Chef special H3
General Tso's Chicken, made to order since 1999.
Breaded chicken breast fried crisp, tossed in our house sauce with broccoli, green pepper and carrots. We start it when you call. Same recipe for 27 years.
How spicy is it?
There is a little heat behind the sweetness, enough that you will notice it and not enough to be a problem. That is why it carries the pepper marker on our menu, one of 71 dishes that do. If you want it milder or hotter, tell us when you order and we will cook it that way.
Three ways to order it
It is on the menu in three places at three prices. The lunch special is the cheapest way to try it.
- Lunch special #21 $8.65 Served with onion fried rice, plus your choice of free Wonton Soup, Egg Drop Soup, an egg roll, or a soda. Please order by number.
- Combination platter #18 $10.75 Served with pork fried rice & an egg roll. Please order by number.
- Chef special H3 $13.15 Served with rice, and with broccoli, green pepper and carrots.
Lunch specials run 11:00 AM–3:00 PM, Tuesday through Sunday (Sunday from 12:00 PM). Prices can change; the full menu is what we go by.
General Tso's, Sesame Chicken, or Tangerine Chicken?
We get asked this more than anything else. All three start the same way: the same breaded chicken breast in the same base sauce. What changes is what goes in the pan with it.
General Tso's Chicken
- Chicken
- Breaded breast, fried crisp
- Sauce
- Our house sauce
- Vegetables
- Broccoli, green pepper, carrots
- On top
- Nothing
- Heat
- A touch
- Price
- $8.65 lunch · $10.75 platter · $13.15 chef special
Sesame Chicken
- Chicken
- The same
- Sauce
- The same
- Vegetables
- Broccoli
- On top
- Sesame seeds
- Heat
- A touch
- Price
- $8.65 lunch · $10.75 platter · $13.15 chef special
Tangerine Chicken
- Chicken
- The same
- Sauce
- Same base, with marinated orange peel
- Vegetables
- Broccoli
- On top
- Nothing
- Heat
- A touch
- Price
- $13.15 chef special
Pick General Tso's if you want more going on in the box. Pick Sesame Chicken if you want it simple. Pick Tangerine Chicken if you want the citrus. General Tso's and sesame are the same price at every size.
How we make it
There is not much to it. Most of the difference is timing.
We cut and bread the chicken breast ourselves instead of buying it pre-coated. It is fried once to cook through, rested, then fried again to crisp the outside. That second fry is why the coating is still crisp when you get home.
Then it goes in the wok with the sauce, the broccoli, the green pepper and the carrots, tossed just long enough to coat. Any longer and the coating softens, so that part happens fast.
It is boxed right away and it is best eaten soon after, which is why we do not hold trays of it.
Making it at home
People ask, so here is roughly how it goes. It will not come out quite like ours; a home range cannot get as hot as a wok burner, and that heat does a lot of the work. It will still be good.
- Cut and bread the chicken. Bite-size pieces of breast, dredged so each one is evenly coated. Let them sit a few minutes before they go near oil.
- Make the sauce. Soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, a few dried red chilis and a little ketchup. Whisk in cornstarch. That is what makes it glossy and cling to the chicken instead of running to the bottom of the box.
- Fry once. Moderate heat, just until cooked through. Lift the pieces out and let them rest. Do not skip the resting.
- Fry again, hotter and shorter. This is the step most people skip at home, and it is the one that makes the coating crisp.
- Vegetables first, then sauce. Get the pan hot. Give the green pepper and carrots a head start, since they take longer than broccoli, then add the sauce and let it thicken a few seconds.
- Chicken in last. Toss only long enough to coat, and eat it right away. It does not hold well, which is why we cook it to order.
Or skip all of that and call us at (518) 271-9034.
Where it comes from
General Tso's Chicken is not a dish from China. Like Sesame Chicken, it was invented in American Chinese restaurants and named after a Qing dynasty general who never ate it. We have been cooking our version in Hilltop Plaza for 27 years.
Common questions
Is General Tso's Chicken at Golden House spicy?
It has a little heat behind the sweetness, enough to notice and not enough to be a problem. It carries the pepper marker on our menu, as 71 of our dishes do. Tell us when you order and we will cook it milder or hotter.
What is in General Tso's Chicken at Golden House?
Breaded chicken breast fried crisp, tossed in our house sauce with broccoli, green pepper and carrots. It is served with rice. There are no sesame seeds on it, which is the quickest way to tell it apart from our Sesame Chicken.
What is the difference between General Tso's Chicken and Sesame Chicken?
At Golden House they use the same breaded chicken breast, the same house sauce and the same price at every size. General Tso's comes with broccoli, green pepper and carrots. Sesame chicken comes with broccoli and sesame seeds on top.
How much is General Tso's Chicken at Golden House?
Three ways: the lunch special is $8.65, the combination platter is $10.75, and the chef special is $13.15. Lunch specials are served 11:00 AM–3:00 PM, Tuesday through Sunday (Sunday from 12:00 PM).
Is General Tso's Chicken made with white meat?
Yes. We cut and bread chicken breast in our kitchen rather than buying it pre-coated. It is fried once to cook through, rested, then fried again to crisp the coating.
More about hours, delivery and allergies on the FAQ page.
How to order
Call and we will have it ready. We are open Tuesday through Saturday 11:00 AM–10:00 PM and Sunday 12:00 PM–10:00 PM. Most people pick up, and there is free parking right out front in Hilltop Plaza. We also deliver to Watervliet, Latham, Green Island between 4:00 PM and 9:00 PM, with a $18 minimum and a $2 fee.
Call (518) 271-9034 See it on the menu
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