Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken (2024)

ByAileen ClarkPosted onUpdated on

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Enjoy Chinese take-out at home with this recipe for Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken! This sweet and slightly spicy breaded chicken recipe is a real treat and ready in under an hour (most of which is hands-off cooking time).

We love making Chinese food in our instant pot! It comes out so flavorful and fresh. Plus, it costs a lot less to make it at home. Some of our other favorite recipes are Air Fryer Crab Rangoon,Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein,Instant Pot Orange Chicken (Panda Express Copycat), andInstant Pot Chicken Fried Rice (Better Than Take-Out!).

What is General Tso’s sauce made of?

The General Tso’s sauce is made of a combination of rice vinegar, hoison sauce, soy sauce brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

Is Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken spicy?

Yes. This dish is sweet and spicy. It is not overly spice, unless hot peppers are added. We do not include that in this recipe and instead use red pepper flakes to make it just slightly spicy.

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How do you make Instant Pot General Tso chicken from scratch?

(Full printable recipe can be found at the bottom of this page)

  1. Start by dredging 2-inch chunks of chicken thighs in beaten eggs and then a combination of flour and cornmeal.
  2. Use your instant pot on saute to fry the chicken in vegetable oil for 5 minutes.
  3. Mix in the sauce ingredients and stir well.
  4. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
  5. NPR for 10 minutes.
  6. QR remaining pressure.
  7. Remove the lid and set to saute.
  8. Mix in a cornstarch slurry and let simmer for 5 minutes.
  9. Turn off instant pot and let cool, until sauce thickens.
  10. Serve and enjoy!

What to serve with General Tso’s Chicken?

Serve it with steamed brown rice or vegetable fried rice. Yum!

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Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken (6)

Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken Recipe

Aileen Clark

Enjoy Chinese take-out at home with this recipe for Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken! This sweet and slightly spicy breaded chicken recipe is a real treat and ready in under an hour (most of which is hands-off cooking time).

4.27 from 138 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Additional Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Dish Recipes

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 4

Calories 763 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs
  • 3 large eggs beaten
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup corn meal
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 6 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 6 teaspoons hoisin sauce
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons water

Instructions

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

  • Pat chicken dry and cut into 2-inch chunks.

  • Set out two small bowls.

  • Add eggs to the first one and whisk until well beaten.

  • Add the all-purpose flour and cornmeal to the second and mix.

  • Dredge each piece of chicken into the egg first and then into the flour mixture.

  • Place coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet.

  • Repeat withing reamining chicken until all pieces are coated.

  • Repeat steps until all chicken has been coated.

  • Press the saute button on your instant pot and wait until the display reads HOT.

  • Pour the vegetable oil into the instant pot.

  • Add the chicken to the oil and saute for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Turn the chicken as it cooks so it browns on all sides.

  • Pour in the 1/3 cup water, rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoison sauce, brown sugar, minced ginger, minced garlic and red chili flakes to the instant pot.

  • Stir well, making sure to scrape up any bit of chicken stuck to the bottom of the pot.

  • Close the lid and set the pressure release valve to sealing.

  • Press the manual or pressure cook button and set to high pressure for 5 minutes.

  • Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes and then release the remaining pressure.

  • Once the pressure is fully released, open the lid and stir.

  • Press the saute button and bring the general tso's chicken to a simmer.

  • Whisk together the 3 tablespoons water and cornstarch.

  • Mix the corntarch slurry into the instant pot.

  • Let simmer for 5 minutes.

  • Turn the insatnt pot off and let it sit for 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Leftover chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 763kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 54gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 347mgSodium: 1814mgFiber: 4gSugar: 11g

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