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General Tso’s Chicken with Peppers and Ginger

A ginger-rich sweet-sour glaze coats crisp chicken and tender-crisp peppers, with a short final toss that helps preserve the skillet-fried crust.

Glossy ginger chicken and red and green peppers are served over jasmine rice with sliced scallions.

This home-style version builds flavor in a single skillet after the chicken is fried in batches. The chicken waits on a rack while peppers and sauce are prepared, then meets the glaze only moments before serving.

A light coating, fried in batches

Egg white helps the cornstarch adhere in a thin shell around the chicken. Give the pieces space in the skillet; crowding traps steam and makes the coating pale instead of crisp.

Start the rice first

The rice cooks hands-off while the chicken is cut and coated, then rests covered as the skillet work continues. This timing leaves it warm and fluffy when the quick glaze is ready.

Chicken pieces fry in a single layer as their cornstarch coating turns golden in a skillet. — Chicken pieces fry in a single layer while the coating turns golden and crisp.

Keep the peppers lively

A brief stir-fry gives the peppers color while leaving their centers firm. Setting them aside before the sauce is made keeps their edges from collapsing during the final glaze.

Balance the sweet-sour sauce

Soy, vinegar, sugar, and ginger simmer into a glossy coating, with garlic and chile blooming briefly in the skillet first. The vinegar can be rice vinegar or white-wine vinegar, while Shaoxing wine has a practical dry-sherry fallback.

Crisp-edged chicken pieces glisten with ginger sauce beside bright bell pepper squares and scallions. — A close view shows glossy sauce, ginger, crisp chicken edges, and tender-crisp pepper pieces.

Glaze at the last moment

Once the sauce thickens, return the chicken and peppers just long enough to coat them. Serve over rice immediately; the crisp crust gradually softens if left sitting in the sauce.

General Tso’s Chicken with Peppers and Ginger

4 servings

45 minutes total

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 large egg white
•
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup neutral oil, for shallow frying
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
•
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
•
• 1 tbsp cornstarch, for the sauce
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, for the aromatics
• 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
•
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
• 2 1/4 cups water, for the rice

Method

Start the rice
Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs mostly clear, combine it with 2 1/4 cups water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to low, and cook 15 minutes, then keep covered off heat while you finish the chicken.
Look for: The rice is tender and the water is absorbed; keep the lid on so it stays fluffy.
Cut and coat the chicken
Cut chicken into roughly 1-inch pieces and pat dry. Toss with the egg white and 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or 1 tbsp dry sherry if using that fallback) until lightly slick, then add the 1/2 cup cornstarch and turn each piece until coated; let stand 10 minutes while preparing the sauce.
Look for: The coating clings in a thin, even layer rather than forming wet clumps.
Mix the sauce
Whisk soy sauce, rice vinegar (or the same amount of white-wine vinegar), sugar, 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or 2 tbsp dry sherry), 1 tbsp sauce cornstarch, and cold water until smooth. Keep the sauce mixture beside the stove so it can be added after the peppers are cooked.
Look for: No cornstarch lumps remain, and the sugar is beginning to dissolve.
Shallow-fry in batches
Heat the 1/2 cup frying oil in a wide heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add chicken in a single layer without crowding and fry 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once, until golden and cooked through; transfer to a wire rack and repeat with remaining chicken.
Look for: The coating is deeply golden and crisp, and the thickest pieces reach 165 F.
Blot and clear the skillet
Let the fried chicken drain on the rack, not a flat plate, so steam does not soften the crust. Carefully pour off the frying oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the skillet for the peppers and aromatics.
Look for: The chicken remains in a single layer with air circulating around each piece.
Cook the peppers
Return the skillet to medium-high heat and stir-fry the red and green bell pepper squares for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing often, until their edges brighten but the centers remain firm. Transfer them to a plate so they do not overcook while the sauce thickens.
Look for: Peppers are glossy and lightly blistered at the edges, still crisp when bitten.
Bloom ginger and chile
Add 1 tablespoon fresh oil to the skillet if it looks dry. Stir in garlic, fresh ginger, and the dried chiles; if using red-pepper flakes instead, add the 1/2 teaspoon now. Cook about 30 seconds, just until fragrant, keeping the aromatics moving so the garlic does not brown.
Look for: Ginger and garlic smell fragrant without darkening or sticking.
Thicken the sauce
Whisk the sauce again, then pour it into the skillet. Bring to a simmer and stir 1 to 2 minutes until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon; the vinegar sharpness should mellow while the ginger remains prominent.
Look for: The sauce leaves a clear trail when a spatula passes across the skillet.
Toss just before serving
Return the peppers and chicken to the skillet and toss quickly, 30 to 45 seconds, until every piece is lacquered. Keep the chicken in contact with the sauce only briefly; for the crispest crust, serve immediately instead of holding it in the pan.
Look for: The sauce clings in a thin glaze and the chicken coating still has a crisp edge.
Serve over rice
Fluff the jasmine rice and divide it among warm bowls. Spoon the glazed chicken and tender-crisp peppers over the rice, finish with sliced scallions, and serve any extra sauce from the skillet at the table.
Look for: Rice is fluffy, peppers retain their shape, and the chicken is served straight from the skillet.