General Tso Chicken vs. Hunan Chicken: What Is the Difference?

When we’re talking about Asian bistros in the United States, we’re talking about fast-food restaurants with a widely spread menu – arguably, there aren’t any other fast-food places with such a variety of meals.

Despite the fact that there are countless meals in every Asian bistro, there are only a few dishes as popular as General Tso and Hunan chicken.

These two very famous meals are some of the most treasured pieces of Chinese-American, and it isn’t hard to understand why – both of them taste simply fantastically!

But even though both of them also look kind of similar, they’re two very different dishes.

So what is the difference between General Tso chicken and Hunan chicken? The most significant difference between General Tso chicken and Hunan chicken is that General Tso uses breaded chicken. Hunan chicken, on the other hand, is made out of pieces of meat that were just velveted.

But this is just a brief answer; to indeed understand this topic, we need to dive much deeper into it. So without any further ado, let’s just get into it!

Is General Tso chicken and Hunan chicken the same?

Even though they’re both beloved pieces of Chinese-American cuisine and even look very alike, General Tso chicken and Hunan chicken are not the same.

That is because General Tso chicken is a meal consisting of pieces of chicken that were breaded and deep-fried.

Hunan chicken, on the other hand, is made out of chicken pieces only lightly sprinkled with cornstarch. These pieces are also usually just stir-fried.

What is General Tso chicken?

General Tso chicken is a famous food that is a staple to Chinese-American cuisine. It is made out of the well-known Asian style fried chicken in crispy breading with some rice and a little bit of vegetables.

Additionally, the meat is also mixed with a delicious sauce, making General Tso stand out. This sauce, made from things like soy sauce and peppercorns, has a mildly spicy, robust sweet flavor.

What is Hunan chicken?

Hunan chicken is one of the most famous meals of Chinese-American cuisine, which is due to many things. Firstly, it is based on the delicious velveted chicken everyone loves in Asian bistros.

Secondly, it also contains tons of vegetables; but the sauce is even more important than that. It is spicy and tender, and many people simply love it!

What is the difference between General Tso chicken and Hunan chicken?

Even though General Tso chicken and Hunan chicken are dishes that look alike, they’re quite different. Mainly, they both use differently prepared chicken – chicken for General Tso is breaded and fried, while chicken for Hunan chicken is just velveted.

Another essential difference between General Tso and Hunan chicken is in the sauce – General Tso uses a far less spicy sauce compared to the one of Hunan chicken. 

That’s because there’s tons of chili in the sauce for Hunan chicken. Additionally, it doesn’t contain lots of sugar to be sweet either and is hot.

What do General Tso chicken and Hunan chicken have in common?

Despite all the differences mentioned above, though, General Tso chicken and Hunan chicken still share some similarities. What are they?

The most significant thing General Tso chicken and Hunan chicken have in common is that both are pieces of chicken mixed with rice in Asian-styled sauces.

But it is crucial to remember that both the way those chicken pieces are prepared and the sauce itself is very different in each case.

Which one tastes better, General Tso chicken or Hunan chicken?

But does that mean General Tso chicken is better than Hunan chicken or vice versa? No, it does not, because it is never possible to say which kind of food is better.

The choice between them simply depends just and only on you. Therefore, it can’t be said whether it is better General Tso chicken or Hunan chicken.

Nevertheless, we can still help you with the choice a bit – if you like sweeter flavors and breaded chicken, General Tso is the one for you.

On the other hand, if you like your meals to be hot and spicy, the better choice for you will be Hunan chicken.

Summary

Hunan Chicken and General Tso chicken are two of the most famous dishes in Chinese-American cuisine. They’re both staples for nearly every Asian restaurant in the United States.

They both also look kind of similar, but nonetheless, they’re not the same. Hunan chicken is made out of pieces of velveted chicken mixed with a very hot and spicy sauce.

Quite the contrary, the sauce used to make General Tso chicken is spicy just mildly and can be described as mainly sweet. And a little different is even the chicken itself – the chicken used to make General Tso has crispy breading and is deep-fried.

Related:

• General Tso Chicken vs. Orange Chicken
• General Tso Chicken vs. Sweet and Sour Chicken
• General Tso Chicken vs. Szechuan Chicken

Resources

Image credits – Canva