• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Eat the Bite
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Eat the Bite
  • Recipes
  • Appetizer/Snack
  • Side Dish
  • Breakfast/Brunch
  • Sandwiches
  • Beef
  • Chicken
  • CSA SERIES
  • Entrees
  • International
  • Pasta
  • Pizza
  • Pork
  • Salad
  • Seafood
  • Stuffed Chicken Breast Series
  • Sweet Things
  • Thanksgiving
  • Vegetarian
×

Home » Chicken

General Tso's Chicken (Trader Joe's Hack)

by Stacey Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

If you're looking for a shortcut to making an incredible Asian dish - you're going to love this recipe. I have many Asian stir fry recipes up my sleeve. Many of them involve combining ingredients like traditional soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, Indonesian soy sauce, sesame oil, Sambal, Sriacha, gochujang, and others. I've always enjoyed playing with these combinations. However, like many of you, sometimes I need to take short cuts. Today, I bring you General Tso's Chicken with a Trader Joe's Hack you're going to love.

trader's joe's general taso's sauce
Pick up this little gem to make an awesome General Tso's Chicken for the family!

General Tso's Chicken Made Easy

This one is really easy and only has a few ingredients. Trader Joe's has become quite popular throughout the United States. I believe there are only a handful of states that do not have Trader Joe's. They have a lovely selection of items especially when it comes to appetizers, elevated pizzas and various jarred sauces. I took a particular liking to their General Tsao's sauce years ago. On a whim, I tried to make a scaled down version of General Tso's Chicken - one of my favorites when I order take-out Chinese.

Very much to my surprise, the sauce was absolutely incredible! You can elevate it if you want: add some diced garlic and ginger or throw some onions in there. I went with garlic for this recipe, but if you have more time you can add more ingredients if you like! I wanted to keep it as simple as possible for this post.

easy general tso's chicken recipe with trader joe's sauce
Insanely delicious General Tso's Chicken with a fantastic Trader Joe's Hack

This Awesome Chicken Dish Only Has a Few Ingredients with a Ton of Flavor

This dish is fun and easy to make mostly because you probably already have most of the ingredients on hand. Ingredients. Let's define that for a minute. As I'm writing recipes for my posts, guess what I write over and over again? Salt. Pepper. Oil. Flour. Garlic powder. Eggs. Rice. I feel like those items shouldn't apply to the total ingredient count since most everyone has all these things. Always. Right?

So other than broccoli, scallions and Trader Joe's General Tsao's sauce - you probably have everything you need to make this tonight and be the hero of your household! So go forth and cook! I guarantee this one will be a hit and it's totally kid-friendly!

Do You Love Food with an International Flair? No problem - Here's a Jumping Off Point For You:

  • Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles)
  • Anthony Bourdain's Macau-Style Pork Chop Sandwich
  • Dan Dan Noodles
  • Chili Oil w/Sediment
  • Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
  • Delicious Crispy Thai Pork Toast
  • Mrs. Mann's Steak & Sausage Pie
  • Ralph's German Meatball Soup (KOENIGSBERGER KLOPSE)
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
easy general tso's chicken recipe with trader joe's sauce

General Tso's Chicken (Trader Joe's Hack)


  • Author: Stacey
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 portions 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

You won’t believe how easy it is to make General Tso’s chicken with this simple Trader Joe’s hack! You'll be the hero of your household!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 12 chicken tenderloin strips
  • 1 bottle Trader Joe’s General Tsao’s Sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups steamed broccoli, optional
  • ¼ cup chopped scallions, optional garnish
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 2-3 cups of vegetable oil

For the flour dredge

  • ½ cup corn starch
  • ½ cup white AP flour
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten

Basmati Rice (follow package instructions)

  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Start cooking your rice first. By the time the rice is cooked, everything else will be ready. Follow the package instructions. I do always make sure I rinse the rice thoroughly. I also add butter and salt.
  2. Cut your chicken tenderloins into pieces. The pieces should be about ½” to ¾” in size. Season with salt and pepper and set aside for now.
  3. Finely dice the garlic.
  4. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces and put them in a pot with some water and a steamer insert. If you don’t have a steamer insert, steaming/boiling it directly in water works too. Plan your timing. Cook on high heat until the water is boiling. Put the lid on, turn the heat to low-medium, and steam until al dente. Should take about 7-10 minutes. A good time to turn the broccoli on is right when you start cooking the chicken.
  5. Chop the scallions if you’re using them.
  6. Get the dredging station ready. Put the flour, corn starch, salt and garlic powder in a bowl and mix with a fork. Yes, you can use all corn starch or all flour for this. I usually have both so I do a 50/50 split.
  7. Beat two eggs in a bowl until well blended.
  8. Start adding the chicken pieces into the beaten eggs. Make sure all the chicken is covered in egg. Next, start transferring the chicken pieces into the flour mixture and coat them completely. Shake the excess flour from the chicken pieces and transfer to a sheet pan so you’re ready to start frying them. Do this for all the chicken pieces.
  9. Heat vegetable oil in a pan. This is a shallow fry so the pieces won’t be submerged in oil. The amount of oil you use depends how big your pan in.
  10. Once the oil is nice and hot, start adding in the chicken pieces. Don’t crowd the pan or touch the pieces until they are ready to be turned. You’ll probably need to cook the chicken pieces in two batches. Heat should be at medium and the chicken should be cooked for 2-2 ½ minutes, then turn the pieces and cook for 2-2 ½ more minutes until crispy and cooked all the way through.
  11. Place the cooked chicken on a sheet pan.
  12. After all the chicken is finished, I washed the pan and used the same pan again for the final assembly. I added maybe a teaspoon of oil in the pan and then the garlic. Cook garlic for a minute or two – just until fragrant.
  13. Add all the fried chicken to the pan and mix around to combine with the garlic.
  14. Pour the General Tso’s sauce into the pan and mix to coat all the chicken.
  15. Serve with basmati rice, broccoli and garnish with scallions.

                                                                                                                                             

Equipment

Image of Ceramic Salad/Pasta Bowls

Ceramic Salad/Pasta Bowls

Buy Now →
Image of Calphalon Saute Pan with Lid (5QT)

Calphalon Saute Pan with Lid (5QT)

Buy Now →
Image of Large Sheet Pan

Large Sheet Pan

Buy Now →
Image of Wire Baking/Cooling Rack

Wire Baking/Cooling Rack

Buy Now →
Image of Colander, 3-Quart

Colander, 3-Quart

Buy Now →
Image of Steamer Insert, Stainless Steel

Steamer Insert, Stainless Steel

Buy Now →

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

« Sweet and Tangy Blood Orange Vinaigrette
Korean Bulgogi Sandwich with Spicy Cucumbers & Cheddar »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Want to hear about more deliciousness from Eat the Bite?

Sign up for my newsletter and never miss a recipe!

I'll send the latest and greatest right to your inbox!

Social Media Stuff

  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Do You Love Chicken? Here's a Few Recipes to Keep You Busy:

Dijon Chicken with Apples, Leeks and Fennel: overhead view of platter of chicken on the table with one portion on a plate to the side, bowl of basmati rice, apples, rosemary, fennel on the table

Dijon Chicken with Apples, Leeks and Fennel

Collage of Feeding a crowd for the holidays - 10 best recipes to serve the masses. starting at top left and going clockwise: spaghetti lasagna, jalapeno popper chicken wrapped in bacon, phyllo meat pie, croque monsieur sandwich, creamy chicken bacon pasta, chicken marbella, pork chops with stove top stuffing, steak and sausage pie, stuffed chicken pepperoni pizza bake.

Feeding a Crowd for the Holidays: 10 Best Recipes to Serve the Masses

overhead view of serving platter of creamy chicken bacon pasta garnished with parsley and fresh parmesan with microplane and cheese in the top left corner and a single portion in the top right corner

Creamy Chicken Bacon Pasta (No Butter, No Cream)

very close look a one rosemary balsamic grilled chicken thigh with asparagus in the background

Rosemary Balsamic Grilled Chicken Thighs

side view of a platter of grilled chimichurri chicken thighs with extra sauce and cherry tomatoes

Grilled Chimichurri Chicken Thighs

overview of one portion of cranberry brie stuffed chicken with broccoli and carrots and garnished with parsley

Cranberry Brie Stuffed Chicken

overhead view of the best grilled chicken with marinated tomatoes with one portion plates and a serving bowl of tomatoes, platter of chicken and arugula salad with goat cheese and radish

The Best Grilled Chicken with Marinated Tomatoes

overhead table view of crispy brick chicken with pan sauce, roasted calabaza squash and sauteed zucchini

Crispy Brick Chicken with Pan Sauce and Veggies

back yard bbq front view of platter filled with bacon stuffed cheeseburgers

Backyard BBQ: Sriracha-Lime Chicken, Bacon-Stuffed Cheeseburgers & Twisty Potatoes

overhead view of one portion of cashew chicken stir fry with a serving plate and basmati rice in the background

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

platter with bone-in stuffed chicken breast with spinach and gouda, rosemary potatoes and salad in background

Bone-in Stuffed Chicken Breast with Spinach and Gouda

front view of sheet pan drumsticks on a platter topped with cilantro and mint

Sheet Pan Drumsticks with Roasted Carrots and Cumin Potatoes

overhead view of both sheet pans with crunchy coconut chicken fingers

Crunchy Coconut Chicken Fingers

close up look of kackle burger chicken cutlet with bacon and cheese on french bread cut in half

The Kackle Burger: Chicken Cutlet with Bacon and Cheese

right side view of 4 bento boxes with grilled rosemary chicken broccoli and sweet potatoes

MEAL PREP: Rosemary Grilled Chicken with Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes

Recent Comments

  • Stacey on Big Batch Spaghetti Sauce Without Meat
  • Eric on Big Batch Spaghetti Sauce Without Meat
  • Stacey on Ina Garten's Chicken Marbella

Footer

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 Eat the Bite on the Foodie Pro Theme