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Home » Recipes » Gluten Free Main Dish Recipes

Gluten Free General Tso's Chicken

Published: Sep 30, 2022 · Modified: Apr 20, 2025 by Kim · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

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Have Chinese takeout again with my version of the popular dish, Gluten Free General Tso's Chicken. It's spicy, sweet, and better than ever!

general tso's chicken on white rice with broccoli in the background.

Some of the items linked in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission.

I have never had General Tso's Chicken from a Chinese restaurant, so for me to say my version is just like it would be a lie. BUT, my husband has had it and he claims this is better than any General Tso's Chicken he ever had, so does that count? So I'll walk you through how easy it is to make this takeout favorite and in no time you'll be enjoying it, too!

Everything you'll need to make general tso's chicken

measured ingredients for sauce and cubed chicken on granite countertop.
  • Hoisin sauce -- make sure your hoisin sauce is gluten free, as some are not. The brand I used was Joyce Chen, which I got from my local grocery store, but there are some other brands that are gluten free, such as Wok Mei (affiliate link).
  • Tamari -- I always have gluten free tamari (affiliate link) in my house, but you can also use gluten free soy sauce (affiliate link).
  • Cubed chicken breasts -- you may substitute with chicken thighs.
ingredients for dredging chicken on granite countertop.
  • Cornstarch -- this is really what makes the chicken so crunchy. You may be able to substitute with potato starch or tapioca starch, but I haven't tested these so I don't know for sure.
  • Reserved marinade -- a little bit of the marinade is set aside to add to the cornstarch/flour mixture to make it "craggy".

let's make takeout!

  1. Whisk together marinade ingredients and add 6 tablespoon to cubed chicken in ziptop bag. Refrigerate chicken. Set aside 2 tablespoon of marinade for coating.
  2. Saute garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes until fragrant. Add marinade and simmer until the mixture is thickened. Cover and set aside.
  3. Whisk egg whites in shallow bowl until foamy.
  4. Combine dry ingredients in shallow bowl and add reserved marinade. Mix with fork until it resembles pebbles and is "craggy."
  5. Drain chicken and pat dry. Dip in egg whites and then into cornstarch mixture.
  6. Fry at 350 degrees F for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
  7. Toss with the sauce and serve with steamed rice.
piece of gluten free general tso's chicken in chopsticks.

general tso's chicken frequently asked questions

Does General Tso's Chicken Need to be Deep Fried?

For best results, deep fry the chicken. However, a wok may be used or even an air fryer, but with the air fryer you will need to spray each chicken piece with an oil to obtain crispy, golden brown chicken.

Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead of Breasts?

Yes, chicken thighs are actually very good in General Tso's Chicken.

I'd Like More Spice. Can I Add More?

Adjust the crushed red pepper flakes to suit your tastes. If you'd like your chicken a little less spicy, reduce red pepper flakes to ¼ teaspoon and drop the ginger to 1 tbsp. If you'd like General Tso's Chicken more spicy, add up to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and keep the ginger at 2 tbsp.

more gluten free chicken recipes

  • Honey Coriander Wings
  • Curry Chicken Salad
  • Easy and Delicious Chicken Salad
  • Chick-Fil-A Style Chicken
  • Chopped Chicken Salad
general tso's chicken on white rice with broccoli in the background.

No need to miss out on Chinese takeout anymore. Just make Gluten Free General Tso's Chicken and you'll forget all about those little white boxes!

general tso's chicken on white rice with broccoli in the background.

Gluten Free General Tso's Chicken

Kim
Have Chinese takeout again with my version of the popular dish, Gluten Free General Tso's Chicken. It's spicy, sweet, and better than ever!
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
 

Marinade & Sauce

  • ½ cup (120 g) gluten free hoisin sauce
  • ¼ cup (60 g) white vinegar
  • 3 tablespoon tamari or gluten free soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1½ cups (360 ml) water
  • 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes more or less to taste
  • 1 pound (454 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes chicken thighs may be substituted

Coating & Frying

  • 3 large egg whites
  • ¾ cup (90 g) cornstarch
  • ¼ cup (35 g) Kim's all purpose gluten free flour blend
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 cups (1 gallon or 896 ml) canola or vegetable oil
  • 1-2 green onions, thinly sliced optional garnish
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Whisk the hoisin sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and water in a bowl. Place chicken into ziptop bag and pour 6 tablespoon of the marinade mixture over the chicken and seal. Toss chicken in marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Set aside 2 tablespoon of the marinade for later.
  • To make the sauce, heat the tablespoon of canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and saute just until fragrant. Add the rest of the marinade and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens. Cover the sauce and remove from the heat. Keep warm until ready.
  • Begin heating the oil in a Dutch oven to 350° F.
  • Whisk the egg whites in a shallow bowl until foamy; set aside. Whisk together the cornstarch, flour, and baking soda in another shallow bowl. Add the reserved marinade and stir with a fork until it resembles small craggy bits.
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Dip half the chicken into the egg whites and then into the cornstarch mixture. Make sure to press into the chicken to adhere the little craggy bits. Transfer chicken to a plate and finish dipping and dredging all of it.
  • Fry the chicken, half at a time, in 350° F oil for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer the cooked chicken on paper towels to drain.
  • Heat the sauce until gently simmering. Turn off the heat and add the fried chicken pieces. Toss to coat and serve over steamed white or brown rice, sprinkling with chopped green onions for garnish, if desired.
Keyword chicken, general tso's, Gluten Free
Tried this recipe?Tag @letthemeatglutenfreecake on Instagram so we can see!

Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker's General Tso's Chicken

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Comments

  1. Keith Sadler says

    December 13, 2024 at 8:02 pm

    I made this tonight for the family. It was a hit and a definite do over. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kim says

      December 20, 2024 at 5:20 pm

      Yay! So glad you liked them!!!

      Reply
    • Nadine Silverman says

      January 12, 2025 at 8:36 pm

      Wow the chicken on its own was so good I am keeping some of it without the sauce to eat on its own. Super recipe

      Reply
      • Kim says

        January 16, 2025 at 9:53 am

        Awesome! That's how my son eats it (no sauce)

  2. Gillie says

    November 22, 2022 at 11:57 am

    I finally had a chance to make this and boy howdy is it good! Between the time you printed this recipe and making it, I had hubs order some from a chain Chinese-ish restaurant, he really liked it. He liked your version so much better! Thank you for this wonderful recipe, it blew the doors off my taste buds, and made me feel like we had ordered takeout. Yummy deluxe!!
    I have to admit to changing your recipe just a bit. I just coated the chicken in corn starch and double fried them.

    Reply
    • Kim says

      November 23, 2022 at 8:53 am

      I'm so glad you and your husband liked it, Gillie!

      Reply
  3. Ry says

    October 04, 2022 at 9:25 pm

    It was really good. The chicken was almost like KFC's popcorn chicken. I think I would only make half the sauce next time since I had a lot of leftover sauce. I also will eat it without fully coating the chicken since it loses crispiness when drenching it. Thanks for another good recipe Kim.

    Reply
    • Kim says

      October 06, 2022 at 4:42 am

      Thanks, Ry! You can also freeze the sauce. I do it all the time 😊

      Reply
  4. Gillie says

    September 30, 2022 at 8:06 pm

    I haven’t made this yet, I’m giving you full stars because every single thing on your website is utterly delicious! I’ve not had this either, and have always wondered what it tastes like. This weekend we are going to visit going Tso’s!

    Reply
    • Kim says

      October 02, 2022 at 7:42 am

      Awe, Gillie, thank you SO much for your continued support and your very kind words! I appreciate you so much 🥰🥰🥰

      Reply

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Hey there, I'm Kim!

I won't let a celiac diagnosis stop me from enjoying my passion for baking and cooking, so stick with me and I'll show you how to make the BEST EVER gluten-free renditions of the food we used to know and love 🤗

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