Name: Healthy General Tso's Chicken
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 skinless (boneless chicken breasts, cut into medium cubes (600 g)); 2 tablespoons soy sauce (30 ml); 1 large garlic clove (finely minced); 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (5 g); ½ teaspoon chili powder or cayenne (optional); ¾ cup chicken broth (180 ml); 1½ tablespoons soy sauce (22 ml); 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (15 ml); 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (15 ml); 1 teaspoon cornstarch (3 g); 1 packet of Stevia or 1 teaspoon of Splenda (or to taste); 1 dried red chili or 1 fresh jalapeño (sliced (optional)); 1 teaspoon oil (5 ml); Extra fresh jalapeño slices for serving (optional)

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Healthy General Tso’s Chicken lets you enjoy bold, spicy-sweet flavors without the extra points! This lighter take skips the breading and frying, using tender chicken sautéed with garlic, ginger, and a zesty, low-sugar sauce that’s just as satisfying as the takeout version.

It’s ready in just 20 minutes, and at 1 Point per serving, you can’t go wrong! Hungry for more delicious, guilt-free meals? Check out our other Weight Watchers dinner recipes—quick, easy, and perfect for staying on track!

Healthy general Tso's chicken in a bowl with sesame seed garnish.

Recipe Overview

Serving Size: 200 g
Number of Servings: 4
Time to Cook: 20 minutes
1 WW Point Per Serving. You can view the recipe on the WW App here. (WW login required.)

Ingredients in Healthy General Tso’s Chicken

Ingredients for healthy General Tso's chicken in separate dishes on a counter.

For the chicken:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into medium cubes (600 g)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (30 ml)
1 large garlic clove, finely minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (5 g)
½ teaspoon chili powder or cayenne (optional)

For the General Tso sauce:

¾ cup chicken broth (180 ml)
1½ tablespoons soy sauce (22 ml)
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (15 ml)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (15 ml)
1 teaspoon cornstarch (3 g)
1 packet of Stevia or 1 teaspoon of Splenda (or to taste)
1 dried red chili or 1 fresh jalapeño, sliced (optional)

For sautéing:

1 teaspoon oil (5 ml)
Extra fresh jalapeño slices for serving (optional)

Instructions for making Healthy General Tso’s Chicken

Place the cubed chicken in a bowl and add soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and chili powder. Mix well to coat the chicken evenly, cover with plastic wrap, and let it marinate while you prep the other ingredients. Ten minutes is enough.
In a small bowl, combine chicken broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, sweetener, and chili or jalapeño if using. Stir thoroughly to dissolve the cornstarch and set aside.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with one teaspoon of oil. Add the marinated chicken and sauté for 6–8 minutes, or until fully cooked and lightly golden. Once done, turn off the heat but leave the chicken in the skillet.
In a separate small saucepan, pour in the prepared sauce mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3–5 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon. If it’s too thin, dissolve 1 extra tablespoon of cornstarch in ¼ cup of water and add a little at a time. If it’s too thick, just add more broth.
Pour the thickened sauce directly over the chicken in the skillet. Toss gently to coat the chicken evenly in the sauce using a spoon or spatula. The residual heat will help bring everything together without overcooking the chicken.
Serve hot, topped with fresh jalapeño slices if desired.

Cooked chicken chunks in the pan with General Tso's sauce.

Tips and Tricks Section for making Healthy General Tso’s Chicken

Making Healthy General Tso’s Chicken is really simple; it’s almost impossible to mess up. However, here are a few tricks that will make all the difference:

Cut the chicken breast cubes to the same size so they cook evenly.
Sometimes you need to adjust the sauce by adding more broth or more cornstarch. A good trick to know when it’s ready is that when you lift the spoon, it will be coated with an even layer of sauce. If the sauce is too thin, you can add one more tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in a quarter cup of water; if it’s too thick, simply add more broth.
I like to use just one packet of Stevia, but if you want a more intense flavor, try adding more chili and another packet of Stevia. This doesn’t add Weight Watchers points, just provides much more flavor.
I usually double or triple the amount of General Tso sauce I make. Then I simply put some cut vegetables on the grill, sear them for a few minutes, and then coat them with the General Tso sauce. If I make plenty of vegetables, I even have enough for dinner… what more could you ask for?

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Healthy General Tso’s Chicken

Recipe Overview

Ingredients in Healthy General Tso’s Chicken

Instructions for making Healthy General Tso’s Chicken

Tips and Tricks Section for making Healthy General Tso’s Chicken