Best General Tso’s Chicken (slow cooker version!)
This General Tso's chicken recipe is savory and sweet with the right amount of heat. Slowly cooked chunks of chicken are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfectly coated in the most delicious sticky-sweet sauce. Make this easy recipe on a weeknight for a healthier than takeout meal that everyone will love!
Turn this savory dish into a meal with a side of sauteed bok choy with ginger and garlic and our favorite coconut rice.

This recipe was originally published in 2015. We've updated the post with some new photos and more information, but we've left the delicious recipe exactly the same.
What is General Tso's Chicken
General Tso's chicken is a popular sweet and spicy deep-fried chicken dish served at Chinese-American restaurants. While there's debate about the exact origins, it's been associated with Zuo Zongtang, a military leader from Hunan province during the Qing Dynasty. The classic version of this dish has a distinctive tangy sauce with intense spices and savory flavors native to Hunanese cuisine. It's typically served with broccoli on a bed of warm rice.
This crockpot version of General Tso's chicken is sticky and sweet, with just the right amount of heat. It's everything you love about the take-out version without any of the unwanted ingredients. It makes a great weeknight dinner because with little effort, you can prep it, turn it on, and come back to a perfectly cooked dinner. Don't have a slow cooker? You can easily make it on the stovetop, too.
How to pronounce General Tso's Chicken
It has been known by different names such as General Taoās chicken, General Tong's chicken, General Chow's chicken, or simply general's chicken. To pronounce tso, the sound is midway between “cho” and “joe”. You can reproduce the Chinese sound by combining the ātsā consonant of ācatsā and āOhā and uttering them together, “ts-oh”.

Ingredients you'll need
Here's everything you'll need to make this General Tso's chicken recipe:
- Chicken – we use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for easy and even cooking.
- Cornstarch – is a key ingredient to coat the chicken and make it nice and crispy.
- Pepper – for seasoning and a bit of kick.
- Cooking oil – any neutral vegetable cooking oil will work.
- Hoisin sauce – adds its unique, robust salty-sweet flavor and gives the sauce a rich dark color.
- Soy sauce – for its salty depth of flavor. While this is a Chinese recipe, we prefer the more mild flavor of Japanese soy sauce or Tamari.
- Honey – sweetens things up.
- Rice vinegar – adds a mildly sweet acidity to balance things out.
- Garlic + ginger – are two staple ingredients in Asian cooking that add big flavor and a bit of kick.
- Sliced green onions and sesame seeds – optional, for topping.
How to make General Tso's chicken
There are a few different ways you can go about making a delicious General Tso's chicken. Here we make it in the slow cooker and it turns out so good every time! The meat becomes really tender and the sauce thickens to perfectly coat each piece. It's simple to make at home by following a few simple steps:
- Start by preparing your chicken. Toss the chicken pieces in the cornstarch and pepper until it's all coated.
- Grab your frying pan and heat a bit of oil to sear the chicken on both sides.
- Then it all goes in the crockpot. Add all the remaining sauce ingredients, stir well to coat everything, and put the lid on. Set the timer for 4 hours, and that's it!
- Serve it with some sliced green onions and sesame seeds sprinkled on top if you'd like.
Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.
How to make General Tso's chicken on the stovetop
While we love how this recipe turns out in the crockpot, it also turns out great on the stovetop, and it's simple, too. Here's what to do:
- Follow the same steps for searing the chicken.
- Then, instead of adding all the sauce ingredients to the crockpot, pour them into the frying pan over the seared chicken. Stir it all together and simmer it until the sauce thickens. You'll need to watch it closely and stir it frequently so it doesn't burn or stick. When the sauce is thick and the chicken is well-coated, it's done.
- Serve it garnished with sliced green onions and sesame seeds on top.

Is General Tso's chicken healthy?
There's nothing unhealthy about General Tso's chicken per se. Like all cooking, it depends on the quality of the ingredients and how it's prepared. The popular takeout version is coated or breaded chicken that gets deep-fried and then smothered in sauce, which may contain msg or other ingredients.
This healthier version will have fewer calories because it skips the deep-frying, has no unwanted ingredients, and the sauce is naturally sweetened with honey. Served with rice and vegetables, it's a lightened-up version you can feel good about eating anytime!
FAQ
Store any extras in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
Yes, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead.
Hoisin sauce is a popular Asian cooking sauce found in the international aisle of most grocery stores.
How to serve
While it's typically served with broccoli and rice, in the pictures we keep things simple by serving this General Tso's chicken with thinly chopped cucumbers. Our creamy cucumber salad also goes really well with this recipe!
It's also a great meal for serving family-style with a few other Asian sides and a big bowl of warm rice. Try it with our spicy honey roasted carrots, sautƩed green beans with garlic, or whole roasted cauliflower with sesame and ginger and our favorite coconut rice.

Popular Asian Chicken Recipes
- Asian Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
- Garlic Ginger Chicken
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Spicy Kung Pao Chicken
- Glazed Hoisin Chicken Drumsticks

The Best Crockpot General Tso's Chicken
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ½ cup hoisin sauce, gluten-free if needed
- ¼ cup soy sauce, gluten-free if needed
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup rice vinegar, or sub apple cider vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- sliced green onions and sesame seeds, to serve
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a bowl and sprinkle the cornstarch and pepper over the top. Mix the chicken around so that it is well coated.4 chicken breasts, ¼ cup cornstarch, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Heat the oil in a large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear it until it is well browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.1 tablespoon cooking oil
- Add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger to your crockpot and stir well. Add the chicken and stir to coat the chicken in the sauce. Cook for 3-4 hours on low heat, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is very tender.½ cup hoisin sauce, ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup rice vinegar, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- Serve with some sliced green onions and sesame seeds over the top.sliced green onions and sesame seeds
Can I make this in a Dutch Oven rather than a crock pot?
Absolutely!
I made this in the instapot. I coated the chicken with cornstarch and seared it in the instapot on the saute setting. While that was cooking I double the listed ingredients for the sauce pluse a little bit of red pepper flakes (we like it spicy) and heated them in a pot on the stove. I did this so that I would have plenty of liquid in the instapot. I added the sauce to the chicken in the instapot and set it for 12 minutes. I did a quick release and put the chicken and sauce over rice. My family loved it š
I made this on the stove top. Ā Deeelicious and so easy! Ā We loved it!
Has anyone tried to make this in the Instapot?
Wondering after searing how many minutes to cook on pressure setting and if it would be enough liquid?
This looks amazing. Do you happen to have directions to make it in a pressure cooker?
Unfortunately not at this time. We may make a pressure cooker version in the future though!
Hi,
I dont have hoisin sauce. Is there something I can substitute?
In a pinch, some bean paste plus honey can do the trick.
I cook it in the Crockpot for 2 hours and it tastes amazing. I need to double the recipe for the teenagers. A frequently requested dinner
Made this for dinner tonight with homemade cauliflower fried rice, WOWWW this is better and healthier than a Chinese place! Iāll definitely be making this often!Ā
Can you put this on low for longer so itās ready when Iām done with work in 8 hours vs the 4 hours
You could try it, but I would suggest adding a splash of water to the pot, just to make sure that the sauce doesn’t dry out and burn. š
Can I double this recipe?
As long as you have room in your crockpot then you definitely can!
Great flavor! Ā Doubled recipe to share with my son and it turned out wonderful. Ā Cooked in my Crock Pot brand 2.5 quart casserole on low for 21/2 hours. Ā Chicken was par cooked since I browned it in air fryer prior to adding to pot. Ā I will probable skip that step next time since I donāt think it made much difference. Ā Served over brown rice with steamed broccoli and red pepper strips on the side. Ā A healthier version than takeout! Ā
This really is the BEST Crock Pot General Tso’s Chicken!
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!
This is the BEST Crock Pot General Tso’s Chicken. Kiss to you All!
Delicious and easy! Great flavor. Ā Definitely a ākeeperā that Iāll be adding to our repertoire. Thank you!Ā
You’re very welcome!
Hi I just made this and my chicken is a very light brown (not like the picture!!) I didnāt use tomato paste, ginger, Chinese all spice (I made my own hoisin sauce but omitted food sensitivities). would this impact the color?
A change to the ingredients could definitely cause the color to be different than what is in the pictures. š
Love love love your recipe – it’s so simple with simple ingredients, yet the flavor is tremendous!! I’ve tried several different general Tsao’s crock pot recipes and yours is by far the best. Thanks so much, we’re having it for dinner again tonight! š
Hooray!! You just put a giant smile on my face. So happy to know you’re enjoying the recipes!
Yep, mine was burned when i checked on it at the 2 hour mark… will try 2 hours on low next time.
I’m so sorry to hear that happened to you! My crock pot is the only one I’ve ever used, but another reader mentioned that cooking times do vary from one to the other.
hi Kristen, such lovely recipes and pictures, thank you. I am sorry to be a bit dim …. but I didn’t quite understand the first post …. I am desp to make this next weekend as part of a Chinese banquet ….. co could I please just clarify that the chicken is coated and stir fried for 10 mins ….. and then slow cooked for a couple of hours in the sauce?? It seems like a long time for chicken breast pieces … but I guess the sauce needs to thicken and gloss and coat the pieces?? thank you so much. Maggie
It’s no problem at all!
While the chicken should technically be cooked through (or almost) after you brown it, the slow cook in the crock pot makes it super tender.
Hope that makes sense!
Hi Kristen,
I see that you skipped the part where you brown the chicken in the pan. I’d like to skip this part too to save time, but I’m wondering, did you still do all of Step #1, coating the chicken in cornstarch, etc…?
Thanks!
Yep … just follow the recipe as is. š
Hi Kristen,
I have been looking for the quintessential General Tso’s Chicken recipe for years and you have hit it spot on! However, given crispy chicken pieces are part and parcel of a General Tso’ s dish, and given it takes only a few minutes to stir fry the chicken pieces, I couldn’t make myself put it all in the crock pot to cook for 4 hrs. I added a tsp of cornstarch to your sauce recipe and poured it over the cooked chicken and it was perfection. All in 15 minutes. Thank you for an excellent recipe.
Great idea to stir-fry the chicken pieces! Yum!
This was delicious! It was similar to something I learned to make when I lived in Hong Kong. I did add 1/4 teaspoon Five Spice Powder to the cornstarch. Also added 2 Tblsp. gojuchang and 1 Tblsp. sesame oil to the hoisin mixture. I also added cut asparagus during the last hour. I served with Basmati rice, roasted chopped peanuts and spring onions. This one is a KEEPER! Please keep them coming!
Great idea adding gochujang to the mix! I’ve already gone through a couple big jars of that stuff after meeting its acquaintance only a few months ago. Love it!
I think my crock pot (slow cooker here in the UK) cooks a little differently than yours as my chicken got a little frazzled! I turned it down to low after an hour on high then after 2 more hours it was done and the chicken pieces started to fall apart.
The sauce was delicious although maybe a little sweet for my palate but it went down a treat with my family, our Chinese take aways don’t offer this style dish so thanks Kristen for another fabulous recipe.
I wonder if there is a difference in the way crock pots cook? This is my first crock pot so I can’t say how it compares to others. I always thought they were the same!
Happy to hear the family liked it!
My crockpot cooked this in 2 1/2 hours on high. You bet every crockpot is different! 4 Hours and it would have been burned to a crisp!
I’m so glad you brought that up. I’m going to add a note to the recipe about keeping an eye on it. Thanks, Karen!
I had the same problem, chicken was overcooked in just 2 hours! Almost burned and turned to mush! Followed exactly.
Oh no! It sounds like our crock pots cook a little differently. I wonder if cutting the chicken into larger pieces would solve the problem of it cooking so quickly.
Made this for dinner last night and it was really, really good! The sauce was perfect. I added some carrots and red peppers to cook with the chicken and the carrots came out crisp tender and sweet, About a half hour before serving, I added some sliced mushrooms and broccoli. Everything came out so good on top of the jasmine rice. One note is that I used the LOW setting on my crock pot and everything was done in about 3 hours. Will definitely add this to my rotation. Way better than chinese restaurant fare.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Liz! I love that you added veggies to the pot. I’m going to do that next time I make this, too!
I believe you that this is the best General Tsos Chicken! It looks perfect :). Yum!
Thanks, Annie!
That looks so good, I want to eat it right off the computer screen! And the recipe is way, way too simple. Can’t wait to give it a try.
Ha ha that’s awesome! I promise the real thing is better than off your computer. š
Lol, I am cracking up girl. I can totally understand your whole “crock pots are for frazzled moms” mentality. But, I am super excited you finally got one because this general Tso’s chicken looks amazing! Super sticky and seriously delish, exactly how I like it! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next in the crock pot! Pinned! Cheers, my dear!
I love that you get my crock pot thing! So happy I got over it though. Seriously, I’m so in love with it. š
This looks so wonderful. I love that it was made in a slow cooker!
Thanks, lovely!
O that looks beautiful! You’re recipes always make me smile š Thank you so much for linking that homemade Hoisin sauce! I’ve been dieing to make some, but didn’t know where to start! I need it allergy-free to homemade is the only way!) xoxo Happy crockpot-chickening!!!
Thank you so much! I haven’t tried that hoisin sauce myself but it is on the list. If you make it I’d love to hear how it turned out. š