This recipe for General Tso’s Chicken makes the Chinese takeout classic easy to make at home. The thick, rich, sweet, and savory sauce is perfect over the crispy chicken and ramen noodles.
Chances are even if you’ve never had General Tso’s Chicken, you’ve certainly seen it on your local Chinese takeout menu. I mean, I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a Chinese menu that didn’t have this dish on it in some iteration.
With its sticky, savory, and sweet sauce and just a touch of spice, the dish is often compared to sesame or orange chicken. The General Tso’s chicken recipes, on the other hand, tend to be more savory and have a bit more spice than the others. It’s certainly a favorite and for good reason… it’s crazy delicious!.
Many Chinese restaurants in North America serve General Tso’s chicken, a sweet and fried chicken dish that people love. Zuo Zongtang was a politician and military leader in the Qing dynasty. The name comes from his name. That being said, the dish was created in the US and doesn’t really taste like Chinese food. When people order General Tso’s chicken, one question they often have is how to say the name correctly.
The Origin of General Tso’s Chicken
General Tso’s chicken was created by Chinese immigrants in New York City in the 1970s. The inventor of the dish is disputed, with both chef Peng Chang-kuei and chef T.T. Wang claiming to have created the original version. However both chefs were inspired by the sweet-sour flavor profile of Hunan cuisine in China.
To appeal to American tastes, the chefs modified the traditional Hunan chicken recipe. They added sugar, vinegar, chili peppers, and cornstarch to create a crispy, sticky, and intensely flavored fried chicken. The dish was an instant hit and spread rapidly across the United States. The name “General Tso” invokes Zuo Zongtang, a respected 19th century military leader, though the dish has no connection to him.
The Correct Pronunciation of “Tso”
Since the United States is where General Tso’s chicken came from, a lot of people have trouble pronouncing “Tso.” Zuo Zongtang’s last name is pronounced “tsaw” with a soft “ts” sound in Mandarin Chinese. The full pronunciation is “dzoh dzong-tahng. “.
However, in the context of General Tso’s chicken, most English speakers pronounce it as “so” – rhyming with “no.” This is an anglicized pronunciation that has now become standard in American English. Saying “general tso’s” with the soft “ts” sound would be perceived as incorrect in the context of ordering the dish at a restaurant.
Some other ways General Tso could be mispronounced include:
- “Tzoh” – With a hard “tz” sound instead of “so”
- “Zoh” – Replacing the “t” with a “z”
- “Toh” – Substituting the “s” with a “t”
- “Dso” – Adding an erroneous “d” at the beginning
In everyday American English, the most common way to say it is “general so’s chicken,” which rhymes with “no.” When you order the dish at a restaurant, you don’t have to or should use the correct Mandarin Chinese pronunciation.
Ordering General Tso’s Chicken
It is perfectly fine to say “so” instead of “tsaw” when ordering General Tso’s chicken at a Chinese restaurant in the United States from the menu. ” The anglicized pronunciation has become ubiquitous. Here are some examples of ordering:
- “I’ll have the general so’s chicken, please.”
- “Can I get an order of general so’s chicken?”
- “We’d like two orders of the general so’s chicken.”
You can use the simple “so” pronunciation confidently when ordering. The waiter or waitress will understand exactly what you mean. They are accustomed to hearing this anglicized pronunciation from English-speaking customers on a daily basis.
How to Serve General Tso’s Chicken
Most Chinese takeout places serve General Tso’s chicken with broccoli, but I like it best with these ramen noodles. Truth be told, I love any noodle any time, but you could swap the ramen for broccoli, another vegetable, or even a combination of both. You could also serve it over rice. This is one of those chicken recipes that goes well with just about anything. I think a mix of stir-fried vegetables would go well with this. It’s very easy to make; just grab a bag from the freezer or the produce section.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – While my observation is that most General Tso’s chicken is made with chicken thighs, I’m not a huge fan of thighs, so I use chicken breast. I feel like the flavor is a bit cleaner and it allows this super delicious sauce to be the star. That said, you can 100% use thigh meat if that’s your preference.
Cornstarch – In this recipe, we coat the chicken with cornstarch. This not only allows the chicken to get crazy golden brown and crispy, but the cornstarch also helps to thicken the sauce a bit. I even often add a little cornstarch to my dredge when I’m making good ol’ Southern fried chicken.
Hoisin Sauce: I know you might not have hoisin sauce in your pantry right now, but you should definitely buy it because it’s a big part of the flavor of this dish. Once I started using it in recipes, we almost always have it on hand now. You can dip chicken fingers and nuggets in it, glaze meat with it, and use it to make almost any Asian dish taste better. One thing that I’ve found though is that hoisin sauce flavor can vary wildly between brands. I typically use Kikkoman or Lee Kum Kee. It’s pretty simple to find these days at your local grocery store, but the Asian market in your area is where you should look.
Rice Vinegar – Rice Vinegar is also known as rice wine vinegar. I’ll admit, I used to get confused by this all the time. Rice vinegar and rice wine vinegar are the same thing – just different names on the packaging. But “seasoned” rice wine vinegar has added sugar and salt, so it’s a little different. It will work in a pinch, but will change the flavor a bit. Then there’s rice wine. Which, while also made from fermented rice like rice vinegar, is something entirely different. It can’t be used interchangeably in this recipe.
Ground Ginger – I opted to use ground ginger in this recipe because it’s something most folks always have on hand, but I love to use fresh ginger when I have it. I replace the 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger with 2 teaspoons of freshly grated ginger when I do. Hot tip: Fresh ginger stores incredibly well wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer zip-top bag and grates really well when frozen.
How to Pronounce General Tso? (CORRECTLY) Chinese Dish Pronunciation
FAQ
How do you pronounce General Tso?
The answer is not as simple as it seems. In fact, the name “General Tso” comes from the Chinese character “” (Zū Sī), which means “General Tso.” ” However, the pronunciation of the name has been adapted and modified over time, leading to various interpretations. Some people pronounce the name “Tsoh” (ZOH), while others say “Tso” (TSOH).
How do you pronounce General Tso chicken?
Next time you order General Tso’s Chicken, remember that the right way to say it is “dzoo suh,” but don’t worry if you say “Tso.” No one will judge you. After all, it’s the taste that matters most, not the pronunciation. Here are some of the most important points that were talked about in this article: Q: How do you say “General Tso” correctly?
Where did TSO chicken come from?
The dish originated in China. How to say general tso chicken in English? Pronunciation of general tso chicken with 2 audio pronunciations, 1 meaning, 27 translations, 1 sentence and more for general tso chicken.
What is Tso chicken?
Tso chicken is a remarkable dish that was originally created for General Tso during the Ching Dynasty. It consists of chunks of chicken sautéed in a hot and spicy tangy sauce.
Who invented General Tso’s chicken?
It is unclear who invented General Tso’s chicken, but it is probable that it is distantly based on a Hunan chicken dish. The pronunciation of General Tso varies greatly in the United States, with many pronouncing Tso as Tao, Gao, So, or phonetically, as Tso.
Is General Tso chicken the same as Sesame chicken?
One of the most common misconceptions about General TSO’s chicken is that it is no different than sesame chicken. While both dishes are extremely popular, delicious, and share many similarities, there are some crucial differences. They certainly do appear to be similar and, to some people, the taste may be similar as well.
How do you pronounce tso in General Tso’s chicken?
Is it General Tso or Tao?
What does tso mean in tso chicken?
General Tso’s Chicken (左宗棠雞)
The original recipe was invented by renowned chef Peng Chang Kuei in Taiwan in the 1960s, who named it General Tso’s Chicken as an homage to his Hunanese heritage and their beloved general Zuo Zongtang.
Why is it called tso chicken?
Why Is It Called General Tso’s Chicken? General Tso’s Chicken is said to have been created by a chef in the 1950’s. The chef developed the recipe for a diplomatic dinner and named it after a Hunanese war hero, Tso Tsung-t’ang.