Name: Crispy General Tso's Chicken (Oven + Air Fryer Method!)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 egg white; 3 tablespoons cornstarch; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt; 1 ½ pounds boneless (skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces); ½ cup cornstarch; ½ cup white rice flour; 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt; Avocado oil spray; 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; 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)

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Garlicky, a little bit spicy, and slightly sweet, this healthier General Tso’s chicken is everything you love about the classic takeout dish but made with better-for-you ingredients for a delicious, healthy dinner!

01 How do you make General Tso’s Chicken?

02 Tips for the Crispiest General Tso’s Chicken

03 Air Fryer vs. Oven

04 What to Serve with General Tso’s Chicken

general tso's chicken and white rice in a wooden bowl with a fork on a marble surface

Ah, General Tso’s chicken! A long-time favorite of mine. Can I confess something? Chinese restaurants used to be my jam…specifically, Chinese buffets. I know, I KNOW… lots of mystery can be found at a Chinese food buffet, but I just couldn’t keep away! In fact, in high school, my friend and I would go to the same Chinese buffet EVERY. SINGLE. MONDAY. You know what I couldn’t keep off of my plate? You guessed it…General Tso’s chicken! It’s just the perfect combination of spicy and sweet (but not too much of either), with a touch of yummy garlicky goodness. THE BEST.

Thankfully, my eating has evolved, and while I love a good treat, I always prioritize how food makes me feel first. And if I’m being honest, that buffet General Tso’s did *not* make me feel good. This one, on the other hand, totally does! Made with better-for-you ingredients and crisped using an air fryer or oven, this rendition feels (and, dare I say, tastes!) so much better than the takeout version!

general tso's chicken in a stainless pan with a wooden spoon on a marble surface

How do you make General Tso’s Chicken?

This recipe consists of 3 (super easy) different components. First, the chicken marinade, then the flour coating, and finally, the General Tso’s sauce. Typically, the restaurant version of General Tso’s chicken features battered and deep-fried chicken, but we’re going to walk you through how to get the perfect crispy coating without having to deep fry.

Here’s what you’ll need to do to for a better-than-takeout dinner:

1. Marinate + Bread the Chicken

Whisk together the marinade + add the chicken. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white, cornstarch, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and salt, then add the chicken pieces to the marinade, and toss to coat.
Whisk together the flour coating + coat the chicken. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, white rice flour, and sea salt (these ingredients are KEY to getting the crispiest General Tso’s chicken), then remove the chicken from the marinade, dredge it in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.

2. Cook the Chicken

Air Fryer Method

If you choose to use the air fryer, know that you’ll probably need to work in batches, but your end product will be ultra crispy and delicious! Here’s what you’ll do:

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Once preheated, add the chicken to the air fryer in a single layer (this allows for maximum crisp!). Spritz the chicken with avocado oil spray, and set the air fryer to cook for 12 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through.

Oven Method

If you don’t have an air fryer, no worries! Thanks to the flour coating ingredients (ESPECIALLY the white rice flour), your chicken will still get a good crisp in the oven. If you’re going the oven route, here’s what you’ll do:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. While the oven is preheating, spread the flour-coated chicken out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Lightly spray or brush the chicken with avocado oil, then bake it for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the chicken then bake for an additional 15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

general tso's chicken in a stainless pan with a wooden spoon and a bowl of white rice in the backgroundon a marble surface

3. Make the General Tso Sauce

While the chicken is cooking, make the General Tso’s sauce:

Saute the garlic. In a frying pan or wok, heat the oil over medium heat, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Add the honey, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce (this adds some spice, so feel free to use less if you want a less spicy sauce!), sesame oil, cornstarch, and chicken broth or water to the skillet and whisk to combine. Once smooth, let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened.

4. Toss + Serve

Once your chicken is crispy and your sauce is thickened, toss them together, garnish with sesame seeds, and enjoy!

Tips for the Crispiest General Tso’s Chicken

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.

Air Fryer vs. Oven

Both methods result in an uber crispy, better-than-takeout General Tso’s, so which is better? Here’s a quick comparison. The air fryer is faster (12 minutes vs. 30 minutes), but can cook less chicken at a time, requiring you to work in batches. Oven-baked General Tso’s takes more time but can be done all at once, and results in a *slightly* less crispy end product. Honestly, there are pros and cons to each method, but they’re both absolutely delicious, so it truly comes down to how much time you have, whether or not you have an air fryer, and just how crispy you want your General Tso’s to be.

What to Serve with General Tso’s Chicken

We like to go simple here and serve our General Tso’s chicken with a side of perfectly-cooked white rice and steamed broccoli. It just *feels* right!

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