General Tso Chicken Freezer Meal
Slow Cooker General Tso Chicken
Make ahead freezer meals are a huge timesaver! After years of saving time and money with freezer meals I am so excited to share with you one of my favorite recipes! This Slow Cooker General Tso Chicken is gluten free and delicious!
This General Tso Chicken freezer meal is a must try if your interested in easy weeknight dinners!
Whether you’re making it for dinner tonight or adding it to your freezer meal plan this healthy chicken recipe is a win! Kids friendly and husband approved. TIP: If you like a little extra kick and color add some sriracha to your plate.
For years we have been trying to make healthy dinners that still taste great! Sometimes healthy eating can be associated with flavorless food or too much work! Thats why I create recipes that are fast and easy with TONS of flavor!
This slow cooker general tso chicken is soy free, gluten free, dairy free and preservative free. My kids and husband ate this up quickly so a huge win in our household. TIP: if you like to add a little kick to your dish top of your plate with some sriracha!
Why you will love this General Tso Chicken
- 10 Minutes to Prep
- Super Easy
- Extremely Tasty
- Healthy (Soy Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Preservative Free)
- Family Friendly
Is general tso healthy?
Ingredients you will need for this general tso chicken recipe.
- chicken thighs (or chicken breasts)
- tapioca starch
- olive oil
- coconut aminos
- brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- raw honey
- garlic cloves (or garlic powder)
- peanut butter
- rice wine vinegar
- white wine vinegar
- sriracha
- sesame oil
- ground ginger
- crushed red pepper (optional: omit if do not like any spice)
What are coconut aminos? What can I use instead if I do not have them?
How to make the general tso sauce?
Check out the recipe below to the specific sauce ingredients and whisk them up or blend together! Super simple and enjoy the smells as you make a tasty general tso sauce from scratch.
Is general tso sauce spicy?
The sauce has sriracha and red pepper flakes which does give it a small kick but its not overpowering. If you really want a spicy kick then you may want to add extra sriracha to the sauce or on individual plates when serving.
Is restaurant general tso chicken gluten free?
Definitely not! There is a breading on the chicken and usually the sauce has alot of sugar, salt and soy sauce making a traditional general tso chicken high in salt, sugar, additives and gluten. Thats why this recipe is such a great option. You have complete control over what ingredients you use and put into your body.
What cut of chicken can I use?
What to serve with general tso chicken?
How to store general tso chicken?
Do I need a slow cooker for this recipe?
Can I use an instant pot instead?
*See FAQ’s and specific tips following recipe below. (so you don’t have to scroll for a million years to find the food 😉 ).
How do you make Gluten Free General Tso Chicken? 👇
General Tso Chicken
Equipment
- Slow Cooker or Crockpot
Ingredients
- 2 lb bone-in chicken thighs, no skin
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Sauce:
- 4 tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp honey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp sriracha
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Garnish:
- green onions
- sesame seeds or toasted pine nuts
Instructions
Directions:
- Blend together sauce ingredients in high speed blender or food processor.
- Set chicken thighs into gallon freezer bag (Be sure to label gallon bag if freezing). Add olive oil and tapioca starch and shake bag to coat.*If Freezing or meal prepping go to freezer directions at this point and continue.
- Add coated chicken thighs into slow cooker.
- Pour sauce over chicken thighs into slow cooker.
- Cook on low 4-6 hours or high 2-3 hours.
- Remove chicken thighs from slow cooker, shred chicken, remove bones and mix shredded chicken back into sauce in slow cooker.
- Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds or toasted pine nuts, if desired.
Freezer Directions:
- Pour sauce over chicken thighs in labeled gallon freezer bag.
- Freeze for up to three months.
Cooking from Frozen Directions:
- Thaw overnight in fridge or in the morning in water (meal may not be 100% thawed but that is ok).
- Dump contents of gallon freezer bag into slow cooker.
- Cook on low 4-6 hours or high 2-3 hours.
- Remove chicken thighs from slow cooker, shred chicken, remove bones and mix shredded chicken back into sauce in slow cooker.
- Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds or toasted pine nuts, if desired.
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Tag @MyFamilyDinner or #MyFamilyDinner
How freezer meals will change your life.
Makes homecooking Easy
Only spend one hour in the kitchen for a whole week of dinners. Day of, throw your freezer meal in the slow cooker or instant pot and enjoy dinner!
feel confident
Knowing you have a fool proof systen for something that is easy and works gives you confidence in the kitchen. So wether you're a seasoned chef or occational home cook the method of freezer cooking will work for you!
Eat Healthier
Because you're prepping the freezer meals with fresh foods you're eating healthier. Anytime you cook at home instead of eating out you get the benefits of healthier food.
Enjoy less stress
Have you ever felt the pressure of forgetting about dinner, or having to cook at the end of a long day?! No more, just grab something out of the freezer and you're good to go.
Frequently asked questions
No problem! Just throw the freezer meal in your slow cooker and you’re all set. If it doesn’t fit thaw it for a few minutes in warm water. (You may need to add an extra 30 minutes cook time if completely frozen when cooking).
Not this general tso sauce! Traditional general tso sauce can be high in sodium and sugar. Which is why this homemade general tso sauce is perfect! Low in sodium and gluten free.
Coconut aminos are healthier because they are derived from coconut palm and sea salt (its soy, wheat and gluten free) making it a healthy alternative to soy sauce for those with allergies or food sensitivities.
This general tso chicken will store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Make some fried rice! It add great flavor to some homemade fried rice with whatever veggies you have in the house. Check out my favorite homemade veggie fried rice recipe here!
YES! This recipe is specifically designed to be used as a freezer meal or fresh. Which means you will get the best flavor possible whether you freeze it or not. Benefits of freezer meals is an easy and fast weeknight dinner anytime!
This general tso recipe freezer meal can be cooked right out of the freezer or thawed in the fridge. Just be sure to give it 30 extra minutes of cooking this slow cooker chicken recipe frozen.
- Use fresh ingredients if possible such as fresh ginger and garlic cloves.
- Use chicken thighs with bone in for best flavor.
- Serve over basmati rice! (or your favorite type of rice)
Don't forget to pin this recipe and save it for later! 👇
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