Can I make this for a crowd?

Yes‚ this recipe is good for serving eight people in casual settings․ To avoid an unevenly cooked breading on the chicken due to overcrowding in the pan‚ cook the chicken in several batches․ Combine all fried chicken before tossing it with the sauce to ensure even heating of all chicken pieces․ The 12-inch pan called for in the recipe is large enough to allow stirring of the sauce during cooking․

How can I make it less spicy?

Yes‚ leaving out red pepper flakes from this recipe will produce a milder sauce․ Other ingredients‚ such as sugar‚ vinegar‚ and soy sauce‚ provide the main sweet and salty flavors of the sauce․ Other optional ingredients mentioned in the article‚ such as ginger‚ garlic‚ or chile‚ can be left out to reduce flavor․ Serve broccoli and rice separately to allow diners to mix and match ingredients according to their preferences․

Can I use cornstarch instead of flour?

Yes‚ the article says cornstarch can be substituted for flour for a gluten-free coating․ Cornstarch provides a crunchy coating for frying in sauce․ Check the product label for your chosen soy sauce because the article includes soy sauce as an ingredient in its recipe‚ which is used for flavoring․ Use one cup of cornstarch as specified in the recipe for one cup of flour․ Fry chicken pieces in multiple batches․

Can I prep General Tso’s chicken ahead?

In advance‚ cube chicken for frying and prepare soup and other mix ingredients․ Fry and simmer chicken just before serving to maximize texture when combined with soup․ Soup and other mix thicken only after boiling with chicken․ Do not expect the texture of soup combined with mix to be the same as the finished soup․ Do not add other seasonings in advance; wait until you are ready to serve to determine the amount of other seasonings to add․

Why is my General Tso’s sauce thin?

If the sauce is too thin‚ cook without the lid over medium heat until it is thick and clings to the chicken․ This recipe does not call for cornstarch‚ and reducing the amount of liquid in the sauce will help it thicken․ Check for a shiny‚ thick coating of sauce on the chicken․ Do not cook with a lid‚ as this is not a step listed in the recipe instructions․

General Tso’s Chicken with Glossy Sweet Soy-Vinegar Sauce

By Mason BrooksSep 24, 2026

Prep

10 min

Cook

15 min

Total

25 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Serve this dish to customers seeking a meal they can‌ eat at‌ home but not a takeout meal․ General Tso's chicken includes battered and fried chicken chunks‌ served with a‌ sweet soy and vinegar sauce and optional crushed red pepper for a spicy touch․ Serves‌ eight․ Takes 25‌ minutes to‌ prepare․

General Tso’s Chicken with Glossy Sweet Soy-Vinegar Sauce

The breading ingredients are cut chicken‌ breasts‚ all-purpose flour‚ paprika‚ garlic salt‚ and cornstarch‌ in place of all-purpose flour․ Frying the‌ chicken in multiple batches helps‌ the breading stick and brown․ Additional ingredients for the sauce are sugar‚ water‚ white distilled vinegar‚ salt‚‌ soy sauce‚ and chili pepper flakes to‌ taste․ White distilled vinegar‌ helps flavor‌ the otherwise sweet sauce․ Simmering the sauce‌ and chicken together instead of using‌ a cornstarch slurry helps thicken the sauce․

Measure‌ ingredients to cook with‌ chicken‚ as simmering time is short․ Most of the chicken cooking will‌ occur in the‌ sauce during and after frying․ The sauce is‌ ready when it has simmered for about 12 minutes and‌ is glossy on the chicken․ One common error when preparing this recipe is serving it before the‌ sauce has reduced; the sauce should‌ simmer uncovered․ Cook chicken in‌ batches to avoid‌ undercooking the breading․

Serve‌ chicken over rice․ Chicken Lo Mein is another topping to complement the chicken‌ and rice dish․ Other serving options mentioned in the article are steamed broccoli‚ which you can make by placing broccoli florets in a colander over a‌ pot of simmering water to steam for seven minutes․ Consider using the same pot to make both the‌ sauce and broccoli․ Garnish with sesame seeds or green‌ onions‚ if desired․

Why you'll love this recipe

Eight servings can be prepared‌ with this recipe, Chicken‌ can be matched with these foods, Broccoli and rice can‌ also be added to most of these dishes․
Busy chefs have two main cooking tasks‚ frying breaded chicken and simmering it in a sauce‚ other ingredients add flavor․
Mild eaters can skip the optional chili flakes‚ but the combination of sugar‚ vinegar‚ and soy sauce provides a sweet and savory flavor․
People looking for takeout-style foods can make breaded chicken with a glossy sauce․ Hoisin sauce and other Asian sauces are optional․
A 12-inch frying pan means all the cooking tools needed are common, Frying in batches helps keep the breading intact while cooking the sauce․
Leftovers are good to eat at a later time because the sauce on the leftovers has reduced, Leftovers should be reheated slowly to soften the coating‚ if desired․

FAQ

Steamed rice is the best side dish because it won't soak up the sweet sauce or seasoning from the chicken․ You may want to include steamed broccoli on the side‚ which can be steamed in a colander set over the pot of sauce․ Chicken Lo Mein is another dish that would make a fuller meal․ Sesame seeds and green onions can be provided as toppings‚ but they aren't needed for this recipe․

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