The flavors of General Tso’s on a fried chicken sandwich – two things I absolutely love, combined into one! The sweet and spicy flavors of General Tso’s sauce go so well on a fried chicken sandwich! Crispy chicken, tender and juicy in the middle and steaming hot, smothered with that tangy sticky and bright red sauce! It’s truly the sandwich of my dreams!

I had so much fun streaming this recipe a few weeks back, so thank you to everyone who tuned in! You can watch the stream here.

Where did the idea come from?

Something everyone loves on a fried chicken sandwich is a sweet and spicy sauce. I was trying to think of different sauces that are sweet and spicy to make a chicken sandwich with a twist! Once I thought of General Tso’s, I needed to make it immediately! One of my favorite things about this sandwich is the addition of a broccoli slaw. Normally General Tso comes with steamed broccoli that is often pushed aside. I spiced up some raw broccoli and mixed it with pickles to create a crunchy topping for this sandwich.

Making the chicken

I marinated the chicken in some egg whites, pickle juice, corn starch, baking soda, and soy sauce, then dredged it in a flour and cornstarch mixture. This is a common technique for the breading on General Tso’s Chicken , except the pickle juice which I threw in, because I usually use it in fried chicken sandwich marinade.

Once it marinates for a bit, dredge it in some flour and fry until crispy!

Making the General Tso’s Sauce

For the sauce, I mixed some honey with rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, scallions, and sambal chili paste. Tasty stuff! This was a simple version of the sauce, and I wanted it to be a “no cook” version to easily make for the General Tso’s Fried Chicken Sandwich. I used a lot of honey to give the sauce the sticky texture. Traditionally this would be cooked with some cornstarch and sugar to get that texture. If you want more info on a traditional version, check out this recipe on The Woks of Life!

Making the broccoli slaw

The slaw was broccoli, pickles, mayo, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. If I was making a regular fried chicken sandwich I would top it with pickles. If I was making a regular General Tso’s chicken, I would serve it with broccoli. My thought was to make a slaw that combined both of these things so the final fried chicken sandwich would be a true mash-up!

Serving the General Tso’s Fried Chicken Sandwich

Bread first, then a little sriracha mayo, then the chicken, then drench the chicken with the sauce! Top with the slaw and serve!

The General Tso’s Fried Chicken Sandwich came out amazing! The sauce was sweet and spicy, and the veggies added a great crunch. Using chicken thighs kept everything nice and juicy and added tons of nooks and crannies for the breading to get into. So much crispy chicken breading!

The sauce had just the right heat level and was perfectly sweet and tangy.

A perfect mash-up of flavors! I would eat this General Tso’s Fried Chicken Sandwich a few times a week if I could. Major cravings! I wish a fast food chain would make them!

Twists on the General Tso’s Fried Chicken Sandwich

You could make this with the more traditional version of the General Tso’s sauce if you prefer. I linked the recipe above. You could also skip the slaw and just do some pickles or maybe thin sliced cucumbers with some chili crisp. This chicken and sauce would also just be great with some rice if you wanted to skip the buns! But at that point, why not just make regular General Tso’s?

If you are looking for more fun twists on fried chicken sandwiches, check out my gochujang honey mustard chicken sandwich, or this blackberry habanero chicken sandwich!

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General Tso Fried Chicken Sandwich

A fried chicken sandwich with a sticky sweet and spicy sauce and a broccoli and pickle slaw. Inspired by General Tso Chicken and served on a bun!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

marinate1

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Chinese, Southern

Keyword: fried, Mash-Up, Sandwich, Spicy

Servings: sandwiches

Calories: 912kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken marinade

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 egg white
2 tablespoons pickle juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cornstarch

Chicken dredge

pinch of salt
1 cup flour
1 cup cornstarch

Slaw

1 cup shredded and julienned broccoli
1/2 cup julienned pickles
1 tablespoon mayo
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Sauce

juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sambol chili paste
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seed
1 scallion chopped
1 clove garlic grated
1 inch freshly grated ginger grated

Sandwich

oil for frying
buns
sriracha and mayo mixed together

Instructions

Double check the chicken for any loose bone pieces or excess fat areas and trim as needed. Mix the egg white, pickle juice, soy sauce, baking soda, and the 1/4 cup of cornstarch in a bowl. Season with salt. Add the chicken and stir to combine. Allow to sit in the fridge for an hour.
Mix the slaw ingredients. Cover and set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
Mix the sauce ingredients. Cover and set aside until ready to use.
Bring oil to 375. Mix the flour and cornstarch in a large shallow bowl and season with salt.
Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and fry until crispy, golden brown, and cooked through. about 3-5 minutes, flipping during cooking.
Toast the buns under the broiler. Start with the bottom bun and top it with the sriracha mayo. Next add the chicken and top with some sauce. Flip the chicken over and add more sauce. Top with the slaw, then the top bun, and serve.

Nutrition

General Tso’s Fried Chicken Sandwich