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    General Tso Shrimp Recipe Made In Just 10 Minutes

    by Brendan Cunningham 26 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This general tso shrimp only takes 10 minutes to make, and everything cooks in one pan! The shrimp are coated in a sweet and slightly spicy sauce with a flavor you can't get in any other dish. And after you make this general tso shrimp recipe at home, you'll never want to order it for takeout again. 

    A blue bowl with white rice in it and General tsos shrimp and green onions on top. There is a set of chopsticks hovering over the bowl with a piece of shrimp between them.

    THE BEST GENERAL TSO SHRIMP 

    General tso shrimp is a classic Chinese takeout order, and for a good reason. It is a simple dish that packs a ton of flavor, and if you've never had it before, you're missing out. 

    Seriously, if you like shrimp and you like sweet sauces with a bit of kick, you're going to love this recipe. Personally, I'm a huge fan of ordering general tso's shrimp for takeout, but this homeamade recipe is just so much better than anything you'll get from your average Chinese restaurant.

    Table of Contents
    • THE BEST GENERAL TSO SHRIMP 
      • GENERAL TSO SHRIMP INGREDIENTS
      • HOW TO MAKE GENERAL TSO SHRIMP
        • STEP 1: MAKING THE SAUCE
        • STEP 2: PREP WORK
        • STEP 3: FINISHING UP
      • STORING YOUR GENERAL TSO SHRIMP
    • WRAPPING IT ALL UP
    • MORE TAKEOUT INSPIRED MEALS

     

    There's just something about the flavors - and the umami - in my homemade general tso sauce recipe that really takes it to another level of deliciousness.

    And what's great about this recipe is the entire thing cooks in just one pan, making it an easy and seamless cooking process.

    On top of that, the whole recipe will only take you about 10 minutes to make! Just like this sweet and sour shrimp recipe!

    A blue bowl filled with white rice and General tsos shrimp on top with some green onions around the shrimp. Behind the bowl is part of a small bowl of green onions and a bowl filled with white rice on a wooden board.

    GENERAL TSO SHRIMP INGREDIENTS

    So, you will need some pretty simple ingredients to make this delicious general tso. 

    Check out what you'll need for the shrimp:

    • 1 lb peeled shrimp
    • 1 tbsp sesame oil
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • ½ teaspoon minced ginger

    And for the general tso sauce:

    • ⅓ cup chicken or vegetable broth
    • ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
    • 1 tbsp brown sugar
    • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
    • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
    • 2 tbsp soy sauce
    • ½ tbsp cornstarch

    Optional for serving:

    • Rice
    • Green onion
    • Sesame seeds

    If you want to serve this shrimp over rice, I highly suggest making this Instant Pot Sushi Rice. It goes so well with this saucy shrimp.

    Now, if you don't have a few of these ingredients, you're going to want to make sure you pick them up because you don't want to miss out on all this flavor. 

    Oh, and you should probably pick up some extra, too - you can use the majority of these same ingredients to make this  Firecracker Shrimp and Empress Chicken. Both are deliciously flavorful meals that I highly suggest you try out next. 

    A bowl filled with General tsos shrimp and a few green onions on top of white rice. There are chopsticks at the right side of the bowl and the bowl is on a grey tablecloth. Bhind the bowl on a wooden board is a small white bowl filled with green onions.

    HOW TO MAKE GENERAL TSO SHRIMP

    Now, let's get down to the good stuff.

    As I've mentioned already, not only is this recipe easy to make, it is super quick too. 

    So anytime you need to whip up dinner on short notice, this general tso recipe comes in clutch. 

    If you're ready for some flavor, get your ingredients together, and let's get cooking! 

    STEP 1: MAKING THE SAUCE

    The first thing you will do is make the sauce.

    Get out a small bowl and add all of your sauce ingredients to it. Then, whisk your ingredients together until they are well combined, and a sauce forms.

    You can set your bowl aside for now - we'll be using it soon.

    A bowl filled with a bunch of general Tso's shrimp and a few green onions on top of white rice. Part of one chopstick is on the edge of the bowl.

    STEP 2: PREP WORK

    First, take out a wok or large pan and put it over medium heat. 

    Then, add your sesame oil to it, and heat your oil for 30 seconds. 

    Next, add your minced garlic and ginger and saute for 30 seconds, stirring them constantly. 

    After that, add your shrimp to your wok or pan and saute for 2 minutes. 

    STEP 3: FINISHING UP

    Now, get your bowl of sauce and give it a good whisk.

    Then pour your sauce over the shrimp and turn up your heat a little bit. 

    Finally, cook everything and constantly stir for about 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens.

    Serve your general tso shrimp over a bed of rice and top with green onions and sesame seeds.

    Enjoy! 

    A blue bowl with white rice in it and general tsos shrimp on top with a few green onions. There are chopsticks on the right side of the bowl and the bowl is on a gray tablecloth, in front of a wooden board with part of a bowl of green onions.

    STORING YOUR GENERAL TSO SHRIMP

    So, this recipe will make about 3 servings of shrimp, so odds are you won't have any leftovers. But what is great about this recipe is you can easily double or triple it for a family dinner or if you want to meal prep for the week.

    Then you can store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

    And you can either enjoy it cold or reheat your dish.

    The best method for reheating this shrimp is using the oven. First, preheat your oven to 325°F (160°) and put your leftovers in an oven-safe container covered in tin foil. Then heat for about 5-10 minutes and remove the foil in your last few minutes of heating. 

    A blue bowl with white rice in it and general Tso's shrimp on top with a few green onions around the shrimp. Part of a pair of chopsticks is on the right of the bowl with the bottoms touching the grey tablecloth underneath the bowl.

    WRAPPING IT ALL UP

    That is how you make quick, easy, and seriously flavorful general tso shrimp. 

    You can make this dish a meal for one or turn it into a feast for the entire family by doubling or tripling the recipe!

    Anyone who tries it will think it's better than any takeout version they've ever had.

    I hope you enjoy this general tso shrimp recipe! Make sure to leave a comment below and let me know what you think. 

    MORE TAKEOUT INSPIRED MEALS

    Let's be honest, anything that you can order for takeout is so much better made at home. 

    So here are some delicious takeout inspired meals to try cooking up in the comfort of your own home:

    • Orange Chicken
    • Cajun shrimp fried rice
    • Fried Mahi-Mahi
    • Chicken Tempura 
    • Blackened Shrimp
    • Shrimp Lo Mein 
    • Bang Bang Shrimp
    Print

    General Tso Shrimp With The Best General Tso Sauce

    A blue bowl with white rice in it and General tsos shrimp and green onions on top. There is a set of chopsticks hovering over the bowl with a piece of shrimp between them.
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 26 reviews

    This general tso shrimp only takes 10 minutes to make, and everything cooks in one pan! The shrimp are coated in a sweet and slightly spicy sauce with a flavor you can't get in any other dish. After you make this general tso shrimp recipe at home, you'll never want to order it for takeout again. 

    • Author: Brendan Cunningham
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 5 minutes
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 3 servings 1x
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: Chinese

    Ingredients

    Scale

    1 lb. (16oz) peeled shrimp

    1 tbsp sesame oil

    1 garlic clove, minced

    ½ teaspoon minced ginger

    General tso sauce:

    ⅓ cup chicken or vegetable broth

    ¼ teaspoon chili flakes

    1 tbsp brown sugar

    1 tbsp hoisin sauce

    2 tbsp rice vinegar

    2 tbsp soy sauce

    ½ tbsp cornstarch

    Optional for serving:

    Rice

    Green onion

    Sesame seeds

    Instructions

    1. Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside. 
    2. In a wok heat sesame oil for 30 seconds over medium heat.
    3. Add garlic and ginger, saute 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
    4. Add shrimp and saute for 2 minutes.
    5. Whisk the sauce again and pour over the shrimp. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens.
    6. Serve over rice with green onions and sesame seeds.

    Notes

    The scale up function does not change the gram measurements.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 serving
    • Calories: 227
    • Fat: 7
    • Carbohydrates: 13.5
    • Protein: 24.5

    Keywords: general tso shrimp, general tso shrimp recipe, general tso, general tso recipe, general tso sauce, general tso sauce recipe, general tso's shrimp, general tso's shrimp recipe, general tso's, general tso's recipe, general tso shrimp calories, general tso shrimp ingredients, general tso shrimp recipe easy, easy general tso shrimp recipe, general tso sauce recipe healthy, chinese shrimp recipe, how to make general tso shrimp, recipe for general tso shrimp, recipe for general tso, how to make general tso

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Josh

      July 15, 2021 at 12:06 am

      Made this tonight, and it was amazing. The General tso sauce in particular was really, really extraordinary!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Lauren K

        July 17, 2021 at 2:47 pm

        Unbelievable flavor!!

        ★★★★★

        Reply
    2. Mark K

      July 15, 2021 at 9:16 am

      Very easy to make and tasted great!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Caroline Frano

      July 15, 2021 at 1:51 pm

      Has to be my favorite shrimp recipe I've made. I ate it with some jasmine rice and broccoli. Going to be a regular meal for me. Thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Larry

      July 15, 2021 at 3:30 pm

      Super good & easy too!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Tarry

      July 16, 2021 at 10:02 am

      Really tasty!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    6. Marcus

      July 17, 2021 at 11:28 am

      Did this for dinner last night, and it was incredible.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Mac

      July 18, 2021 at 1:37 pm

      Made this on a whim! So good 🙂

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    8. Karlene

      July 19, 2021 at 10:11 am

      Turned this into a stir fry with rice, broccoli, peppers, and carrots. Delicious!! Glad I have leftovers for the next few days.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    9. Brett

      July 20, 2021 at 4:06 pm

      Flavor was on point!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    10. Jimbo

      July 20, 2021 at 4:51 pm

      Better than takeout!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    11. Tim

      July 21, 2021 at 11:23 pm

      The flavor is 100% spot on!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    12. Greenie

      July 22, 2021 at 4:50 pm

      Yummy!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    13. Nick F

      July 23, 2021 at 2:07 pm

      One my favorite shrimp recipes. This tasted similar to the place I usually order it from.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    14. Teresa

      July 25, 2021 at 10:57 am

      Love how quick this recipe is! Everyone was starving last night and I had all the ingredients and cooked it, my family very much enjoyed it. Going to be a regular dinner recipe for us.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    15. Annette

      July 26, 2021 at 9:22 am

      Easy, fast, and delicious recipe. Recommend if you like shrimp.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    16. Agnis

      July 27, 2021 at 5:04 pm

      Holy moly this was delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    17. Peyton

      July 28, 2021 at 3:57 pm

      I decided to make this recipe for dinner last night and I am very glad I did. It was delicious! I'm about to eat the leftovers now.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    18. Kim L

      July 28, 2021 at 7:11 pm

      Was great!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    19. Li

      July 30, 2021 at 1:28 pm

      Love this recipe! Best homemade shrimp I've made!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    20. Maggie

      July 31, 2021 at 9:28 am

      I used chicken instead of shrimp and it was incredible!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    21. Nina

      August 01, 2021 at 1:32 pm

      Sweet and sour explosion!! Making it again soon.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    22. Beverly

      August 06, 2021 at 1:36 pm

      Very happy with how quick the recipe was and it tasted very good!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    23. Sean

      September 06, 2021 at 4:46 pm

      Incredible shrimp recipe.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    24. David

      November 12, 2021 at 10:28 am

      The best shrimp recipe that I have ever made. I will be making this again for sure.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    25. Michelle M.

      January 01, 2022 at 8:14 pm

      Really the best shrimp recipe that I have made from scratch at home.

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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