Low Fat Baked General Tso's Chicken - in our Top 10 recipes! (2024)

General Tso’s Chicken is a favourite Chinese take out dish that you can make even better at home & with less fat than the deep fried version. One of our TOP TEN recipes ever.

Low Fat Baked General Tso's Chicken - in our Top 10 recipes! (1)

General Tso Chicken

A favourite Chinese take out dish that you can make even better at home and with less fat than the deep fried version. This recipe has received many great reviews from readers who have tried it.

Low Fat Baked General Tso's Chicken - in our Top 10 recipes! (2)

Original 2009 photo.

The real secret to this General Tso’s Chicken sauce is getting the caramel base correct, once you master that the rest is a breeze. I have had many readers tell me over the years that this recipe is better than any restaurant version they’ve ever tried.

Low Fat Baked General Tso's Chicken - in our Top 10 recipes! (3)

Remove the skin & trim all of the visible fat from the chicken thighs and they are almost as lean as breast meat and more budget friendly too. I also think they have more flavour than breast meat and easier not to overcook.

Making the sauce for General Tso Chicken

Here’s a short video which shows what the caramel should look like before you add the rest of the ingredients.

You can see why it is so important to do this with care. The caramel is so very hot and the addition of the other ingredients causes a big release of steam. This all calms down rather quickly but take care not to cause a burn.

Originally published March 31, 2009. April 2020 Update to include a new print page and demonstration video.

Low Fat Baked General Tso's Chicken - in our Top 10 recipes! (4)

General Tso Chicken

If you liked this recipe you may also like to try our General Tso Chicken Wings.

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Low Fat Baked General Tso's Chicken - in our Top 10 recipes! (8)

Yield: 6 servings

Low Fat Baked General Tso Chicken

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Low Fat Baked General Tso Chicken - a favorite Chinese take out dish that you can make even better at home and with less fat than the deep fried version. This recipe has received many great reviews from readers who have tried it.

Ingredients

  • 2 -3 pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut in strips
  • 1 egg + 2 tbsp water whisked together to make an egg wash
  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper cayenne pepper
  • 3 tbsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar, white wine vinegar is fine in a pinch
  • ¼ cup water water
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil
  • 2 tbsp hot chilli paste or sauce, use more or less to taste if you don’t like it very hot
  • ½ tsp salt salt
  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 3 tbsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

  1. Combine the 1 cup flour, ½ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, 3 tbsp ground ginger, 2 tsp salt.
  2. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg wash then dredge them in the flour mixture.
  3. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and lightly drizzle or the tops with a little more olive oil.
  4. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 25-3o minutes. Flip the pieces at half way through the cooking time.
  5. While the chicken is baking, prepare your sauce. Don’t walk away from this sauce; it gets very hot when making the caramel base and can burn easily so pay careful attention while cooking it.
  6. In a small bowl, mix together the 4 tbsp soya sauce, 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar, ¼ cup water, 2 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil, 2 tbsp hot chilli paste or sauce, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp corn starch, 3 cloves minced garlic and 3 tbsp freshly grated ginger. Set this mixture aside.
  7. In a medium saucepan boil together the 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water.
  8. Boil this over medium heat, watching constantly until the caramel starts to turn a light amber color and you can begin to smell the caramel. When it reaches this stage, give the other ingredients in the bowl a quick stir to make sure the corn starch is dissolved then add it all at once to the hot caramel. (Careful: This mixture is very hot!)
  9. Be careful at this stage because this sauce can foam up considerably for a few seconds and it is very hot. Simmer for only few minutes and remove from the heat and allow to cool down slightly.
  10. Toss the sauce with the cooked chicken pieces and serve over plain steamed rice or Chinese noodles.

Notes

-

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1 serving

Amount Per ServingCalories 470Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 130mgSodium 572mgCarbohydrates 42gFiber 1gSugar 34gProtein 49g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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Low Fat Baked General Tso's Chicken - in our Top 10 recipes! (2024)

FAQs

Is General Tso Chicken high in fat? ›

Worst: General Tso's Chicken

Named after a Chinese war hero, this fat-laden dish won't help you win any weight loss battles. The breaded, fried chicken is smothered in a sugary sauce. One order clocks in at around 1,500 calories and 88 grams of fat, and it delivers more sodium than you should get in a day.

What is the difference between General Tso chicken and General Tao chicken? ›

General Tso's chicken (also known as General Tao's or Tsao's chicken) is an iconic Chinese-American takeout of deep-fried chicken coated in a thick sweet sauce. You can also make it spicy for those who like a little kick.

What is General Tso's sauce made of? ›

How to Make General Tso's Sauce: The sauce for General Tso's chicken is so simple to make with pantry staple ingredients: rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, water, sugar, and some corn starch to thicken the sauce. Simply add the ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.

What does TSO mean in General Tso Chicken? ›

The dish was retroactively named after Zuo Zongtang (Tso Tsung-t'ang) (1812–1885), a Qing dynasty statesman and military leader from Hunan Province.

Which is healthier kung pao or general tso? ›

General Tso's chicken is battered, deep fried, and tossed with a spicy sauce. Kung Pao chicken, on the other hand, is not deep fried and instead is wok seared and tossed with a marinade. The choice here depends on the restaurant, but in most cases Kung Pao chicken is the winner.

What is the closest thing to General Tso Chicken? ›

Sesame Chicken, General Tso, and Orange Chicken look quite similar and share some common ingredients, which can make it difficult for some to choose between them. Chicken: Each dish uses chunks of boneless chicken meat (usually thigh).

What is better Szechuan chicken or General Tso's? ›

Our experts say… General Tso's chicken is about the most dangerous Chinese dish on the menu—dark meat battered and deep-fried, then cooked with vegetables in a sweet, spicy sauce. Szechuan chicken, made with leaner, white meat and sautéed with vegetables, is a far better choice.

Why does General Tso Chicken taste different? ›

Flavor Profile

Chef Peng's original recipe is more in line with the intense spices, tanginess, and savory flavors of Hunanese cuisine, and in America, Chinese chefs added sugar to the recipe to appeal to a more western customer base. This recipe is more true to the Chinese American method, with a sweeter taste profile.

What can be used instead of hoisin sauce? ›

Ready-made hoisin sauce alternatives
  • soy sauce.
  • tamari, which is suitable for gluten-free diets.
  • oyster sauce.
  • chili sauce.
  • barbecue sauce.
  • sweet and sour sauce.
  • teriyaki sauce.
Feb 2, 2022

Does General Tso's sauce go bad? ›

What is the shelf life of Minor's Ready-to-Use Sauces? Minor's Ready-to-Use Sauces have a shelf life of 360 days. Do Minor's Ready-to-Use Sauces need to be reconstituted? No.

Is General Tso's chicken healthy? ›

A plate of take-out General Tso's Chicken is usually made with deep fried chicken thighs and lots of sugar. Just one plate can easily set you back over 1000 calories!

Do they eat General Tso's chicken in China? ›

You might be surprised to learn that General Tso's chicken, a staple on Chinese-American menus, is almost entirely foreign to people who live in the country from which it supposedly originated. While the dish isn't exactly authentic Chinese food, its namesake was a very real (and very powerful) general.

What is a fun fact about General Tso's chicken? ›

Another legend is that General Tso's chicken was created personally by Peng Chang-Kuei, the cook who served dishes to Chinese dictator Chiang Kai-shek. He flew to Taiwan with the dictator in 1949, and there he cooked this chicken dish for a dinner where an American Navy Forces admiral tasted it.

What Chinese food is good for high cholesterol? ›

Opt for steamed dumplings instead of ordering egg rolls and fried dumplings. Sidestep fried or breaded meat entrees. Instead, choose baked, broiled, grilled, sautéed protein sources-chicken, fish, shellfish, lean beef or pork.

How much fat is in Chinese chicken? ›

Fresh Choice
Nutrition Facts
For a Serving Size of 1 Serving (100g)
How many calories are in Chinese Chicken? Amount of calories in Chinese Chicken: Calories 179Calories from Fat 126 (70.4%)
% Daily Value *
How much fat is in Chinese Chicken? Amount of fat in Chinese Chicken: Total Fat 14g-
15 more rows

Can you eat Chinese food on Weight Watchers? ›

OK, let's start with the obvious: Chinese cuisine is delicious. Pork dumplings, beef and broccoli, fluffy rice… mmm. What you might not realize is that it's totally possible to enjoy these and other classic dishes without zapping your Points® Budget.

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