General Tso’s chicken is a sweet, savory and spicy Chinese-American dish that has become a beloved staple of Chinese takeout menus across the United States. But some have wondered if this seemingly unique dish is actually just a spicy riff on a similar Chinese favorite – sesame chicken.
On the surface, the two dishes do seem to share some similarities. Both are made with boneless, deep-fried chicken that is coated in a sticky sauce containing ingredients like soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and chili peppers. The main difference appears to be that General Tso’s sauce has a bolder, spicier flavor thanks to the addition of more chili peppers.
But when you dig a little deeper into the history and preparation methods of each dish, some notable differences emerge that set General Tso’s chicken apart from its milder, sweeter cousin.
Origins and History
The origins of General Tso’s chicken trace back to Hunan province in China and a 19th century statesman and military leader named Zuo Zongtang, who later took on the noble title General Tso. According to food historian Jennifer 8. Lee, the dish was likely inspired by a classic Hunan recipe called “ancestor meets grandson chicken” but transformed over time into the General Tso’s chicken we know today.
The earliest recorded version of General Tso’s chicken appeared on the menu of a Taiwanese restaurant in New York City in the 1970s. Chef Peng Chang-kuei has often been credited with inventing the dish during a visit to the city, where he adapted the flavors of Hunan cuisine to suit local tastes. From there, the dish was popularized across North America by Chinese restaurants and takeout joints.
Sesame chicken has much less definite roots, though most food historians agree it was invented sometime in the 1960s or 70s in New York City or California. Since sesame seeds are not commonly used in traditional Chinese cuisine, the dish was likely conceived by Chinese immigrant chefs trying to appeal to American tastes.
Ingredients
While General Tso’s chicken and sesame chicken start with the same base of chopped, boneless chicken thigh or breast meat coated in potato or corn starch, their sauce ingredients diverge from there.
General Tso’s sauce is made by cooking garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili peppers and sugar together into a thick, savory glaze. Common additions include MSG, hoisin sauce or chili bean paste for extra umami flavor. The chicken is tossed in the sauce before serving.
Sesame chicken sauce has a more straightforward list of ingredients: corn starch, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, onion powder, sesame seeds, sugar andchicken broth. The sauce lightly coats the fried chicken right before it’s plated.
| Ingredient | General Tso’s Chicken | Sesame Chicken |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | Boneless, breaded with potato or corn starch | Boneless, breaded with potato or corn starch |
| Soy sauce | X | X |
| Rice vinegar | X | X |
| Garlic | X | |
| Ginger | X | |
| Chili peppers | X | |
| Sugar | X | X |
| Sesame oil | X | |
| Sesame seeds | X | |
| Onion powder | X | |
| Chicken broth | X |
As you can see, while they share some basic ingredients like soy sauce, vinegar and sugar, General Tso’s has a more complex, spicy profile thanks to the additions of garlic, ginger and dried chili peppers.
Preparation Methods
General Tso’s chicken and sesame chicken also differ significantly in how they are prepared:
- General Tso’s chicken is fried twice – once plain to cook the chicken, then again after coating in the spicy sauce to caramelize it.
- Sesame chicken is only fried once before topping with the sauce.
- General Tso’s chicken sauce ingredients are cooked down into a thick glaze that coats the chicken.
- Sesame chicken sauce is more like a drizzle over the fried chicken right before serving.
So while both dishes involve fried chicken in a sweet sauce, General Tso’s chicken takes things a step further by double frying and completely coating the chicken in the intense, sticky glazed sauce.
Flavor Profile
In the end, the bolder, more complex flavor sets General Tso’s chicken apart from its milder cousin:
- General Tso’s chicken is intensely sweet, sour and spicy.
- Sesame chicken is mildly sweet with little sourness or spice.
- General Tso’s chicken has savory, tangy notes from soy sauce, garlic and vinegar.
- Sesame chicken is mostly non-savory sweetness.
- General Tso’s chicken delivers a warming, lingering heat from chili peppers.
- Sesame chicken has no spiciness.
While both dishes have crispy, fried chicken pieces bathed in a sweet sauce, General Tso’s chicken simply packs much more complex punch thanks to smart layering of sweet, sour, savory and spicy flavors.
Popularity and Availability
Both General Tso’s chicken and sesame chicken appear frequently on North American Chinese takeout and buffet restaurant menus. However, General Tso’s edges out sesame chicken in overall popularity:
- A 2012 survey found General Tso’s chicken to be the 2nd most popular Chinese takeout dish in the U.S., while sesame chicken ranked #12.
- Trend tracking by GrubHub in 2017 showed General Tso’s chicken was the #1 most ordered dish on their platform, increasing in orders by more than 120% from 2013 to 2017. Sesame chicken didn’t rank in the top 10.
- General Tso’s chicken is considered a “quintessential” Chinese takeout dish, while sesame chicken doesn’t have quite the same iconic status.
While both dishes can be found on most Chinese takeout menus, General Tso’s edges out sesame chicken in widespread availability. It’s nearly impossible to find a Chinese restaurant without General Tso’s chicken, while sesame chicken might be left off some smaller menus.
Global Popularity
While sesame chicken is mostly limited to North American Chinese restaurants, General Tso’s Chicken has developed a worldwide following:
- General Tso’s chicken is served at Chinese restaurants across Europe, Australia and South America.
- Sesame chicken remains largely unknown outside of the United States and Canada.
- In Hong Kong, General Tso’s chicken is popularized as “Tso’s chicken.”
- Recipes for General Tso’s chicken can be found in Chinese cookbooks around the world.
Thanks to its unique, complex flavor profile, General Tso’s chicken has proven to have global appeal far surpassing that of sesame chicken.
Nutritional Value
Being deep fried dishes with sweet sauces, neither General Tso’s chicken nor sesame chicken are considered particularly healthy options. However, General Tso’s chicken packs slightly more nutritional value:
| Nutrient (per serving) | General Tso’s Chicken | Sesame Chicken |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 530 | 760 |
| Total Fat | 14g | 24g |
| Sodium | 1360mg | 1210mg |
| Protein | 26g | 25g |
With significantly lower calorie, fat and sodium counts, General Tso’s chicken is the slightly healthier choice. The abundant spices, soy sauce and chili peppers also pack more antioxidants and vitamins.
Is General Tso’s Chicken Healthier Than Other Chinese Takeout?
Compared to other popular Chinese takeout dishes like beef lo mein, sweet and sour chicken or egg rolls, General Tso’s chicken lands somewhere in the middle on the healthy scale:
- More veggies and fiber – Lo mein noodle and veggie dishes will be higher in nutrients.
- Less fried – Steamed or pan fried dishes like shrimp with broccoli have less fat from frying.
- Less salt – Soup or steamed dishes tend to be lower in sodium.
- More protein – General Tso’s has more protein than heavy carb dishes like fried rice.
While not the healthiest menu choice, General Tso’s chicken provides more nutrition than heavily fried appetizers or carb-laden main dishes.
Cost
As two of the most popular items at Chinese restaurants, General Tso’s chicken and sesame chicken are typically similarly priced:
- General Tso’s chicken – $7-12 per plate
- Sesame chicken – $6-12 per plate
However, General Tso’s chicken portions may be slightly smaller since it is typically served sauced rather than just drizzled. Prices also depend on restaurant and geographical region.
Is General Tso’s Chicken or Sesame Chicken More Expensive to Make?
For commercial Chinese restaurants, General Tso’s chicken is actually the more affordable dish to prepare because it uses poultry thigh or leg meat rather than pricier breast meat favored in sesame chicken. The sauce is also relatively inexpensive to make in bulk.
For home cooks, sesame chicken may be slightly cheaper to buy ingredients for since sesame oil and seeds can be costly. But overall, both dishes have a similar moderate price point.
Ease of Preparation
At home, General Tso’s chicken requires a few more steps and active cooking time:
- General Tso’s chicken sauce must be cooked down into a glaze.
- Chicken is fried twice for General Tso’s and just once for sesame.
- More ingredients must be prepped like ginger, garlic and chili peppers.
However, neither dish is overly complex for an experienced home cook. General Tso’s just requires a little more work.
Conclusion
While General Tso’s chicken and sesame chicken appear quite similar at first glance, they have notable differences when it comes to history, ingredients, flavor, nutritional value, cost and preparation. Here’s a quick summary:
- General Tso’s chicken has origins linked to a real historical figure from Hunan, China. Sesame chicken was invented by Chinese immigrants in America.
- General Tso’s chicken has a more complex sauce made from scratch. Sesame chicken uses a simple ready-made sauce.
- General Tso’s chicken is much spicier and savory. Sesame chicken is mildly sweet.
- General Tso’s chicken is more popular worldwide and universally available. Sesame chicken stays local to North America.
- General Tso’s chicken is slightly more nutritious thanks to spices, chili peppers and less fat and sodium.
- The dishes are typically around the same price at restaurants.
- General Tso’s chicken takes more hands-on work and ingredients to make at home.
So while the two dishes do share some basic traits – fried chicken in a sweet brown sauce – General Tso’s chicken clearly has a more distinct pedigree, flavor and reputation. Calling it just “spicy sesame chicken” doesn’t do justice to its unique blend of tastes and far-reaching popularity.
General Tso’s chicken has earned its place as a beloved, quintessentially American Chinese dish over decades of being recreated and reinvented. Sesame chicken, while tasty in its own right, is nowhere near as iconic or deeply rooted in culinary history.