When I saw the name of this dish, General Tso’s Chicken, I thought of a famous person from Chinese history. Supposedly, this dish is named after him: he is Zuo Zongtang.

How to Make General Tso’s Chicken at Home

This is a popular dish in Western nations, so we are sharing a simple recipe for making this Chinese takeout dish from scratch at home.

“General Tso” and Peng Changgui

Zuo Zongtang was a famous general in the last years of the Qing Dynasty. Many people say “Zuo Zongtang” “Tang Chicken” is Zuo Zongtang’s favorite dish, so people named this dish after him. But this is a myth.

General Tso’s Chicken really has no relationship with Zuo Zongtang, and it is unknown in the province of Hunan, from where he came. This dish, like many Chinese dishes sold in Western restaurants. is actually American-Chinese food.

According to Baidu Encyclopedia, Zuo Zongtang’s chicken was created by Peng Changgui in 1952. He opened the “Peng Yuan Restaurant” in the United States in 1973. Henry Kissinger, US Secretary of State at the time, gave a good comment after tasting chef Peng Changgui’s “General Tso’s Chicken” recipe. Since then, General Tso’s chicken has become a popular takeout food in the United States.

American-Chinese Takeout Food

While My Chinese Home Kitchen is focused on authentic recipes prepared in Chinese homes, we do get requests from our American readers for recipes with which they are familiar. Some of these dishes, like Kung Pao Chicken, are authentic Chinese recipes. However, as a service to our readers, and because I was curious about American-Chinese food, or “Chinese takeout” food as it often called, I will make General Tso’s Chicken at home with you today.

The ingredients we need to prepare are:

How to make General Tso's Chicken at home — Image Credit: My Chinese Home Kitchen, 2021

4 chicken drumsticks
6 dried Xiao Mi La chilies or Tien Tsin chilies
3 garlic cloves
1 egg yolk
4 slices of fresh ginger, minced

Seasonings

1 teaspoon (5 ml) Salt
¼ cup (55 ml) starch + 1 teaspoon starch
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons Lao Gan Ma chili oil with black beans
40 ml water (about 1.5 ounces)

Preparation:

Chop the dried chili and garlic. Shred the ginger.
To prepare the sauce: add salt, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (5ml), light soy sauce, vinegar, white sugar, and chili oil in a bowl. Add 40ml (1 1/3 ounces) of water, the ginger and minced garlic. Stir well and set aside.

Cooking General Tso’s Chicken:

Separate the 4 chicken thighs.
Cut the chicken thighs into pieces.
Add enough oil to the wok to submerge the chicken and heat the oil to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (149 C).
(If you do not have a deep-fry thermometer, you can use the chopstick method described in the notes for determining if the oil is hot enough.)
While the oil is heating, beat the egg yolk in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken. Add the chicken to the egg yolk and stir to coat evenly. Then, place the chicken on a single layer on a plate or baking tray, and sprinkle the chicken with ¼ cup (50 ml) of cornstarch, so that the starch evenly coats the chicken.
When the oil is hot, add the chicken to deep fry. Fry until golden and remove the chicken. Pour the oil in the pot into a container that can withstand the hot oil.
Add fresh oil to the wok and heat on high flame. Add the dried chilies to stir fry until fragrant. Then add the sauce, and stir until it boils.
Add the deep-fried chicken nuggets to the wok and stir fry over high heat. Stir fry until the sauce is almost absorbed by the chicken nuggets.
Remove and serve, garnished with chopped coriander leaves (cilantro).

Notes:

When heating the oil used for frying, the pan should be kept dry. If hot oil encounters water, it will splash oil.
You can use dry chopsticks (or wooden sticks) in the oil. When you see small bubbles appearing around the chopsticks, the oil has reached the right temperature.
In most of the General Tso’s chicken recipes, ginger should be minced, but I don’t like ginger, so I shred it. You can choose to shred or mince.

General Tso’s Chicken

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According to Baidu Encyclopedia, Zuo Zongtang's chicken was created by Peng Changgui in 1952. He opened the "Peng Yuan Restaurant" in the United States in 1973. Henry Kissinger, US Secretary of State at the time, gave a good comment after tasting chef Peng Changgui’s “General Tso’s Chicken” recipe. Since then, General Tso's chicken has become a popular takeout food in the United States.

4.50 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Course Main Course

Cuisine American-Chinese

Servings servings

Calories 915 kcal

Equipment

wok
Dutch oven