General Tso Chicken vs. Sweet and Sour Chicken: What Is the Difference?

Because there are so many popular kinds of fast-foods in the United States, it is hard to say which one is the most popular.

However, if we had to say which one is the most popular according to us, we would surely choose the category of Asian restaurants. These bistros have been popular for a long time, but lately, it seems like they have been getting even bigger.

And it isn’t hard to see why; they’re cheap and make awesome food! Some of you may disagree with us on the last thing, but we think you won’t want to do that when we mention General Tso chicken and sweet and sour chicken.

In the Asian fast-food restaurants, these two meals are undoubtedly one of the most often served ones, which is simply because so many people love them.

Nonetheless, not many people understand what makes these two dishes different, and they often even think that they’re the same. That is not true, though.

So what is the difference between General Tso chicken and sweet and sour chicken? The most crucial difference between General Tso chicken and sweet and sour chicken is their sauces. The sauce used to make General Tso chicken is spicier than the one of sweet and sour chicken.

But is this everything that makes them different? Let’s find out together, shall we?

Is General Tso chicken and sweet and sour chicken the same?

No, General Tso chicken and sweet and sour chicken are not the same. That’s because although both of them use the same famous Asian-style fried chicken in crispy breading, they are made using different sauces.

The sauce for General Tso is a bit darker and spicier, while the sweet and sour chicken is made using simply the well-known sweet and sour sauce.

What is General Tso chicken?

General Tso chicken is one of the most popular dishes in Asian restaurants throughout the United States, and that’s mainly because of the fried pieces of chicken in crispy breading that are the major part of this food.

These chicken pieces are mixed with some rice (and vegetables in some cases, too) and a delicious, lightly spicy sauce.

What is sweet and sour chicken?

Sweet and sour chicken is a very popular meal staple to Chinese-American cuisine. It is made out of the classic Asian-style fried, crispy chicken, which makes many people like it so much.

Forget the chicken for a while, though; there’s an even more critical part of sweet and sour chicken; yeah, we’re talking about the signature sweet and sour sauce that even gives it its name.

What is the difference between General Tso chicken and sweet and sour chicken?

Even though General Tso chicken and Sour chicken are very similar dishes, they are not the same. Why is it so?

The most important difference between General Tso chicken and sweet and sour chicken is that they use different sauces. Because of that, General Tso chicken is usually a bit spicier than sweet and sour chicken.

What do General Tso chicken and sweet and sour chicken have in common?

But this difference in their sauces is, in fact, the only significant one between General Tso chicken and sweet and sour chicken because, as mentioned, otherwise they’re reasonably similar dishes.

That’s because they’re both a dish based on mixing crispy fried chicken with rice and some sauce. So, therefore, the sauce is indeed the only place where differences can come up.

Which one tastes better, General Tso chicken or sweet and sour chicken?

It makes us kind of sad, but, to be fair, we can’t answer this question – saying whether it is better General Tso chicken or sweet and sour chicken simply isn’t possible.

That’s due to the fact that, just like with any other food, the choice between them depends just and only on your tastebuds, and an objective answer, therefore, doesn’t exist.

However, it can be said that General Tso chicken will probably suit better those who like spicy flavors because sweet and sour chicken is a bit sweeter.

Summary

Finding two Chinese-American meals as popular as General Tso chicken and sweet and sour chicken is is an arduous task because they are both extremely beloved!

That’s mainly because of the fried chicken in delicious crispy breading used to make both of these dishes, but their sauces indeed also play a key role in their popularity.

And those sauces are also what makes these two dishes different from each other – the sauce used to make General Tso is a little bit darker and spicier than the one of sweet and sour chicken.

Related:

• General Tso Chicken vs. Hunan Chicken
• General Tso Chicken vs. Orange Chicken
• General Tso Chicken vs. Szechuan Chicken

Resources

Image credits – Canva