Crispy General Tso-Style Fried Chicken

Imperial June 23, 2026June 23, 2026

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Quick Ingredients

Chicken: 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
Marinade: 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Coating: 3/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Sauce: 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Aromatics: 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 6 dried red chilies, 4 sliced scallions
For frying: 4 cups neutral oil, such as peanut, canola, or vegetable oil
To serve: Cooked jasmine rice and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Do This

1. Marinate chicken with egg, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper for 15 minutes.
2. Whisk sauce ingredients together until smooth and set aside.
3. Toss marinated chicken in the cornstarch-flour coating until craggy and fully covered.
4. Heat oil to 350°F and fry chicken in batches for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden and 165°F inside.
5. Stir-fry dried chilies, garlic, ginger, and scallion whites for 30 to 45 seconds.
6. Add sauce and simmer 1 to 2 minutes until glossy and thick.
7. Toss fried chicken in sauce, garnish with scallion greens and sesame seeds, and serve hot over rice.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Big takeout-style flavor at home: The sauce is sticky, glossy, sweet, savory, tangy, and just spicy enough.
Extra-crispy chicken: A cornstarch-heavy coating creates that light, craggy crunch that holds up beautifully under sauce.
Balanced, not overly sweet: Soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and dried chilies keep the brown sugar and honey in check.
Weeknight-friendly: Everything comes together in about 50 minutes, including a quick marinade.

Grocery List

Produce: Fresh ginger, garlic, scallions, optional steamed broccoli or snow peas for serving
Meat: Boneless skinless chicken thighs
Dairy: None
Pantry: Low-sodium soy sauce, Shaoxing wine or dry sherry, toasted sesame oil, kosher salt, white pepper, cornstarch, all-purpose flour, baking powder, chicken broth, rice vinegar, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, honey, dried red chilies, neutral frying oil, jasmine rice, toasted sesame seeds
Refrigerated: Large egg

Full Ingredients

For the Chicken and Marinade

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large egg
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

For the Crispy Coating

3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

For the General Tso-Style Sauce

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional, for extra heat

For Stir-Frying and Finishing

4 cups neutral oil, such as peanut, canola, or vegetable oil, for frying
6 dried red chilies, stems removed and broken in half if you prefer more heat
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
4 scallions, whites and greens separated, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

For Serving

4 cups cooked jasmine rice, for serving
Steamed broccoli, snow peas, or bok choy, optional

Crispy General Tso-Style Fried Chicken – Closeup

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Marinate the chicken

Place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl. Add the egg, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine or dry sherry, toasted sesame oil, kosher salt, and white pepper. Stir very well until the chicken is evenly coated and the mixture looks slightly glossy. Let the chicken marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare the sauce and coating.

Step 2: Mix the sauce

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, chicken broth, rice vinegar, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, honey, cornstarch, toasted sesame oil, and optional red pepper flakes. Whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved and no dry pockets remain. Set the sauce near the stove, because the final stir-fry moves quickly.

Step 3: Prepare the coating and dredge the chicken

In a wide shallow bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, all-purpose flour, and baking powder. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the coating a few at a time, pressing the dry mixture onto each piece. The chicken should look fully covered, with some rough, craggy edges. Those uneven edges are what fry up especially crisp.

Transfer the coated chicken to a parchment-lined baking sheet or large plate. Let it rest for 5 minutes while the oil heats. This short rest helps the coating hydrate slightly so it sticks better during frying.

Step 4: Heat the oil

Pour 4 cups neutral oil into a Dutch oven, heavy-bottomed pot, or deep skillet. The oil should be at least 1 1/2 inches deep, with plenty of space above it to prevent bubbling over. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350°F on a deep-fry or instant-read thermometer.

Set a wire rack over a baking sheet next to the stove. If you want to keep batches hot while frying, place the rack and baking sheet in a 200°F oven after the first batch is done.

Step 5: Fry the chicken until crisp

Working in 2 to 3 batches, carefully lower the chicken pieces into the 350°F oil, one piece at a time, so they do not clump together. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes per batch, turning occasionally, until the chicken is deep golden, crisp, and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.

Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to transfer the fried chicken to the wire rack. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches. This keeps the coating crisp instead of greasy.

Step 6: Stir-fry the aromatics

Carefully pour off the frying oil or use a clean large skillet or wok for the sauce step. Add 1 tablespoon of the frying oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the dried red chilies and stir for 10 to 15 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites, then stir-fry for 30 to 45 seconds. The aromatics should smell bold and savory, but the garlic should not brown.

Step 7: Simmer the sauce until glossy

Give the sauce mixture another quick whisk to reincorporate the cornstarch, then pour it into the skillet with the aromatics. Stir constantly and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce bubbles, thickens, and turns shiny. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, but still loose enough to glaze the chicken.

Step 8: Toss, garnish, and serve

Add the fried chicken to the skillet and toss quickly until every piece is coated in the sticky General Tso-style sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat as soon as the chicken is evenly glazed so the coating stays as crisp as possible. Sprinkle with scallion greens and toasted sesame seeds.

Serve immediately over hot jasmine rice, with steamed broccoli, snow peas, or bok choy on the side if you like. For the best texture, enjoy this dish while the chicken is freshly sauced and still crackly at the edges.

Pro Tips

Use chicken thighs for the juiciest result: Thighs stay tender through frying and have the rich flavor that works especially well with this bold sauce.
Keep the oil at 350°F: If the oil is too cool, the chicken absorbs oil and gets heavy. If it is too hot, the coating browns before the chicken cooks through.
Do not overcrowd the pot: Frying in smaller batches gives each piece room to crisp and keeps the oil temperature steady.
Whisk the sauce right before adding it: Cornstarch settles quickly, so a final whisk helps the sauce thicken smoothly.
Sauce at the last minute: Toss the chicken with sauce right before serving for the best balance of crispy edges and glossy glaze.

Variations

Spicier General Tso-style chicken: Break the dried chilies in half, include the optional red pepper flakes, and add 1 to 2 teaspoons chili crisp when simmering the sauce.
Orange-ginger version: Add 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest and replace 1 tablespoon of the rice vinegar with fresh orange juice for a brighter, citrusy sauce.
Lighter skillet version: Use 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast or thighs cut into bite-size pieces, coat with 1/3 cup cornstarch, and pan-fry in 3 tablespoons oil until cooked through before saucing. The texture will be less crunchy but still delicious.

Storage & Make-Ahead

General Tso-style fried chicken is crispiest right after it is tossed with the sauce. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 375°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or in an air fryer at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes, until hot. The coating will soften after refrigeration but will still taste great.

To make ahead, cut the chicken and whisk the sauce up to 24 hours in advance. Store them separately in the refrigerator. You can also mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and slice the scallions up to 1 day ahead. For the best texture, dredge and fry the chicken just before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)