We are not surprised! This dish of crispy chicken tossed in a sweet and savory sauce is a Chinese-American classic. General Tso's was not only the most popular Chinese dish but it was also the 4th most popular dish overall. Let it defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat in the microwave, in the Instant Pot or in a pan on the stovetop with a bit of extra sauce.In 2015, food delivery site Grubhub released a dataset that revealed America's favorite meals to order in.

After the dish has cooled completely, store it in airtight glass containers for up to 3 months. You can try freezing the chicken separately though! When making it in the Instant Pot, follow the steps as normal but don’t add in the red peppers. Unfortunately, this entire dish won’t freeze very well as the peppers will get soggy when they defrost. Once warmed up, you're ready to enjoy your meal! I suggest sprinkling a bit of water over top before reheating so the rice and chicken don’t dry out. When you're ready to eat your General Tso's chicken, take your individual serving out of the fridge and microwave for 1-2 minutes until warm.

Once you've refrigerated your servings, they will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, which turns these yummy leftovers into a delicious meal prep dish. If you want to turn this delicious dinner into the next day's lunch then keep reading! Store each individual serving in an airtight container after it has fully cooled down. Cooking in an Instant Pot is typically quicker and because it's made in one pot there is less clean up involved – talk about a win-win situation! Storing and reheating Now, you may be wondering why make this in an Instant Pot instead of on the stove? Well, it's a great alternative to the traditional stovetop method. Whisk it all together in a small bowl then pour it into the Instant Pot with the sautéed veggies and red pepper. It tastes just as good but doesn’t contain any of the additives you’d find in a store-bought or restaurant General Tso’s sauce. This sauce is super easy to make and uses pantry staples you likely already have lying around the house. Jasmine rice – any long grain rice like basmati rice can be used instead.Chili flakes – sriracha would also bring some spice to this dish or you can forego the heat altogether for a milder dish.Sesame seeds – leave this out altogether if you don’t have any on hand.Green onion – leave this out altogether if you don’t like green onion.Red pepper – use any colour bell pepper you like.Vegetable oil – sunflower oil, olive oil and avocado oil are other options if you don't have vegetable oil on hand.Garlic – fresh minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.Sesame oil – sesame oil will add a nutty taste to your dish, so any nut oil will work in replacement, but try to use sesame oil for the most authentic flavour.Rice vinegar – apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar are good alternatives here.Brown sugar – use a combination of white sugar and molasses to make your own brown sugar.Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos can be used in place of soy sauce.Hoisin sauce – sweet soy sauce (known as kecap manis) will provide a similar taste but garlic teriyaki, oyster sauce and bean pasta are other good substitutes.Chicken breasts – chicken breasts are the leaner option but diced chicken thighs would be a great alternative.Cornstarch – you can also use potato starch or rice flour to thicken the sauce.

Homemade general tao chicken