How I optimized General Tso's Chicken for Busy Home Cooks (3 Methods)

General Tso’s Chicken is one of the most delicious dishes on the planet, except there’s a problem...no one makes it at home. So today, I want to change that. So in today’s video, we are going to compare take-out General Tso's to 3 different variations.

📚 Videos & Sources mentioned:
▪ Smithsonian Article on General Tso’s Origins:

USEFUL KITCHEN GEAR

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
1:02 Why General Tso's is tough for a weeknight
3:12 Breading Chicken
4:38 Option 1: Air Fried
6:02 How to make frozen Chicken Nuggets
7:59 Option 2: Air Fry from frozen
8:26 Option 3: Deep Fry from frozen.
9:10 General Tso's Sauce
12:12 Taste Test Comparison

MISC. DETAILS
Music: Provided by Epidemic Sound
Filmed on: Sony a6600 & Sony A7C
Voice recorded on Shure MV7
Edited in: Premiere Pro

Affiliate Disclosure:

[xfactor]

Most of the takeout versions of General Tso's Chicken in my area have been Tso Tso.

[rileywebb]

An even lazier option is to take Popeye's popcorn chicken or frozen popcorn protein and combine with homemade sauce

[hades]

Out of all Youtube chef/cooks, I love how you have priorities on the combination of saving time, simplifying, and either reducing calories or making the dish more well-rounded. I always look forward to what you come up with, keep up the good work!

[jeckert]

Ethan, almost all of your videos seem to ask the question “how can we cut the calories” and it’s just awesome. With your advice, I have been incorporating more low calorie, good eating into my day to day meals. They’re the meals I look forward to the most. I have been eating your chicken quesadilla recipe like… 4-5 times a week. I’m realizing that flavor doesn’t need to equal excessive oils and cheeses. Capstone of this realization… pickled onions. Anyway, I can tell just three minutes in, this video is another banger.

[OdraMH]

Thank you for including the method to make it closer to takeout version, a lot of youtubers jump in with "better" and "healthier" and forget that some of us just want the closest approximation to the flavors that comforted us through the rough spots, much appreciated.

[athletesu_]

With the air fried version, try adding some crushed corn flakes to the breading station. Makes the texture more similar to real general tso.

[marksafe]

I have this weird thing with general Tso chicken where I have to have broccoli and rice with it because that’s what the takeout restaurants always did. I love the way the sauce tastes with the broccoli.

[dfolz]

Ethan has no idea what he's done for me by making this one.

[gilsolano]

Ethan, You are wonderful, thoughtful and honest! Thank you for taking this journey. Making food, testing it and giving us your findings! Your tweeks to recipes and the variations during the preparations are amazing. You are doing everything I would want, if I had more hours to my day. Your passion for what you are doing is SINCERE! I appreciate you and your labor immensely. THANK YOU SIR!!!

[jonsible]

The side broccoli, when not overly steamed, adds some nice freshness and - crucially - soaks up the sauce beautifully. General Tso's broccoli (no deepfrying) can be super satisfying as a weeknight meal.

[ThyVincent]

I just wanted to tell you that the format of this video is really awesome! Combining the ease/health/blind test along with the presentation pace really presents your methods as credible, worthwhile, and reasonably doable for the interested.

[OrganicGreens]

I love your channel man. You always make things simple and fast for the home cook. And all the meals you feature focus on taste rather than looking fancy or being trendy. I appreciate you man keep being yourself.

[armastat]

I really like how you offer options and different methods. Many other cooking channels can learn from that.

[chasecomfort]

I love these hybrid methods of doing most of the cooking/prep on a weekend and then finishing up during the week.
Thanks for the recipe!

[Natalia-wljr]

blown away by the quality of your videos. you have every little detail covered!!! congrats

[markrichardson]

Thanks Ethan. Made 4 batches tonight in the air fryer and wacked some in the freezer for later. The kids loved it. Much nicer than supermarket stuff and more flavour. Excellent recipe. Thanks for all your work bud.

[undeadjohnson]

I must say, seeing that poll the other day about General Tao made me excited knowing Ethan would likely roll out a video with it soon. While I have only made it a small handful of times, I’m feel inspired to try it again!

[frattysatty]

I was one of the voters who said they'd cooked it one time and never again. The chicken turned out perfect, but it was a pain in the butt to accomplish. So, I am very glad to see this video! Thanks!!

[brucetidwell]

I say it almost every week, but your deep dive comparison tests are just SO helpful! If I kept a little jar of Orange Chicken sauce and General Tso's in the fridge, my only problem would be keeping enough nuggets in the freezer! That might be all I ever ate. I rough chop a baby bok choy (leaves and all) and add it to my Orange Chicken. It's really tasty and actually adds vitamins with a welcome change of texture that doesn't leave me feeling like I've made any sacrifice for the sake of being "healthy" at all. Not sure what would go well with General Tso's.

[FunSpiritman]

I love your channel. I like how you break down a common cooking problem (scientifically, practicality, nutritionally, etc.) time and time again. I love General Tsao Chicken but wouldn't dream of trying to make it myself.