Easy 3-minute General Tso’s Sauce that you can make a large jar of, to use later for a quick dinner! Use this rich, sweet, and spicy sauce to make a delicious stir fry on a busy weeknight.
You know when you go to a packed Chinese restaurant, you order a dish, and it comes in just 10 minutes. Ever wondered how they manage to cook your dish so quickly? Well, I hate to disappoint you, but the chefs in the restaurants won’t make your sauce from scratch just for you! They usually pre-mix their sauces beforehand and just throw everything in the wok the minute they receive your order.
This General Tso’s sauce is my go-to sauce that I use for stir frys on days when I’m craving a Chinese takeout but want to make my own quickly at home. It’s the BEST, quickest, and easiest sauce that you can make for your stir frys, chicken, shrimp, tofu, and of course, to make the famous General Tso’s chicken dinner that we grew up eating!
This sauce can be used as a marinade for the chicken, and as a sauce for a stir fry (but if you want an all-purpose stir fry sauce, I have the recipe for you).
I usually double or triple this recipe to make a large bottle/jar and store it until I need to use it for a weeknight dinner.
This is the sauce in my General Tso’s Chicken recipe! Or, if you have an Instant Pot, then definitely try my Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken recipe, it’s SO good!
The Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this sauce:
Sesame oil, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and water.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
To thicken the sauce, you will need to make a cornstarch slurry. If you can’t do cornstarch, substitute with arrowroot powder. To make the slurry, mix 1 or 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with a little bit of water, then mix it in the sauce as it’s simmering. Whisk with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon until the sauce is thickened.
The Directions
Simply mix all of the ingredients in a medium bowl or jug, and either use right away or store in a container in the fridge for up to 1 month.
To use the sauce, whisk well (if stored in a jar, shake very well) as the cornstarch usually sits at the bottom. And cook in skillet until it thickens, then toss with the prepared chicken.
How to use the sauce to make General Tso’s Chicken
All you have to do is fry the chicken, fry the aromatics (garlic, ginger, and chili flakes), then add the sauce and thicken it. So easy! Get full instructions for the best General Tso’s Chicken here.
You can also steam some broccoli or any veg of choice to serve it on the side.
What does General Tso’s Sauce taste like?
General Tso’s sauce is sweet, savory, tangy, and spicy at the same time. Basically, all the amazing flavors in one sauce!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
General Tso’s Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar Note 1
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce Note 2
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar Note 3
To thicken the sauce (when cooking):
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients.
- Give the ingredients a good whisk until the sugar is dissolved, and the ingredients are well incorporated.
- To use the sauce, whisk well (if stored in a jar, shake very well) as the cornstarch usually sits at the bottom. And cook in skillet until it thickens, then toss with the prepared chicken.
Notes:
- Rice vinegar can be substituted with white distilled vinegar.
- Hoisin sauce can be substituted with oyster sauce.
- Sugar can be substituted with honey or agave syrup.
- After whisking the ingredients, you will get a smooth sauce but the sesame oil will keep separating and that’s totally normal.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Ed Kelly says
Uhhh. . . . So I saw the 4 bottles of listed ingredients at the top.
But I did NOT see the Garlic or Ginger listed. Those and several other things are not listed.
Kinda tough to understand. . . .
Diana says
Hi there, this recipe doesn’t require to be cooked in a sauce pan?
Diana says
Hi Diana, yes you cook it in a pan and then toss the chicken in the thickened sauce. Enjoy!