General Tso's Shrimp

General Tso’s Shrimp recipe is easy-to-make and combines crisp wok-fried shrimp with a sweet and salty sauce! It’s like your favorite takeout but so much better because you can make it in no time at all!

The Best General Tso's Shrimp Recipe

If you’re anything like me, you love Chinese takeout! But sometimes you want a slightly healthier version, or you don’t want to have to go pick it up! My amazing General Tso’s shrimp perfectly satisfies your craving! I toss crispy breaded shrimp with a sticky, savory sauce and serve it over rice to make a dish everyone is going to love!

If you love Chinese seafood dishes, this one’s for you! The shrimp lightens up the dish and adds loads of delicious seafood flavor.

General Tso’s shrimp is savory, sweet, slightly spicy, and so very delicious!

Jump to:

• The Best General Tso's Shrimp Recipe
• ❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients For General Tso's Shrimp
• 📖 Variations
• 🔪 How To Make General Tso's Shrimp
• 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
• 🥡 Storing & Reheating
• ❓ Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Comments & Reviews

❤️ Why I Love This Recipe

So Quick! I love how quick and easy it is to make this impressive dish! It’ll be on your table faster than you can order from Uber Eats.

Super Flavorful! The incredible General Tso’s sauce is packed with salty soy, tart vinegar, savory hoisin, sticky brown sugar, and more! You’ll be licking this sauce off your plate!

Healthier than Takeout! The shrimp are lightly fried, then tossed in a sauce with low-sodium soy sauce with no hidden ingredients! It’s a meal you’ll feel better about!

🥘 Ingredients For General Tso's Shrimp

My General Tso’s Shrimp is so wonderful! Keep the sauce ingredients in your pantry and you’ll be able to make this delicious sauce all the time!

Shrimp

• Shrimp – These should be thawed (if frozen), peeled, deveined, and have the tails removed so they’re easy to eat!
• Cornstarch – You’ll lightly dredge the shrimp in cornstarch before frying to make them nice and crispy! Cornstarch creates an awesome light crust after frying.
• Oil – Use any neutral oil here for frying! (See Tips & Recipe Notes)

General Tso’s Sauce

• Soy Sauce – I prefer low sodium here, so I can control the amount of salt added to the dish! If you are gluten-free use low-sodium tamari.
• Rice Vinegar – Rice vinegar gives the sauce a delicious tangy bite that we all love in General Tso’s!
• Hoisin Sauce – Hoisin sauce is kind of like a Chinese barbecue sauce. It’s thick, tangy, slightly sweet, and adds incredible flavor to the sauce!
• Brown Sugar – We need a little sweetness to create that irresistible sticky sauce!
• Chicken Broth – This will be the base of the sauce and helps create more sauce without it being watered down.
• Ginger Paste – Ginger paste adds a delicious warmth to the sauce. You can also grate some fresh ginger here if you can’t readily find ginger paste.
• Garlic Powder – Adds that special something to the sauce!
• Crushed Red Pepper – Adds a little heat without overwhelming! You can add more or less depending on your preference.
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch will help thicken up the sauce, so it coats the shrimp evenly.

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

📖 Variations

Want to try my other General Tso recipes? Check out my amazing General Tso’s chicken and my irresistible General Tso’s wings!

🔪 How To Make General Tso's Shrimp

You’ll be surprised at how easily my General Tso’s shrimp comes together! It only takes 25 minutes for this delicious dish to get on your plate—so make sure you’ve got some rice ready to soak up all that delicious sauce.

1. Make the Sauce. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sauce ingredients: 4 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce, 4 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 4 tablespoons of hoisin sauce, 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, ¼ cup of chicken broth, 1 tablespoon of ginger paste, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Whisk well to combine, making sure there are no cornstarch lumps and set aside.
2. Prep the Shrimp. If your shrimp is not already peeled and deveined, remove the shells and tails and clean out any stringy veins from 1 pound of shrimp (See FAQs for more on peeling and deveining). Be sure to pat the shrimp dry when done. Next, in a medium mixing bowl, add the cleaned and prepared shrimp and add ¼ cup of cornstarch. Mix to coat the shrimp, then leave in the bowl and set aside.
3. Fry Shrimp. In a wok, large skillet, or frying pan, heat enough oil to cover the shrimp while frying over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the shrimp until golden, pink, and opaque. Set aside to drain over a wire cooling rack.
4. Make General Tso’s Shrimp. When you’re done frying the shrimp, remove all except about 1 tablespoon of oil from your pan. Wipe away any dark debris from the pan, if necessary. Then, add the sauce and bring it to a low boil. Cook, stirring occasionally until the sauce is thick and syrupy. Add the fried shrimp and toss to coat.
5. Serve! Remove the General Tso’s shrimp from the heat and serve over rice immediately.

I love how incredibly simple and delicious my General Tso’s Shrimp is! It’s best served for dinner over white Jasmine rice with a green vegetable on the side—like crisp steamed or stir-fried snap peas!

I like to garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onion for extra flavor. Enjoy!

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

• Make sure the shrimp is completely pat dry after defrosting or preparing the shrimp! This will make sure that the cornstarch will adhere to the shrimp properly to create a light, crispy coating!
• After frying the shrimp, I recommend using a wire cooling rack instead of paper towels! The fried shrimp will continue to steam and then become soggy if left on oil-soaked paper towels. This tip is great for anything you’re frying!
• Unsure how to best dispose of extra oil? Don’t pour it down your sink! To safely dispose of the extra frying oil, pour it into a glass cup or container. You can also use a leftover carton if you have one. Let it cool, then either pour the cooled grease into your garbage or dispose of the entire carton. This will help prevent your sink from clogging up!
• Use any kind of neutral oil to fry the shrimp! You can use canola, vegetable, coconut, sunflower, light olive oil, or whatever you have on hand!

🥡 Storing & Reheating

I would recommend eating this amazing General Tso’s shrimp within 24 to 48 hours for the best quality! To store it, keep it in an airtight container.

As with any seafood, the risk of foodborne illness is slightly higher – so make sure you toss anything that smells off!

You can definitely freeze my General Tso’s shrimp, but I would recommend freezing the breaded shrimp and the sauce separately, so it does not get soggy!

When freezing the shrimp, lay the shrimp out separately on a baking sheet and let the fried shrimp freeze individually before putting them into a freezer storage bag or airtight container.

Reheating General Tso’s Shrimp

If you know me, you know I love cold, leftover Chinese food for breakfast! Not everyone loves it though, so I recommend using the oven to reheat the shrimp.

Put the shrimp in a baking dish and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated and sizzling. You can cover the dish with foil, then remove it after about 7-8 minutes to prevent the shrimp from drying out.

❓ Recipe FAQs

📖 Recipe Card