Keto General Tso's Chicken
Crisp, golden chicken bites in a sticky sweet-hot garlic-ginger glaze with whole dried chiles — the takeout classic without the cornstarch batter or the sugary sauce.
Nutrition per serving
about 1 cup chicken + broccoli- Net carbs
- 6.5g
- Calories
- 419kcal
- Protein
- 48g
- Fat
- 21g
- Total carbs
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 3.4 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
General Tso's shrimp: Large shrimp get the same crisp coating and sticky sauce, and they fry in about 3 minutes per batch.
- Coat the shrimp the same way and fry in two batches, 1–2 minutes per side, just until golden, pink and opaque (145°F/63°C).
Vegetarian (tofu): Pressed extra-firm tofu cubes fry up crisp in the coating, with vegetable broth in the sauce for a meat-free version.
- Press the tofu between towels under a heavy pan for 20 minutes, then cube and coat it as written.
- Fry each batch 6–8 minutes, turning, until crisp and golden on most sides. Make the sauce with vegetable broth and toss as written.
Dairy-free (pork rind crust): Finely crushed pork rinds replace the whey protein for a crunchy, dairy-free coating — handy if you don’t keep protein powder in the pantry.
- Toss the egg-coated chicken in the crushed pork rinds and garlic powder, pressing so the crumbs stick. Fry over medium heat as written; the crumbs brown a little faster than whey, so turn the pieces often.
- Crispy chicken
- General Tso’s sauce
- Stir-fry & serving
- Nice to have (optional)
- Crispy chicken
- General Tso’s sauce
- Stir-fry & serving
- Nice to have (optional)
- Crispy chicken
- General Tso’s sauce
- Stir-fry & serving
- Nice to have (optional)
- Crispy chicken
- General Tso’s sauce
- Stir-fry & serving
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $14.21 for 4 servings ($3.55 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Pat the chicken dry and toss it with the salt, then with the beaten egg until every piece is slick. Mix the whey protein and garlic powder in a large bowl, add the chicken a handful at a time and toss until each piece has a thin, dry-looking coat. Shake off the excess.
-
Whisk the tamari, rice vinegar, allulose, tomato paste, broth and sesame oil until the paste dissolves. Sprinkle the xanthan gum over the surface while whisking hard so it doesn’t clump. Set aside.
-
Heat 1½ tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Fry half the chicken in a single layer 5–6 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until deep golden on all sides and 165°F (74°C) in the center. The whey coating browns quickly, so lower the heat if it darkens before the chicken is cooked. Drain on a wire rack and repeat with the remaining oil and chicken.
-
Meanwhile, steam the broccoli in a covered pot over 1 inch (2.5 cm) of boiling water for 4–5 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender.
-
Lower the heat under the skillet to medium-low, leaving about 1 tsp of oil in the pan. Add the dried chiles and green onion whites and stir 30–60 seconds, until the chiles darken slightly and smell toasty. Add the garlic and ginger and stir 30 seconds more.
-
Stir the sauce, pour it in and simmer 1–2 minutes, until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.
-
Turn off the heat, add the chicken and toss quickly to coat. Serve right away with the broccoli, scattered with the green onion tops and sesame seeds. Cauliflower rice soaks up the extra sauce.
Tips for success
-
Whey protein isolate fries up crisp, much like a light cornstarch batter. Use isolate rather than concentrate, and unflavored only — vanilla whey makes a very strange General Tso’s. - Allulose gives the glaze the sticky, caramel-like body of sugar. Erythritol works in a pinch but can recrystallize into a gritty sauce as it cools.
- Air fryer: spray the coated chicken with oil and cook at 400°F (200°C) for 10–12 minutes, shaking halfway, until golden and 165°F (74°C), then toss with the sauce.
- The whole chiles perfume the oil; eat around them unless you like serious heat.
Nice to have, not needed
- A wire rack keeps the first batch crisp while the second fries — paper towels work, but turn the pieces once.
- An air fryer makes the coating extra crunchy with less oil — the skillet method needs no special gear.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Re-crisp the chicken in an air fryer or 400°F (200°C) oven for 6–8 minutes, warm the sauce in a pan, then toss together.
Prep tip: Keep the fried chicken and the sauce in separate containers so the coating stays crisp.
Best fresh. Refrigerate the chicken, sauce and broccoli separately up to 3 days; re-crisp the chicken in an air fryer or hot oven before tossing it with the warmed sauce.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosGeneral Tso's shrimp
ProteinLarge shrimp get the same crisp coating and sticky sauce, and they fry in about 3 minutes per batch.
- boneless skinless chicken thighs → large shrimp
6.5 g net · 358 kcal · 49 g protein · 14 g fat · ≈$5.81 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Vegetarian (tofu)
ProteinPressed extra-firm tofu cubes fry up crisp in the coating, with vegetable broth in the sauce for a meat-free version.
- boneless skinless chicken thighs → extra-firm tofu (14 oz / 397 g each)
- chicken broth → vegetable broth
7.6 g net · 499 kcal · 49 g protein · 31 g fat · ≈$3.31 per serving (+1.1 g net carbs vs the original)
Dairy-free (pork rind crust)
DietFinely crushed pork rinds replace the whey protein for a crunchy, dairy-free coating — handy if you don’t keep protein powder in the pantry.
- unflavored whey protein isolate → pork rinds
6.2 g net · 436 kcal · 45 g protein · 24 g fat · ≈$3.52 per serving (−0.3 g net carbs vs the original)
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