Gluten Free General Tso Chicken is easy to make in only 20 minutes! This recipe is healthy and even better than Chinese takeout with the most delicious General Tso sauce!

Gluten free general tso chicken with red chili peppers and green onions on white plate with wood chopsticks

Table of contents

In the blogging world, I’d say that I’m most known for my recipes with buffalo sauce. But coming in at a close second are my gluten free Chinese recipes!

Around the same time I started blogging in 2011, my brother was diagnosed with celiac disease. He asked me to recreate some of his Chinese food favorites to make them gluten free.

Being the wonderful sister that I am (haha!) I obliged and created some of his favorite recipes. This Gluten Free Orange Chicken is his all-time favorite. But these recipes for Gluten Free Honey Chicken and Gluten Free General Tso’s Chicken, both come in at a close second!

Typically, general tso’s consists of battered, deep fried chicken thighs, covered in hoisin sauce. I made this recipe healthy and gluten free by lightly pan frying the chicken, instead of deep frying it. I also used chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs.

Chicken breast meat is lower in calories and fat, creating a healthier dish. I switched up the general tso sauce recipe to give it a similar taste to hoisin without the gluten.

The sauce is slightly spicy and so delicious! It’s so good that I’ve also used it to make General Tso’s Vegetarian Noodle Stir Fry, General Tso’s Chicken Wings and General Tso’s Cauliflower.

You can actually double, or triple, the sauce ingredients in this recipe. Keep the extra sauce on hand to make more chicken, noodle stir fry or chicken wings throughout the week. The sauce will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

General tso chicken on a white plate with chopsticks picking up a piece of chicken

Instructions

  1. Prepare the sauce. In a medium bowl whisk canola oil, gluten free soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha and honey together. Add garlic, ginger, Chinese five spice and crushed red pepper flakes. Set the sauce aside.
  2. Batter the chicken. Toss cubed chicken breast pieces with cornstarch, salt and pepper. Shake any extra cornstarch from the chicken pieces before pan frying to avoid clumping.
  3. Pan fry the chicken. Heat canola oil or vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook 4-5 minutes.
  4. Finish the dish. Add dried red chilies to the skillet with the General Tso sauce. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add scallions and cook for an additional minute.

If you can’t find dried red chilies, simply substitute in 1 teaspoon of red chili pepper flakes. Minced serrano chili peppers or Thai chilies can also be used to add more heat to the dish.

The dried red chilies are there mostly to flavor and spice up the dish. They can be eaten as part of the dish, but warning, they’re SPICY!

What to serve with it

General Tso’s Chicken is commonly served with white rice or brown rice. You can also serve it with rice noodles. For a healthier option, serve the chicken with cauliflower rice, steamed broccoli or lettuce wraps.

Frequently asked questions

  • Is General Tso Chicken bad for you? Traditional general tso chicken is loaded with sodium and calories. This gluten free, pan fried version has half the calories of traditional Chinese restaurant General Tso’s Chicken and 20% less sodium. It also contains significantly less fat and is loaded with Vitamin C, providing 327% of the daily value recommended.
  • Is General Tso Chicken spicy? Yes, this General Tso Chicken recipe does have a nice kick to it! Omit, or reduce, the dried red chili peppers and crushed red pepper flakes for a less spicy dish.
General tso chicken on plate with red chilies and scallions

More gluten free Chinese recipes

Create an entire Gluten Free Chinese menu at home with these delicious gluten free recipes!

General Tso chicken with red chilies and green onions on white plate
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Gluten Free General Tso Chicken

Gluten Free General Tso Chicken is easy to make in only 20 minutes! This recipe is healthy & even better than Chinese takeout with the most delicious General Tso sauce!
Servings: 2 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Author: Whitney Bond
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk 1 tbsp canola oil with the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, honey, garlic, ginger, chinese five spice and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
  • Combine the cornstarch, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl, then add the chicken pieces and toss to coat.
  • Add the remaining 2 tbsp canola oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the chilies, then pour the sauce over the chicken and cook 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the scallions, cook for an additional minute, remove from the stove and serve over rice.

Video

Notes

  • This dish is SPICY! To reduce the spice, omit or cut down on the red pepper flakes in the sauce and the dried red chilies.
  • If you can’t find dried red chilies, additional red pepper flakes, minced serrano pepper or minced thai chilies can be used instead.

Nutrition Facts

Serving 4servingCalories 741kcal (37%)Carbohydrates 68g (23%)Protein 55g (110%)Fat 28g (43%)Saturated Fat 2g (10%)Cholesterol 145mg (48%)Sodium 2676mg (112%)Potassium 1534mg (44%)Fiber 4g (16%)Sugar 27g (30%)Vitamin A 2205mg (44%)Vitamin C 269.9mg (327%)Calcium 65mg (7%)Iron 4.3mg (24%)
Did you make this recipe?Tag @WhitneyBond on Instagram and hashtag it #WBRecipes!

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