Super Easy Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken. Cooked in a slightly sweet and spicy Chinese-inspired sauce. Much better (and healthier) than takeaway! Serve with my famous fried rice, Lo Mein or chicken Chow Mein to make it a meal!
If you’re short on time and want to dine at the table in less than 30 minutes, try my 30-minute Tso’s easy general chicken, with a garlic fried rice garnish!
General
Tso’s Chicken is my favorite takeaway dish of all time. It’s my choice every time I order Chinese takeaway. This Tso General chicken recipe turns out incredibly tender and juicy much better than the takeaway version. It is topped with a sweet, spicy sauce. It tastes just like the General Tso’s chicken you get at a restaurant!
You can also feel better eating this dish because it’s healthier than the takeaway version! There is no frying in this recipe, only a little oil is used to sauté the chicken. You can also control sweetness, salinity and spice level when you do this at home!
To add an extra depth of flavor to this dish, I brown the covered chicken in a hot pan. This gives the chicken a good caramelization on the outside and helps it stay tender and juicy while cooking in the slow cooker. Cornstarch also helps thicken the sauce.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: Cut into bite-sized pieces. You can also replace chicken thighs.
- Cornstarch: This helps thicken the sauce.
- Hoisin Sauce: Can be found on International Island at the grocery store. It is thick, sweet and slightly salty. It’s the perfect complement to salsa!
- Rice wine vinegar: It can also be found on International Island at the grocery store. Resist the urge to substitute with another vinegar. I find that rice wine vinegar works best in this recipe.
- Light brown sugar: Add the perfect amount of sweetness to the sauce. Feel free to cut back on sugar if you don’t like it so sweet.
- Sesame oil: It is also found on International Island in the grocery store or in Asian supermarkets. Sesame oil has a wonderful nutty taste. A little goes a long way!
- To serve: Sprinkle the chicken with black and white sesame seeds and green onions! For a kick add some crushed red pepper flakes or a splash of Sriracha or garlic and chili sauce!
How to make Slow Cooker General Tso’s
- Chicken Coat on cornstarch: Add chicken and cornstarch to a large, zip-lock bag. Mix to cover the chicken with the cornstarch.
- Brown chicken: Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Sauté the chicken until golden brown on both sides for about 2 minutes on each side. (Note that the chicken won’t be fully cooked and that’s okay)
- Slow cooker: Add the chicken to the slow cooker. Add hoisin sauce, vinegar, sugar and sesame oil to a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to cover the chicken. Simmer for 2-3 hours.
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pour sauce on top of sautéed chicken
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- Serve: With green onions and sesame seeds to serve, if desired.
What to serve with General Tso
Chicken Authentic Chicken Lo Mein
- Chicken
- Chow Mein
- The BEST
- Fryer Rice Fried Coliflower Fried
- Fried Rice
- White
- or wholemeal. For a low-carb option, try cauliflower rice.
- Steamed vegetables
- Crispy Asian broccoli
- Baked shrimp salad Egg rolls Garlic
- Green beans
- Zucchini Sautéed noodles
- Japanese cucumber salad
Fried Rice Garlic Fried Rice Friry Air
Rice
Reheating
and storage instructions
- Reheating: The leftovers (chicken and sauce) in a skillet over medium-high heat until reheated. You can also reheat in the slow cooker!
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze in an airtight container or zip-lock bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw thoroughly before reheating as mentioned above.
Tips for success
- You can use different meat! Try adding chicken, pork, or beef thighs instead, and increase the cooking time to 3-4 hours, depending on the cut of meat.
- vegetarian? No problem! Cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots are delicious in this recipe! Use what you have on hand. You can sprinkle vegetables with cornstarch, or make a suspension of cornstarch by adding it to water and then pouring it directly into the sauce.
- Enjoy some warmth? Me too! Sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes, or as a few hints of sriracha for a little spice kick.
What is General Tso Chinese sauce made of?
It is made from 4 simple ingredients that you may already have in your pantry. General Tso’s chicken sauce includes hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, light brown sugar, and sesame oil. The meat is topped with cornstarch that thickens the sauce beautifully.
How long do you cook boneless chicken without skin in the cooking pot?
For this Slow Cooker General Tso chicken recipe, I cooked the chicken along with the sauce for 2-3 hours in the slow cooker. It turns out super tender and the chicken is absolutely full of flavor.
Is General Tso Chicken the same as Orange Chicken?
almost! Chicken sauce with orange has jam, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and crushed red pepper flakes. On the other hand, General Tso Chicken contains hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, light brown sugar and sesame oil. They are very different flavor profiles! One is orange-flavored, and the other has hoisin sauce that is made from fermented soybeans.
Is the General Tso chicken hot?
This recipe from Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken is not spicy at all, however, if you like a heat kick, I recommend adding crushed red pepper flakes or a few hints of sriracha. A little spice is delicious in this recipe!
Here are more Chinese takeaway recipes you can make at home!
- 20 minutes of beef and broccoli
- Kung Pao Shrimp
- Slow Cooker Mongolian
- Easy pepper fillet
- 30 minutes chicken
Easy
chicken
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