On today’s episode of recreating my childhood favorites… Whole30 General Tso’s Chicken! Dare I say it, but this may be up there as one of my favorite dinners that I’ve made! Bold statement, but I stand by it.
Like takeout, but better.
So many of my sleepovers with friends and grabbing a quick dinner with my family involved ordering our favorite takeout and eating them out of those little white containers. It just tasted best that way, don’t you agree?!
I grew up loving General Tso’s Chicken, but as someone that can’t have gluten and needs to watch their sugar intake in order to feel their best, the traditional takeout version was no longer an option for me. It also was not an option for me to never have one of my most loved meals ever again, so I decided to create my own recipe that I could enjoy, even when on Whole30!
Whole30 General Tso’s Chicken – Ready to dive in?
This dish is Whole30 friendly, but if you’re craving a little extra sweetness, you can add some honey for a natural sweetener option. I have made it both ways, and don’t even miss the honey while I’m eating Whole30 or watching my sugar intake! If you’re not on Whole30 though, I’d highly recommend pairing it with my Healthy Fried Rice! It also pairs perfectly with fresh, steamed broccoli. The extra sauce on the veggie is a match made in heaven.
Craving More?
Head to my Instagram account (here!) to watch my General Tso’s story highlight for a step by step video tutorial of how I create this crowd favorite dish!
Also, if you are wanting to take this dish the extra mile, you can grab some little white containers and eat in complete takeout harmony. Grab the ones I got from Amazon here and head to your couch for the ideal Friday night in.
Whole30 General Tso’s Chicken
Ingredients
Sauce
Chicken
- 1 ½ lbs chicken
- 1 egg
- ½ cup + 1 tbsp tapioca starch, separated (can sub arrowroot)
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp chicken broth or bone broth, separated (I use Bonafide Provisions chicken bone broth)
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
- green onions, to taste (optional)
- 2 tbsp avocado oil for cooking (can add more as needed for cooking)
Instructions
- Place skillet on medium heat and coat with oil to warm up.
- While the oil heats, prepare your sauce by whisking all ingredients together. Set aside. You can add red pepper flakes here if you like a little spice (I don’t so I left mine out).
- Whisk egg in a medium/large bowl and add the tapioca starch in another. Cut the chicken into pieces then place them into the egg wash.
- Coat each piece of chicken in the egg then use a fork to transfer the chicken piece by piece into the tapioca starch. Be sure to shake the excess egg off.
- Coat chicken completely then carefully place into the skillet with the heated oil. Add more tapioca starch if you need.
- Continue this process until all pieces are in the skillet. Flip chicken carefully and be sure all sides are cooked.
- Once cooked, remove chicken and set aside. Remove any burnt pieces from your skillet and return to the stove.
- Add sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic and ginger to the skillet and sauté for a minute or so.
- Add in the chicken broth and sauce then whisk together until simmering. Once it simmers, add in the chicken and cover each piece completely.
- Combine 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch and 2 tablespoons of chicken broth then stir to form a paste. Stir your paste into your skillet and let simmer for a few minutes.
- Serve with sautéed broccoli for W30 or rice/fried rice if not! Top with additional sesame seeds and green onions if you wish.
I don’t know what I did?! When I added the tapioca flour to the sauce it went from being so delicious to slimey?! The recipe was wonderful though!
Hi Lilly! Oh no! Did you mix the flour with water or broth to make a paste first? It is meant to thicken the sauce and makes it a bit stickier, but shouldn’t get slimey. Feel free to skip that part next time if you’re happy with the consistency of the sauce as is! Thank you for making! 🙂
I just made this for dinner and wow this is now one of my favorite whole30 meals I have ever made. I have done whole30 every January for a few years no and am always looking for new recipes. I followed the recipe exactly as written and it turned out perfectly. I knew it would be delicious but it really exceeded my expectations. Definitely a new staple recipe in my household!
Hi Alissa! I am so happy to hear you found a new staple recipe to add into your rotation! Thank you so much for making and I’m so happy you loved it 🙂
Another winner. I’ve never made anything similar, it was a nice change!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, it’s one of my favorites! 🙂
Hands down my favorite recipe I made during the whole30! Sooo good and turned out great. Would recommend this to anyone, regardless of whether they’re doing a whole30 round or not!
What a compliment! It’s one of my favorites too 🙂 Nothing better than a healthy meal that fits into everyone’s tastes, Whole30 or not, right?!
Would you recommend cauliflower or tofu as a substitute?
Hi Kelley! Truthfully, I think either could work just fine (and be super delicious), however I haven’t tested either just yet. I’d love to hear what you try and how it goes!
Sooo good! Perfect Sunday night dinner when you’re craving takeout.. this is even better. Flavour packed and delicious 🙂
Hi Ashley! I’m so glad you loved this healthy yet delicious dish 🙂
How many servings does this make and what is considered a serving size?
Hi Cara! Honestly, that depends on what you consider a serving size as it varies person to person! Everyone has different hunger levels and different needs for protein intake, for example, and even that can change day to day! For that reason I do not calculate exact servings because I really believe it varies. For my household, this makes anywhere from 2-4 servings depending on the above! Thanks for asking and I hope you love this recipe! 🙂
I love this especially when doing a whole 30. So good!
Same, this saves me during Whole30! So glad you love it. 🙂
still obsessed with this recipe. have yet to find better tasting general tso at restaurants. nothing beats this! 🥰
Excuse me that’s the best compliment! Thank you so much, Kelley! 🙂
Sooooo yummy! I am dairy free, gluten free, so it is so nice to find recipes that are so delicious and stay within my guidelines! Absolute love, and so did the fiancé!
Aw, thank makes me so happy to hear! I am allergic to gluten and aim to eat as low dairy as possible so I can totally relate. I hope you find lots of other recipes that meet your needs here! 🙂 Glad to hear the fiancé loved it too!
I can’t wait to make this! Any advice for swapping out the egg white? My son is allergic to eggs and I’d love to have him try this meal too 😄 Thanks!!!
Hi Caitlin! Unfortunately I have not tested any egg alternatives for this recipe so I’m not fully sure, however my mom has an egg allergy and will sometimes use aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas). She hasn’t used it in this specific recipe but it may be worth looking into if that fits into both of your dietary needs! 🙂
Any idea if almond flour would work as a sub for the tapioca?
Unfortunately it will not! The two flours are super different. Arrowroot would be my only recommended sub here!
Could this be made in a crockpot or kept warm well in a crockpot? Thank you!
Hi Olivia! No, this recipe won’t work in a crockpot unfortunately! I would assume the coating would get sticky and fall off making a huge mess!
What role does the egg wash play in the recipe? Thank you!
It can help the coating stick to the chicken!
Add the tapioca flour and more broth to the broth sauce mixture with the chicken in?
Aside from the sauce, the recipe states to form a paste from the tapioca flour and the broth. This will be added to the sauce as the last step to thicken the sauce a bit. Hope that helps!
Do you know if cornstarch would sub for tapioca? I have made recipes before similar (before I was W30/grain free) with cornstarch and it was perfect!
Just incase you’re currently W30/grain free, corn starch is not compliant! Although I haven’t tried it as I’m intolerant to corn, it should work as a substitute if it fits into your dietary needs.