Make a takeout classic at home with this sweet and tangy General Tso Sauce Recipe.
Like Mongolian beef, General Tso’s chicken is a must-have takeout menu item with a very confusing name. While there was a General Tso in the 19th century, the reason why he gets credit for this dish is a mystery. Most theories suggest American-Chinese restaurants used this name to grab people’s attention in the late 20th century—and, if that’s the case, it definitely worked!
Recipes with General Tso sauce—particularly fried chicken—have gotten a lot of love over the past few decades. Although it’s so convenient to call a Chinese restaurant and pick up a box of glistening General Tso’s chicken, there’s no way to control every ingredient that goes into their sauce.
If you love Chinese takeout but are mindful about what you eat or looking for ways to save money, you may have wondered whether making homemade General Tso sauce is easy. While it takes a bit of mixing and whisking, you can certainly make your own version of General Tso sauce and pop it in the fridge for homemade recipes. Once you discover the sweet and spicy deliciousness of this velvety sauce, you’ll be using it on more than just chicken!
Is This General Tso Sauce Recipe Healthy?
Sorry to disappoint General Tso groupies, but this sauce definitely isn’t a healthy recipe. Many ingredients that give General Tso sauce its distinctive flavors have loads of salt, sugar, or both. Even with a low-sodium soy sauce, it’s hard to consider General Tso dishes anything other than an emperor-worthy indulgence.
There are, however, a few ways to modify General Tso sauce. For example, you can swap out soy sauce for coconut aminos and cut back on the hoisin sauce. You could also swap out the sugar for a more natural sweetener, like maple syrup or stevia. Of course, you’re probably not going to be drinking the sauce by the cupful, so if used in moderation, there’s not much to worry about—especially if you pair it with plenty of healthy ingredients like lean chicken and vegetables like broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, or snap peas.
What is the difference between General Tso sauce and other Chinese sauces?
It’s sometimes hard to describe precisely what sets General Tso sauce apart, but most foodies know its distinct profile when they taste it. A superb General Tso sauce has a complex interplay of sweet, savory, spicy, and tangy notes, but one flavor doesn’t usually overwhelm your palate.
Many other sauce varieties tend to lean more toward one flavor profile rather than balancing them out. For example, kung pao cranks up the heat with spicy ingredients like Sichuan peppercorns, while sweet-and-sour sauce omits the spice factor. Char siu sauce (aka Chinese BBQ) focuses on smoky, salty, and sweet ingredients, while black bean sauce is savory, earthy, and sweet.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine
Mix all sauce ingredients except cornstarch.
Thicken
Simmer and add cornstarch to thicken.
Store
Cool and store if not using immediately.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
After you let your General Tso sauce cool down, you can put it in an airtight container or jar and store it in the fridge for about 1 week before it loses its potency. If you don’t think you’ll use your General Tso sauce that quickly, you could put it in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 4 months without any issues. A great idea would be to freeze it in ice cube trays for easy portioning.
Traditional General Tso’s sauce isn’t gluten-free because it uses soy sauce, which has wheat as a primary ingredient. However, you can swap out the soy sauce for an ingredient like tamari or coconut aminos, which have similar flavors without gluten.
Hoisin sauce is an indispensable ingredient in most General Tso recipes, but it’s okay to omit it if you don’t have it on hand. You could use alternatives like sweet chili sauce or plum sauce to get a similar savory and sweet profile in your General Tso mixture. Also, try experimenting with more soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos, plus some extra cornstarch to thicken your sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Fried chicken is the most popular pairing for General Tso sauce, but plenty of other proteins could get an extra pop of flavor from this concoction. For instance, you could add your General Tso sauce to grilled shrimp, pork, or even steak. For vegetarians and vegans, consider mixing General Tso with baked tofu cubes and stir-fried broccoli, peppers, and carrots.
You could also use General Tso sauce as an easy way to liven up your lunchtime as a dip for wraps or sandwiches. Alternatively, consider dipping your favorite sushi or topping fried rice with General Tso sauce for an extra dimension of flavor.
General Tso Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
-
In a medium pot, whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chicken broth, sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
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Place the pot over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
-
Remove from heat. Use immediately or let the sauce cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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