General Tso's Pork

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General Tso's Pork is a healthy, easy to make version of one our favorite Chinese take out dishes. It's the perfect combination of sweet and spicy and can be made in under 25 minutes.

218 CAL 13g CARBS 7g FAT 26g PROTEIN
4 Comments

This healthy General Tso's Pork couldn't be easier to make and comes together quicker than you can call for takeout. Plus it's a healthier version that doesn't involve the deep fryer but don't worry, it's still nice and crispy.

I love making Asian take-out dishes healthier at home.  Sesame chicken, beef and broccoli, and General Tso's chicken are some of my favorites.  My typical routine is to master the recipe using the traditional protein and then start to play around. Today's version substitutes pork tenderloin for the chicken and it is delish, plus it is perfect for those nights when you are sick of eating chicken. I don't know about you but we eat a lot of chicken and can always use a break.

The key to making the pork in this dish nice and crispy is using cornstarch. Cornstarch coats the pork and creates a lightly crunchy exterior that gets brown in just a little bit of oil. It eliminates the need for lots of thick breading or tons of oil.

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When it comes to the sauce for this General Tso's pork, you want something that's both sweet and spicy. Like many Asian sauces, it starts with soy sauce and then has a combination of sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey or brown sugar, and hot sauce. I used Sriracha since we always have it in our fridge, but you could use any Asian-style hot sauce or even red pepper flakes. We like things spicy, so this sauce uses a good amount of Sriracha. You may want to start with less if you don't love things really spicy. You can always add more.

General Tso

Tips for Making this Healthier General Tso's Pork

  • This sauce is definitely on the spicy side so you may want to use less Sriracha if you don't love tons of spice. Remember it is always easy to add more but not so easy to remove it.
  • Feel free to use almost any vegetable in this dish. Cauliflower, green beans, snap peas, bok choy, and cabbage all work really well. You can also use an Asian vegetable stir-fry mix to include more variety.
  • For a lower-carb version, substitute Stevia for the brown sugar. You can also leave it out completely but you will lose the sweetness.
  • If you don't eat pork, you can always use chicken instead. Chicken breasts or chicken thighs will work.

Looking for more healthy Asian recipes?

General Tso

This recipe was originally shared in 2014 but has been updated with new photos and recipe tips!

The Recipe
General Tso's pork with lightly breaded pork and broccoli served over white rice in a bowl.

General Tso's Pork

218 CAL 13g CARBS 7g FAT 26g PROTEIN
PREP TIME: 10 Min
COOK TIME: 15 Min
TOTAL TIME: 25 Min
4 Comments
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Ingredients

US METRICS
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey (or brown sugar)
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1.5 tsp sesame oil
  • 1.5 tsp Sriracha (adjust if needed, this is pretty spicy)
  • 3 tsp cornstarch, divided
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 cups broccoli florets, cut into florets
  • 1 lb lean pork tenderloin, cut into strips
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

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Instructions

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1

In a bowl mix together the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, Sriracha, and half the cornstarch.

2

Heat a large skillet (with cover) over medium high heat. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and cover. Cook for 3-4 minutes until tender but still crispy. Remove, set aside, and wipe skillet dry.

3

While the broccoli cooks, toss the pork with remaining cornstarch, salt, and pepper..

4

Heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the pork and cook in one layer until crispy on one side. Flip over and cook until crispy on the other side.

5

Add the ginger and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minute, stirring.

6

Add the sauce (from step 1) and cook for 2-3 minutes until it thickens up. Stir in the broccoli.

Nutritional Facts
Serving Size: 1.25 cups
Amount Per Serving
Calories 218
Calories from Fat 61
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7g
10%
Saturated Fat 1g
6%
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Cholesterol 74mg
25%
Sodium 788mg
34%
Total Carbohydrate 13g
5%
Dietary Fiber 2g
8%
Sugars 6g
Protein 26g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.

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About the author Meet Kristen McCaffrey
Hi, I’m the cookbook author, recipe developer, and food enthusiast behind Slender Kitchen. I am obsessed with making healthy food that is easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Meal planning is my secret weapon and I hope I can make meal time easier for you with our tried and tested recipes and foolproof meal plans. Learn More
4 Comments
On General Tso's Pork
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Jeanne Cafferata
May 14, 2020 - 13:12
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5
When I made this for dinner tonight my husband said “this is from that meal planning thing you like? What is the name of that site?” Lol, he really took notice!
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May 14, 2020 - 07:30
Love everything about this!!
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Mimi Lewis
January 20, 2018 - 04:23
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5
This was fantastic! I marinaded the pork for 5 hours before cooking. It was tender and so flavorful. Loved it and will definitely be one of my go to healthy dinners.
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Carrie Bennett
January 16, 2018 - 12:31
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5
Really yummy - my first SlenderKitchen recipe to make! Forgot to make the rice, so at the last minute tossed in cooked spaghetti noodles - had a Lo Mein effect and tasted great.
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