This Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken is the perfect, healthy, homemade dinner in under 30 minutes. This spicy Chinese takeout favorite is simple and quick to prepare with just the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.
Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken
General Tso’s chicken is a favorite, one that everybody loves. If you’re wondering what exactly this dish is, don’t worry I’ve included a little section below to explain. For those of you who have ordered this dish before, you know that it is the perfect mix of sweet and sour.
I decided to do a healthier spin on Tso Chicken today using my oh so handy instant pot. That means that I had this dish served up in less than 30 minutes! Healthy, tasty, and quick? Now who doesn’t love that.
What Is General Tso Chicken?
Now while this dish is one of the most popular orders in Chinese restaurants here at home, it’s not exactly authentic. Westernized versions are also known as orange chicken if that’s a little more familiar. It is usually served deep fried over a mountain of white rice, but today I decided to cut back on some of the calories and axe the frying. So let’s get into it! Break out that Instant Pot and let’s get cookin.
Ingredients In General Tso Chicken
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Chicken – I used chicken breast today but chicken thigh is a tasty alternative, just keep in mind it’ll need to be cooked a minute or two longer than breast.
- Soy Sauce – Low sodium so we can control the sodium level in this dish. I also used a bit of dark soy sauce for that umami flavor.
- Sweet – I used both brown sugar and honey to get some rich sweetness and an ooey gooey sauce, you’ll thank me later.
- Aromatics – Garlic and ginger, fresh is preferred!
- Rice Vinegar – The tangy key to this General Tso Chicken recipe. If you don’t have any on hand apple cider vinegar is a great substitute!
- Red Pepper Flakes – We need a little heat in this dish and red pepper flakes are the perfect addition.
- Tomato Paste – The perfect little acidic base for our sauce, it will also give the dish a nice rich color.
- Hoisin – If this thick sauce isn’t already a staple in your fridge, it should be. Pick some up as it’s so crucial in lots of Asian dishes!
- Cornstarch – We’re going to make a slurry with cornstarch and a little bit of water to help our dish thicken.
How To Make Instant Pot General Tso Chicken
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Saute the sauteables: Turn your Instant Pot on the saute setting and add the chicken first. Then add the rest of the ingredients (save for our cornstarch slurry) and stir well. Close the lid and set the Pot to the poultry setting.
- Finish the sauce: Allow the pressure to naturally release before removing the lid. Transfer only the chicken to a bowl and switch to the saute setting before adding the slurry. Cook this sauce for an additional 2 minutes till it has thickened and dump the chicken back in before giving it a good stir.
- Garnish and serve: Serve this dish over a nice mound of hot white rice. I love to garnish this dish with some toasted sesame seeds and fresh green onion!
Other Ways To Make General Tso Chicken
Slow cooker
This dish is perfect made in your slow cooker! Just sear the chicken a bit on the stove before adding to the slow cooker. Whisk all of your sauce ingredients together separately (save the cornstarch slurry) and pour over the chicken. Cook all of this on low for 3 – 4 hours. Incorporate the slurry in the last 20 minutes of cooking or until thick and serve over rice!
Stove top
If you’d like to make this over the stove just saute up your chicken before removing and cooking your aromatics and chili flakes till fragrant. Add all your sauces and slurry and allow to cook for a few minutes till the sauce is thick. Add the chicken and combine well before serving!
How To Store Leftover General Tso Chicken
In the fridge this chicken recipe will last up to 4 days as long as its container is airtight. It can also freeze beautifully for up to 3 months, just be sure to thaw completely in the fridge and before reheating over the stove.
Craving More Instant Pot Recipes? Try These Dishes:
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Shawarma
- Butter Chicken
- Mongolian Beef
- Pasta E Fagioli
- Swedish Meatballs
- Beef And Broccoli
- Beef Stew
- Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
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Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast skinless and boneless, cut into bite size pieces
- ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger fresh, grated
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Optional Garnish
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. (See your manufacturer’s guide for detailed instructions on how to use your instant pot.)
- Add the chicken pieces to the Instant Pot then dump the rest of the ingredients to it, excluding the cornstarch and water. Stir everything well with a spoon.
- Close the lid (follow the manufacturer’s guide for instructions on how to close the instant pot lid). Set the Instant Pot to the Poultry setting and set the timer to 5 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, should take about 10 minutes. Follow the manufacturer’s guide for quick release, if in a rush. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot.
- Switch the Instant Pot to the saute setting (do not put the lid on). Transfer the chicken to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
- In a small bowl whisk the cornstarch and water together then pour over the sauce and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot and turn off your Instant Pot by pressing the cancel button.
- Garnish the chicken with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve over rice.
Video
Recipe Notes
- I strongly recommend reading the manufacturer’s guide for instructions on how to use your Instant Pot before attempting this recipe.
- Substitutes: Boneless skinless chicken thighs may also be used with the same cooking time. Rice vinegar can be substituted with cider vinegar. Red pepper flakes can be replaced with cayenne pepper. Hoisin sauce is a delicious sweet and spicy mix and a must for many authentic Asian meals. A simplified shortcut to using something else instead would be mixing sweet barbecue sauce with sriracha and five-spice powder.
- For less sweetness, feel free to reduce the honey or brown sugar.
- Nutrition: Nutritional information does NOT include rice. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
I used chicken thighs and ended up leaving it on natural release/warm for 30 minutes while I finished up making rice & veg. No dryness with thighs. Tasted great & very easy!
Can I use frozen chicken thighs?
Yes, you can!
Jo just like you said this recipe comes together quick and the flavor is delicious. Chicken comes out nice and tender and that sauce is great !
So glad you like it!
Did the video get taken down? The link is inactive here and I also tried searching and was unable to find it. As a novice using the IP, I was hoping to use the video as a confidence-builder. Thanks!
If you can’t see the video it’s possible you have ad blocker turned on.
I made this completely Gluten-free by purchasing Gluten-free hoison sauce on Amazon. We already have the GF soy sauce and everything else GF needed due to celiacs and gluten allergies in the home, SO DON’T BE BUMMED OUT! YOU CAN GET GF HOISON SAUCE TOO!🎉