General Tso Chicken Wings
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Bring bold, irresistible flavor to your next game day or dinner with this easy recipe for General Tso Chicken Wings! Whether baked in the oven, or cooked to crispy perfection in the air fryer, these wings are coated in a sweet, tangy, and spicy General Tso sauce that’s absolutely incredible.
Why these General Tso Wings are the best
These wings have been a hit on the blog since 2016 and now I’m here in 2025 to give them a quick update with new pictures and a few changes, including a version made in the air fryer! Because back in 2016 when I originally made this recipe, air fryer’s were a thing of the future.
When I first made these wings, I took them to San Diego 6 News for a live cooking segment all about Chinese appetizer recipes that are perfect for celebrating Super Bowl and Chinese New Year! Since then, I’ve made these wings for so many parties, as well as lazy Sunday’s on the couch watching football.
The wings are coated in a delicious spice rub, then baked (or air fried, or grilled!) until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, and the skin is perfectly crispy. Then comes the star of the show, the General Tso sauce that is so sticky sweet and spicy, it adds the perfect finishing flavor and texture to the wings.
If you’re looking for the best chicken wing recipe that will take you straight to bold flavor town, this is the recipe!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this general tso wing recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken wings – I recommend purchasing “party wings” which contain both the drumettes and the wingettes or “flats”, already separated. Otherwise, if you purchase whole chicken wings, you’ll have to separate the drummette, wingette, and tips yourself. The wing tips are mostly cartilage, bone and skin, so you can either discard them, or toss them in the freezer to use for chicken stock at a later date.
- Baking powder – this is the secret ingredient I use to make the most crispy wings! Just don’t swap it out for baking soda, chemically they don’t do the same thing, and it won’t work. If you don’t have baking powder, just skip it and season the wings without it.
- Spices – a delicious combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, five spice powder, and red pepper flakes coat the chicken wings. If you don’t have five spice powder at home, substitute in 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1 teaspoon allspice.
- General Tso sauce – this scrumptious homemade sauce is what really makes the flavor of these wings shine. It’s made with a combination of soy sauce, rice vinegar, vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, and Chinese five spice. Sriracha and crushed red pepper flakes are added for heat, and honey is added for sweetness.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Season the wings. Pat the chicken wings completely dry with paper towels. Combine all of the spices in a large bowl with the baking powder, then add the chicken wings. Toss to coat them.
- Cook the wings. Either bake the wings in the oven for 40 minutes, cook them in an air fryer for 18 minutes, or grill then for 14 minutes. All of the details for each of these cooking methods is in the recipe card below.
- Prepare the sauce. While the wings are cooking, whisk all of the ingredients for the sauce together in a bowl.
- Sauce the wings. Once the wings are almost done cooking, pour the sauce into a wok or large skillet on the stove over high heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Add the cooked chicken wings and toss until completely coated in the sauce. Use tongs to transfer the wings to a plate, top with diced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
My recommended cooking method for wings
I’ve made wings in the oven, on the grill, in a smoker, in a sous vide, in an air fryer, the list goes on and on. So which cooking method do I use at home and recommend? Well, it depends!
- Cooking for a crowd? Use the oven or grill. It’s the easiest way to cook a lot of wings at one time!
- Want to add a smoky flavor to the wings? Use the grill or a smoker.
- Want to set it and forget it? Use the sous vide.
- Cooking a small batch and want them extra crispy? Use the air fryer.
I have detailed posts for each cooking method, so check them out and pick your favorite! Learn more about sous vide chicken wings, smoked chicken wings, or grilled chicken wings.
More chicken wing recipes
Make an epic wing spread for your next party with all of these delicious recipes!
General Tso’s Wings
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons five spice powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 pounds chicken wings, party wings – separated drums and flats
General Tso's Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or canola oil
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon chinese five spice
Instructions
- Preheat an air fryer to 400°F. (For oven instructions, refer to the notes section below.)
- In a large bowl, combine the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, five spice powder, red pepper flakes, and baking powder. Add the wings to the bowl and toss until coated.
- Place wings in a single layer (not touching) in the air fryer basket. Cook at 400°F for 10 minutes. Flip the wings and air fry for another 8 minutes at 400°F. If you're using a standard 5.8 Quart Air Fryer, it will only fit 1 pound of wings, so you’ll have to cook the wings in two batches.
- While the wings are cooking, whisk all of the ingredients for the sauce together in a small bowl.
- Once the wings are almost done cooking, pour the sauce into a wok or large skillet on the stove over high heat and bring the sauce to a boil.
- Add the cooked chicken wings to the sauce and toss until they're completely coated. Use tongs to transfer the wings to a plate. Garnish with diced green onions and sesame seeds (optional). Serve immediately.
Notes
-
To cook the wings in the oven: preheat the oven to 425°F (preferably on convection). Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Place the seasoned wings on a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Place on the middle rack in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
- To cook the wings on the grill: preheat a grill over medium heat, around 350°F. Once the grill is hot, place the seasoned wings on the grill in an even layer (not touching) for 6-7 minutes. Flip the wings and continue cooking for an additional 6-7 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Since the air fryer will only cook 1 pound of wings at a time, if you’re doubling this recipe for a party and want to make 4 pounds of wings, I recommend using the oven or grill, as you can cook all of them at the same time.
- Always make sure to pat the wings completely dry before seasoning them. No matter the cooking method, this will help the skin on the chicken wings get super crispy.
- These wings are fairly spicy (I’d say 7/10). If you want more or less spice, adjust the amount of sriracha that’s used in the sauce.
- To make the wings gluten free, replace the soy sauce with gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos.
Nutrition Facts
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One Comment on “General Tso Chicken Wings”
The flavor in the sauce is outstanding.