Last updated on November 26th, 2023 at 09:37 pm
Air fryer General Tso's chicken is a quick and easy recipe perfect for a weeknight dinner, with a delicious homemade sauce and crispy chicken pieces cooked in the air fryer. It's a healthier and faster alternative to traditional Chinese takeout. I'll show you the easiest way to make dinner the whole family will love in under 30 minutes at home using your air fryer and lightly breaded frozen Just Bare chicken.
Easy air fryer General Tso Chicken recipe is the perfect recipe for a busy weeknight when you don't have much time to prepare a meal or even forgot to take something out to defrost for dinner. No more messy hand-breading or deep frying chicken instead, if you are a Costco shopper pick up a bag of Just Bare lightly breaded chicken chunks in the freezer section. Otherwise, use a different brand of high-quality all-white meat chicken nuggets.
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This recipe has been adapted from my family's favorite Chinese food recipe. I used to spend hours making hand-battered chicken and frying it on the stove, making such a mess to make this homemade version of this Chinese takeout classic. It was such a chore to hand bread and deep-fry boneless skinless chicken breast, we reserved this recipe for special occasions, but now it's one of our favorite weeknight meals. Using the frozen Just Bare Chicken Chunks makes what used to take hours now take less than 30 minutes.
This easy air fryer recipe was inspired by my other easy 30 min recipes Air Fryer Orange Chicken, Air Fryer Sticky Fingers, Air Fried Nashville Hot Chicken, and Air Fryer Just Bare Chicken Nuggets, and pairs perfectly with AirFried Broccoli, Air Fried Cauliflower or Air Fried Egg Rolls.
Ingredients:
- Frozen all-white meat lightly breaded chicken (Just Bare Chicken Chunks)
- Soy sauce (liquid aminos or tamari sauce)
- Dry Sherry or Chinese rice wine
- Unseasoned Rice vinegar
- Minced garlic
- Minced ginger
- Water or chicken stock
- Corn starch + water
- Red pepper chili flakes (according to taste)
- Green onions, sliced
- Sesame seeds (optional)
- Serve with Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
See the recipe card for quantities.
Homemade General Tso's Sauce
- While the chicken is air frying combine the soy sauce, dry sherry, unseasoned rice vinegar, minced garlic, and minced ginger in a small bowl.
- Combine water and cornstarch together to make a cornstarch slurry.
- Add cornstarch slurry to the sauce ingredients and whisk all the ingredients together to combine.
- Set sauce mixture aside.
Countertop Air Fryer Instructions
Countertop air fryers are perfect when cooking for 1-3 people depending on the size of your air fryer, however, you can always prepare multiple batches if needed.
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°for 2-3 minutes.
- Place Just Bare Chicken Chunks in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Set the cook time to 10 minutes.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. If you add too much chicken at once, it won't cook properly and get as crispy as you want it to be. It's better to cook the chicken in batches if needed.
- Flip or shake the chicken halfway through cooking. This ensures that all sides of the chicken get crispy and cooked evenly.
- Keep an eye on the chicken as it cooks. Depending on the size of your chicken pieces and the power of your air fryer, it may take less or more time to cook.
- Add an additional 1-2 minutes if needed to reach your desired crispness.
- In a large skillet add 1-2 tablespoon of EVOO and heat over medium-high heat.
- Add to the hot skillet the sliced green onions and red pepper flake, and saute for 1-2 minutes..
- Give the General Tso sauce mixture a stir and pour it into the hot skillet with the green onions and pepper flakes. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low and add the crispy chicken to the skillet, toss to coat in the sauce.
- Turn off the heat and serve immediately over cooked Jasmine rice.
- Top with additional sliced green onion and sesame seeds if desired.
Air Fry Range Instructions
Air frying in the full-size air fry range is perfect when cooking for the whole family. Air Frying for 4-6 people is no problem in the ovens that are now equipped with the air fry feature. Go here to read more about the full-size air fry ranges. In a full-size oven or larger air fryers, the cooking time and temperature may differ from the smaller countertop appliance due to the size of the appliance.
- Preheat your air fry range to 350° for about 5 minutes
- Place the chicken breast chunks on the air fry basket or air fry tray in a single layer.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 20 minutes, flipping or shaking the chicken halfway through the cooking process.
- Add an additional 1-2 minutes if needed for the breading to become golden brown and crispy.
- In a skillet add 1-2 tablespoon of olive oil and heat over medium heat.
- Add to the hot skillet the sliced green onions and red pepper flakes. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Give the sauce mixture a stir and pour it into the hot skillet and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low and add the crispy chicken, toss to coat in the sauce.
- Turn off the heat and serve immediately over cooked Jasmine rice.
- Top with additional sliced green onion and sesame seeds if desired.
Serving
- Serve the air fryer General Tso's Chicken over a bed of Instant Pot Jasmin Rice
- Garnish with additional sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired
Substitutions
- Jasmine Rice – substitute cauliflower rice, long grain white rice, brown rice, or fried rice.
- Vegetables – steamed broccoli, sugar snap peas, fresh bell peppers, or a stir fry vegetable medley
- Soy Sauce – Substitute for low sodium soy sauce, liquid aminos, or tamari sauce.
- Chicken- Use Tofu, or shrimp instead of chicken
Variations
- Spicy – add more or less chili pepper flakes when making the sauce to your desired spice level. This dish is intended to be spicy so adjust the spice level to your liking.
- Deluxe – add a side of stir-fried veggies or steamed broccoli for a perfectly balanced meal.
- Kid-friendly – serve plain crispy chicken bites of Just Bare Chicken with veggies and rice if they don't like spicy foods.
Equipment
Different brands and different sizes of air fryer models may alter your outcome. When air frying something for the first time watch it closely to avoid burning the food. I’m using the Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6 qt Air Fryer on the air fryer setting, but any countertop air fryer appliance can be used to make frozen chicken nuggets. Please refer to your owner’s manual for specific cooking times and directions if you are unsure.
The Samsung full-size air fry range or Frigidaire Range With Air Fry can also be used to air fry larger batches of food when you need to air fry large amounts of food for a large group. The large air frying ovens require a separate tray or air frying basket. When using the Samsung I prefer this one, when using the Frigidaire I like this one. The large air frying oven is my favorite way to make a healthy family-sized meal.
Storage
Just like leftovers from a Chinese restaurant General Tso's is delicious the next day for lunch. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat place it in a microwave-safe dish and heat thoroughly, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes.
Top Tip
For best results don’t overcrowd the chicken pieces in the air fryer. The best way to avoid soggy chicken nuggets is to leave enough space for the hot air to circulate around the food properly and crisp up the breading evenly. Always cook poultry to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F for food safety.
Easy Air Fryer General Tso's Chicken (20-minute recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Frozen all-white meat lightly breaded chicken Just Bare Chicken Chunks
- 1 tsp. Red pepper chili flakes 1-2 tsp. according to taste)
- ¼ Cup Green onions sliced
- 1 teaspoon Sesame seeds optional
- Serve with cooked Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
Sauce
- 4 Tbsp. Soy sauce liquid aminos or tamari sauce
- 2 Tbsp. Rice vinegar Unseasoned
- 4 tsp. Dry Sherry or Chinese rice wine
- 1 Tbsp. Minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. Minced ginger
- 1.3 cup Chicken stock or water
- 1 Tbsp. Corn starch + 2 Tbsp. water slurry
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°for 2-3 minutes.
- Place Just Bare Chicken Chunks in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Set the cook time to 10 minutes.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. If you add too much chicken at once, it won't cook properly and get as crispy as you want it to be. It's better to cook the chicken in batches if needed.
- Flip or shake the chicken halfway through cooking. This ensures that all sides of the chicken get crispy and cooked evenly.
- Keep an eye on the chicken as it cooks. Depending on the size of your chicken pieces and the power of your air fryer, it may take less or more time to cook.
- Add an additional 1-2 minutes if needed to reach your desired crispness.
- In a large skillet add 1-2 tablespoon of EVOO and heat over medium-high heat.
- Add to the hot skillet the sliced green onions and red pepper flake, and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Give the General Tso sauce mixture a stir and pour it into the hot skillet, simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low and add the chicken, toss to coat in the sauce.
- Turn off the heat and serve immediately over cooked Jasmine rice.
- Top with additional sliced green onion and sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
General Tso's chicken is a popular Chinese-American dish consisting of crispy fried chicken pieces tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce.
Yes, you can use other types of meat such as shrimp or tofu in an air fryer General Tso's chicken recipe. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Orange chicken and General Tso's chicken are both popular Chinese-American dishes that feature crispy chicken pieces and a sweet and savory sauce, but they do have some differences.
The main difference is in the sauce. Orange chicken features a tangy and sweet orange sauce made with orange juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and ginger. General Tso's chicken, on the other hand, has a spicier, more savory sauce made with soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, and green onions.
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