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

It’s a Friday evening, you’re having a nice party with your friends, and you’re thinking about what to order for dinner. Maybe it’s going to be burgers, maybe it’s going to be pizza, but chances are also high that it’s going to be some Asian.

Asian fast-foods are nowadays simply one of the most popular kinds of restaurants in the United States, and it’s easy to see why – they’ve just got fantastic food, man!

And this especially goes for General Tso and orange chicken. These two are both surely some of the most famous meals in Asian restaurants throughout the US. But despite that, there are many people that wouldn’t be able to tell these two apart.

So what is the difference between General Tso chicken and orange chicken? The most crucial difference between General Tso chicken and orange chicken is in the sauce because orange chicken uses a sweeter sauce than General Tso, which makes it less spicy.

What else is there to say about the differences between these two? That is precisely what this article is about, so keep reading, and you’ll know everything you want to!

Is General Tso chicken and orange chicken the same?

No, General Tso chicken and orange chicken are not the same; however, they’re pretty similar. That’s because both of these meals consist mainly of fried chicken pieces in crispy breading.

These pieces are then mixed with some rice, and often some vegetables, and most importantly, with a delicious sauce.

That sauce is the next major part of both General Tso and orange chicken, and it is also precisely what makes them different – orange chicken uses a lighter colored, sweeter sauce than the one for General Tso.

What is General Tso chicken?

General Tso chicken is an extraordinarily popular dish of Chinese-American cuisine that can be found in nearly every Asian bistro in the United States. 

It is made out of the famous Asian-style fried chicken in crispy breading, white rice, and some vegetables.

The most important thing about this meal, though, is its signature sauce – made from things like soy sauce and peppercorns, it’s got a nice spicy flavor that makes General Tso chicken stand out.

What is orange chicken?

Orange chicken is one of the most popular dishes of Chinese-American cuisine, and the reason for that is simple – it’s made out of the well-known Asian fried, crispy chicken, and we don’t think there is a dish using these that wouldn’t be popular.

There are more reasons orange chicken is famous, though – yeah, we’re talking about the delicious sauce those chicken pieces are mixed with.

It is nicely sweet, yet a little bit sour, just like we like it with Asian food. And as the name suggests, the main reason for that is oranges, however, soy sauce and other ingredients are used as well.

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

General Tso chicken and orange chicken are two very similar dishes, which leads many people to think they’re the same. Nevertheless, that isn’t true.

So what makes General Tso chicken and orange chicken different? What makes General Tso chicken and orange chicken different are primarily the sauces used to make.

General Tso uses a darker, spicy sauce made using, besides others, peppercorns, while sauce for orange chicken, as the name suggests, is made out of oranges.

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

Before explaining the differences between General Tso and orange chicken above, we mentioned that they’re similar. Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise you that they have a lot in common.

But what is it? What makes General Tso chicken and orange chicken similar? The most crucial thing General Tso chicken shares with orange chicken and vice versa is the chicken itself.

That’s because both of these dishes use the well-known orient style fried and crispy chicken, which can be found in dozens of meals in every Asian restaurant.

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

Another thing General Tso and orange chicken have in common is that they’re both delicious! Hence, it is hard to say which one is better, though.

Just like with any other food, this choice depends only on you and your own preferences, but nevertheless, we can still help you a bit.

Because even though this is very subjective, in general, it can be said that orange chicken will better suit those who like their sauces to be sweet. Quite the contrary, General Tso chicken, will be the better choice for those who like spicy flavors. 

Summary

Although there are countless meals in every Asian restaurant, only a few of them are as popular and widely spread as General Tso chicken and orange chicken.

These two famous dishes both use fried chicken pieces in crispy breading, which are then mixed with some rice and vegetables, and also a delicious sauce. 

And this sauce is precisely what makes General Tso and orange chicken different – the former uses a dark, spicy sauce made using, besides others, peppercorns.

On the other hand, the sauce used to make orange chicken is lighter and sweet, with light sour undertones. That is because the sauce is, as the name suggests, made primarily from oranges.

Related:

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

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Image credits – Canva