Name: General Tso Chicken with Dried Chilies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb plain boneless, skinless chicken thighs; Salt and black pepper; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup cornstarch, plus 1 tsp for the sauce; 3 pasteurized eggs, beaten; Neutral oil for frying, plus 1 tsp for the sauce; 4 whole dried red chilies; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tsp finely grated ginger; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp rice vinegar; 3 tbsp brown sugar; 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken stock; 2 tbsp cold water; 2 scallions, sliced; Freshly prepared rice, for serving

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Last updated Oct 20, 2026

How we review our content Sources for this method

Prep: 25 min
Bath: 2 hours
Total: 2 hr 45 min
Yield: 4 servings

Main Coursechickencrispychili

From the guide

Cooking settings

This recipe follows one reviewed setting from the General Tso's Chicken guide.

Bath setting: 165°F
Bath time: 2 hours
Check before finishing: 165°F
Best for: You are cooking whole boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fully thawed and refrigerator-cold, flat in one layer without overlap, with every piece measurable using a food thermometer

For the thigh option, use whole boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fully thawed and refrigerator-cold. The source does not give a weight or thickness limit; every piece must be large enough for a reliable thermometer reading. Keep thighs whole until they pass the check. Use plain thighs without injection, added solution, curing, or marinade. Season with salt and pepper and seal flat in one layer without overlap. Keep sauce, oil, vegetables, and coating ingredients outside the pouch. Fully submerge each sealed pouch in a verified, preheated circulating bath, leaving water space around every bag. Start timing at immersion and complete the full listed time without interruption. The listed time covers the bath stage. The thermometer check, any additional cooking needed to pass it, and the finish are separate. Insert the thermometer from the side into the thickest center of every piece, keeping its full sensing area inside the meat; check uneven areas and avoid bone and fat. Every measured spot must reach 165°F before cutting or finishing. Cook any cooler piece further in a skillet or oven and recheck it. Bath time, color, texture, and browning do not replace this check. Use clean utensils, discard all pouch liquid, and keep cooked food away from raw-food juices, used bags, and utensils that touched raw meat. Dry the cooked chicken, then cut into bite-size pieces with a clean knife. Mix flour and cornstarch for the dry coating. Coat with this mixture, then pasteurized beaten egg, then the dry mixture again. Fry promptly in oil at 350°F until the coating is golden and crisp. Drain, toss briefly with the separately cooked sauce, and serve immediately. Frying firms the center; these are cut choices, not promises of different final doneness. Coating color never substitutes for the completed chicken method. These methods cover immediate service only. Frozen starts, chilling, storage, reheating, and holding need separate methods. Bone-in or skin-on thighs, pre-cut pieces, stuffed, rolled, or unmeasurable chicken need another method. Do not use the breast schedule for thighs. Read the food safety guide.

View the complete General Tso's Chicken guide →

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb plain boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch, plus 1 tsp for the sauce
3 pasteurized eggs, beaten
Neutral oil for frying, plus 1 tsp for the sauce
4 whole dried red chilies
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp finely grated ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken stock
2 tbsp cold water
2 scallions, sliced
Freshly prepared rice, for serving

Method

Prepare

Keep the thighs whole and verify the preparation conditions below. Season with salt and pepper and seal flat without overlap.
Keep all coating, sauce, and oil ingredients outside the pouch.

Cook

Set the water bath to 165°F.
For the thigh option, use whole boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fully thawed and refrigerator-cold. The source does not give a weight or thickness limit; every piece must be large enough for a reliable thermometer reading. Keep thighs whole until they pass the check. Use plain thighs without injection, added solution, curing, or marinade. Season with salt and pepper and seal flat in one layer without overlap. Keep sauce, oil, vegetables, and coating ingredients outside the pouch. Fully submerge each sealed pouch in a verified, preheated circulating bath, leaving water space around every bag. Start timing at immersion and complete the full listed time without interruption. The listed time covers the bath stage. The thermometer check, any additional cooking needed to pass it, and the finish are separate. Insert the thermometer from the side into the thickest center of every piece, keeping its full sensing area inside the meat; check uneven areas and avoid bone and fat. Every measured spot must reach 165°F before cutting or finishing. Cook any cooler piece further in a skillet or oven and recheck it. Bath time, color, texture, and browning do not replace this check. Use clean utensils, discard all pouch liquid, and keep cooked food away from raw-food juices, used bags, and utensils that touched raw meat. Dry the cooked chicken, then cut into bite-size pieces with a clean knife. Mix flour and cornstarch for the dry coating. Coat with this mixture, then pasteurized beaten egg, then the dry mixture again. Fry promptly in oil at 350°F until the coating is golden and crisp. Drain, toss briefly with the separately cooked sauce, and serve immediately. Frying firms the center; these are cut choices, not promises of different final doneness. Coating color never substitutes for the completed chicken method. These methods cover immediate service only. Frozen starts, chilling, storage, reheating, and holding need separate methods. Bone-in or skin-on thighs, pre-cut pieces, stuffed, rolled, or unmeasurable chicken need another method. Do not use the breast schedule for thighs.
Cook for 2 hours if you are cooking whole boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fully thawed and refrigerator-cold, flat in one layer without overlap, with every piece measurable using a food thermometer.
Near serving time, heat the teaspoon of oil in a saucepan. Stir the whole chilies briefly until fragrant, then add garlic and ginger. Add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and stock and simmer.
Mix the teaspoon of cornstarch with the cold water, stir into the sauce, and simmer until glossy. Prepare the rice and scallions.
Mix the flour and remaining cornstarch in a clean shallow dish and put the pasteurized beaten eggs in another. Prepare the frying oil, thermometer, and a clean draining rack.

Check before finishing

At the end of the bath, open the pouch and transfer each piece intact to a clean surface with clean utensils. Discard the pouch liquid and any sauce that touched raw food.
Use a clean food thermometer. Insert the thermometer from the side into the thickest center of every piece, keeping its full sensing area inside the meat; check uneven areas and avoid bone and fat.
Every spot you check must reach 165°F. If any reading is lower, keep cooking with a method hot enough to reach this temperature and check each cooler spot again. Complete this check before finishing.

Finish

After every whole thigh passes the temperature check, discard the pouch liquid, dry the chicken, and cut into bite-size pieces with a clean knife.
Coat with flour-cornstarch, dip in pasteurized egg, and coat again. Fry promptly in small batches as directed in the guide’s method, until the shell is golden and crisp.
Drain briefly and toss with the finished sauce just before serving. Remove the whole chilies if preferred.

Serve

Add scallions and serve immediately with the freshly prepared rice.

Want another texture or thickness?

The complete guide has all reviewed settings, safety context, and finishing options.

Explore the General Tso's Chicken guide