tso’s Chicken
- Recipe Tips
- How to Serve
- How to Store and Reheat
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Favorite Chicken Recipes
- Crispy General Tso’s Chicken (Oven & Air Fryer Method!) Recipe
This recipe is…
Throw out the takeout menu because we’ve got your cravings covered with our homemade oven baked General Tso’s Chicken recipe. Forget the deep-fryer drama – we’re taking a healthier spin on the dish without compromising an ounce of flavor.
Picture this: crispy, golden chicken pieces bathed in a sweet and tangy sauce. It’s the perfect balance of crunch and saucy satisfaction, and the best part? It can all be made in the oven.
For more Asian-inspired recipes, check out our oven baked orange chicken, Instant Pot bourbon chicken, and our sheet pan sweet and sour chicken recipes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s easy – you’re seriously going to be amazed at how easy this recipe is to pull together. General Tso’s is no longer a restaurant exclusive – you can make it really simply in your own kitchen!
- It’s DELICIOUS – if you’ve had General Tso’s chicken before, you know how darn delicious it is. It’s the perfect combination of sweet, tangy, and spicy – you’re going to love it!
General Tso’s Chicken Recipe Ingredients
I know the ingredient photo may feel a little intimidating – the list isn’t small, but rest assured that it is simple. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Arrowroot flour – feel free to substitute the arrowroot flour for cornstarch or tapioca starch if you have either of those on hand already.
- Chili garlic sauce – this sauce can typically be found at the grocery store, but it may be hard to find if you don’t know what you’re looking for. For reference, this is the brand we swear by. If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, feel free to double the amount of garlic for the sauce and add in 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (to taste) instead.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Make it gluten free – use tamari instead of soy sauce to make this recipe gluten free.
How to Make General Tso’s Chicken
The process for making this General Tso’s chicken recipe is really, really easy. Below, you’ll find the step-by-step for the oven method, but if you’ve got an air fryer and would rather go that route, you can find the instructions for that method in the recipe card.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then lightly spray it with the avocado oil spray, or brush it with half of the avocado oil.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white, corn starch, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat.
Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch, white rice flour, and sea salt. Remove the chicken from the marinade then dredge in the flour mixture, shake off the excess flour, and lay the chicken on the baking sheet.
Step 4: Lightly spray the chicken with avocado oil, or brush it with the remaining oil, then bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the chicken then bake for an additional 15 minutes, until browned and crisp.
Step 5: While the chicken is baking, heat 2 teaspoons avocado oil in a small pot over medium heat, then add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Step 6: Add the honey, vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil, and stir. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, until bubbling.
Step 7: In a small bowl, whisk together the broth and cornstarch and stir into the sauce. Let it cook for another 1-2 minutes until it begins to thicken, then remove from heat.
Step 8: Toss the chicken with the sauce, and garnish with white sesame seeds. Serve over white rice or cauliflower rice and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Use chicken thighs – we opt for chicken thighs here because their higher fat content keeps them from drying out, which means they can bake for longer than a chicken breast, plus they create a crispier coating.
Spritz the chicken with oil – give the chicken a good spray of avocado oil before baking or air frying it. While you can use a brush to spread the oil on the coated chicken pieces, the spray is MUCH easier and creates a more even coating.
Use white rice flour – white rice flour gets the *best* crisp. Brown rice flour is grittier and heftier, so it won’t get nearly as good of a crisp as white rice flour.
Work in batches/spread out – if you’re air frying, work in batches. It’s tempting to pile in all of your chicken in hopes that’ll it’ll turn out okay, but resist the urge! The air fryer works by moving hot air around your food, and an overly-full air fryer isn’t able to do that effectively. If you’re baking your General Tso’s chicken, be sure to spread the chicken out on the sheet pan for the best crisp.
How to Serve
We like to go simple here and serve our General Tso’s chicken with a side of perfectly-cooked white rice and steamed broccoli or steamed green beans.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover General Tso’s chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat it, either pop a serving in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or reheat on a sheet pan in the oven for 7-10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Orange chicken is tangy, fruity, and sweet, while General Tso’s chicken has a bit more spice and umami.
These two are pretty similar, actually! The biggest difference is that General Tso’s chicken has a bit more heat than sweet and sour chicken. If you’re looking for a really yummy, easy sweet and sour chicken recipe, our sheet pan sweet and sour chicken is a must-try.
More Favorite Chicken Recipes
If you tried this General Tso’s Chicken or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Crispy General Tso’s Chicken (Oven & Air Fryer Method!)
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1 egg white
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch may also use an equal amount of arrowroot flour or tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce use tamari for gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the flour coating:
- ½ cup cornstarch may also use an equal amount of arrowroot flour or tapioca starch
- ½ cup white rice flour
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- Avocado oil spray or about 1 tablespoon avocado oil
For the sauce:
- 2 teaspoons avocado or olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce reduce to 1 teaspoon for a mild option*
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch may also use an equal amount of arrowroot flour or tapioca starch
- ½ cup chicken broth or water
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
Oven Method:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then lightly spray it with the avocado oil spray, or brush it with half of the avocado oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white, corn starch, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch, white rice flour, and sea salt.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade then dredge in the flour mixture, then shake off the excess flour and lay the chicken on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the chicken with avocado oil, or brush it with the remaining oil, then bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the chicken then bake for an additional 15 minutes, until browned and crisp.
- While the chicken is baking, heat 2 teaspoons avocado oil in a small pot over medium heat, then add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the honey, vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil, and stir. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, until bubbling, then, in a small bowl, whisk together the broth and cornstarch and stir into the sauce. Let it cook for another 1-2 minutes until it begins to thicken, then remove from heat.
- Toss the chicken with the General Tso’s sauce then garnish with white sesame seeds. Serve over white rice or cauliflower rice and enjoy!
Air Fryer Method:
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white, corn starch, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch, white rice flour, and sea salt.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade then dredge in the flour mixture, then shake off the excess flour and place the chicken in your air fryer basket in an even layer. To do this, you may have to cook the chicken in two batches.
- Lightly spray the chicken with avocado oil, or brush it with the remaining oil, then air fry for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- While the chicken is baking, heat 2 teaspoons avocado oil in a small pot over medium heat, then add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the honey, vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil, and stir. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, until bubbling, then, in a small bowl, whisk together the broth and cornstarch and stir into the sauce. Let it cook for another 1-2 minutes until it begins to thicken, then remove from heat.
- Toss the chicken with the General Tso’s sauce then garnish with white sesame seeds. Serve over white rice or cauliflower rice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Use chicken thighs – we opt for chicken thighs here because their higher fat content keeps them from drying out, which means they can bake for longer than a chicken breast, plus they create a crispier coating.
- Spritz the chicken with oil – give the chicken a good spray of avocado oil before baking or air frying it. While you can use a brush to spread the oil on the coated chicken pieces, the spray is MUCH easier and creates a more even coating.
- Use white rice flour – white rice flour gets the *best* crisp. Brown rice flour is grittier and heftier, so it won’t get nearly as good of a crisp as white rice flour.
- Work in batches/spread out – if you’re air frying, work in batches. It’s tempting to pile in all of your chicken in hopes that’ll it’ll turn out okay, but resist the urge! The air fryer works by moving hot air around your food, and an overly-full air fryer isn’t able to do that effectively. If you’re baking your General Tso’s chicken, be sure to spread the chicken out on the sheet pan for the best crisp.
Nutrition
This is one of our family’s favorite meals- it is so good.
We’re so glad to hear that, Kait! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this with us!
YUM!!!!! When I was making the sauce, it smelled like I stole it from a Chinese restaurant! We LOVED it. It will make a regular appearance at dinner here. I did the oven version, and I used water where there was the option of water or chicken broth.
Wahoo! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Leah!
This dish hits the spot! So much better than takeout. Thank you for creating a tasty dish!
Wahooo! We are so glad you love it, Laurie!
Just made this tonight. AMAZING !!!!
So glad to hear that you enjoyed, Lori! Thank you for taking the time to share with us!
Just made this tonight. AMAZING !!!!