Baked General Tso's Chicken is saucy, savoury, sweet and spicy. It's a Chinese-American takeout favourite made healthier with baked chicken bites (not deep-fried) smothered in a thick and flavourful signature sauce. Make it at home in under 30 minutes and you will wonder why you ever ordered takeout. It's faster, tastes better, healthier, and cheaper than takeout. Serve it for a quick weeknight dinner over a bowl of steamed rice or fried rice.
General Tso's chicken is very similar to Baked Sesame Chicken, but tossed in a different delicious Asian sauce. Both are super easy and quick better than takeout dishes. Some other quick and easy takeaway fakeaway dishes that we love to make on busy weeknights are: Kung Pao Chicken, Seafood Fried Rice, Scallion Oil Noodles, and Healthy Lemon Chicken.
Ingredients in General Tso's Chicken
To make healthier baked general tso's chicken, you will need the following ingredients:
- chicken thighs or breasts - boneless and skinless chicken seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil.
- all-purpose flour (or cornstarch) - for coating the chicken to create a floured layer.
- cooking oil spray - to create a crispy crust on the outside of the chicken when baked.
- soy sauce
- black vinegar
- Chinese Shaoxing cooking wine (or mirin)
- granulated sugar
- chicken broth
- dried red chili peppers
- garlic and ginger
- green onion
- sesame oil
- cornstarch - or all-purpose flour.
- sesame seeds - for garnish.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, large half sheet baking pan, and a shallow saucepan or wok.
How to Make the Best Baked General Tso's Chicken
- Prepare the chicken. Pat dry the chicken completely with paper towel and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place into a medium mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper and oil. Toss well to combine and set aside for at least 5 minutes. In a large ziploc bag, add flour and cubed chicken. Seal the bag and shake well to coat evenly.
- Bake the chicken. Place coated chicken on a large half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper. Lightly spray the chicken with cooking spray oil to help create a crispy crust on the outside. Bake in a 400F preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden brown. Set aside on a plate after baking.
- Make the sauce. In another medium mixing bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients until sugar and cornstarch is fully combined. In a shallow saucepan or wok, heat the sauce over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring until thickened to a desired consistency.
- Toss in baked chicken and serve. Add the baked chicken and toss well to coat. Garnish with sesame seeds on top and serve immediately with a bowl of steamed rice or fried rice.
Tips
- How to serve: Serve General Tso's chicken over a bowl of steamed rice, fried rice, or noodles. For a complete Chinese meal, pair it with Beef Potstickers, Chinese Garlic Cucumber Salad, Air Fryer Vegetable Stir Fry, and Steamed Buns.
- How to store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, heat on the stove over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until warmed through. If the sauce has thickened up too much in the refrigerator, add some water when reheating.
More Asian Chicken Recipes
- Baked Sesame Chicken
- Sweet Chili Chicken Bites
- Chicken Pad Thai
- Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken
- Shanghai Style Fried Noodles
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Recipe
General Tso's Chicken
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings
Description
Baked General Tso's Chicken is a saucy, savoury, sweet, and spicy Chinese-American takeout favourite made healthier with baked chicken, not deep-fried.
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1 lb. chicken thighs or breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (or cornstarch)
- cooking oil spray
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (for garnish)
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons black vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxing cooking wine (or mirin)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2-3 dried red chili peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated
- 1 green onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (or all-purpose flour)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Pat dry the chicken completely with paper towel and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place into a medium mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper and oil. Toss well to combine and set aside for at least 5 minutes.
- In a large ziploc bag, add flour and cubed chicken. Seal the bag and shake well to coat evenly.
- Place coated chicken on a large half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper. Lightly spray the chicken with cooking spray oil to help create a crispy crust on the outside.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Set aside on a plate after baking.
- In another medium mixing bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients until sugar and cornstarch is fully combined.
- In a shallow saucepan or wok, heat the sauce over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring until thickened to a desired consistency. Add the baked chicken and toss well to coat.
- Garnish with sesame seeds on top and serve immediately with a bowl of steamed rice or fried rice.
Notes
How to serve: Serve General Tso's chicken over a bowl of steamed rice, fried rice, or noodles. For a complete Chinese meal, pair it with Beef Potstickers, Chinese Garlic Cucumber Salad, Air Fryer Vegetable Stir Fry, and Steamed Buns.
How to store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, heat on the stove over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until warmed through. If the sauce has thickened up too much in the refrigerator, add some water when reheating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Chinese
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Terri says
Yummy 😋 We really enjoyed it. It's my husband's favorite dish. I'm so excited I found your website where I can find healthy recipes of food we like. We are on a mission to eat healthier at home so Thank You for helping us out with that.
Mary Slanker says
It was one of the best meals I’ve ever made. Will definitely be on my monthly meal rotation 🙂 can’t wait to try your other recipes.
Beck and Bulow says
It was super juicy and flavorful even after being reheated later in the day. This recipe is a BIG keeper. I can’t wait to try the next one! Thank you so much and please visit us: https://www.beckandbulow.com
Izzy says
I generally prefer oven-baked chicken over the less healthy deep-fried alternative, so this recipe is right up my alley! Thank you for sharing!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Awesome! Happy to help!
Shannon C says
This was a solid hit with our family tonight. I did not have black vinegar so I tried the basalmic and worcestshire sauce. I actually tried the 2/3 of the chicken thighs in the air fryer for 13 minutes and the rest baked in the oven. So delicious. Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe, Sam!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Shannon! We are so happy that you liked the recipe! Great tips on the black vinegar substitution and for the air fryer instructions.
wilhelmina says
We really enjoyed this chicken! I love being able to make Chinese food at home that tastes every bit as good as what I could get at a restaurant!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you Wilhelmina! This one is definitely a crowd favourite!