General Tso’s chicken is a sweet, savory and spicy fried chicken dish that is popular in many Chinese restaurants across the United States. It typically consists of bite-sized pieces of chicken that are deep fried and then coated in a thick, sticky sauce made with ingredients like soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, chili peppers and sugar. The sauce gives the dish its signature sweet, tangy and boldly spiced flavor profile that has made it a beloved Chinese food staple.
One common question that people have about General Tso’s chicken is whether or not the sauce contains gluten. For those who have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, knowing the gluten content of foods is extremely important. Even small amounts of gluten can cause issues for those who are gluten-intolerant. So does General Tso’s sauce have gluten?
What is Gluten?
Before diving into the ingredients of General Tso’s sauce, it helps to have a clear understanding of what exactly gluten is. Gluten is a type of protein that is found in certain grains like wheat, barley and rye. When flour from these grains is mixed with water, the gluten proteins form elastic strands that give breads and other baked goods their chewy texture.
For people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, gluten triggers an abnormal immune response that damages the small intestine. This can lead to a variety of digestive symptoms and health issues. The only treatment for celiac disease is to completely avoid foods containing gluten. Even small traces of gluten can be problematic.
So when checking labels and ingredients lists, celiac patients must look for and avoid all sources of gluten. This includes obvious sources like wheat flour, as well as less obvious ingredients like malt vinegar, soy sauce, seasonings and more that can contain gluten.
Gluten-Containing Ingredients in General Tso’s Sauce
When determining if a complex dish like General Tso’s chicken contains gluten, you have to break it down and look at each component. The deep fried chicken itself does not contain gluten. Plain chicken is naturally gluten-free. However, the sauce is where gluten can sneak in.
General Tso’s sauce is a complex blend of many ingredients. Some popular ingredients found in General Tso’s sauce include:
– Soy sauce
– Rice vinegar
– Chicken broth
– Sugar
– Garlic
– Ginger
– Chili peppers
– Cornstarch
Out of this list, soy sauce and potentially the chicken broth are the ingredients that could contain gluten.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is a very commonly used ingredient in General Tso’s sauce. Soy sauce is a fermented condiment made from soybeans, wheat, salt and microbial cultures. The wheat component of soy sauce means it contains gluten.
Soy sauce is used to provide flavor and saltiness to General Tso’s sauce. It is an integral ingredient. Unless otherwise noted, restaurants use regular, gluten-containing soy sauce to make their General Tso’s sauce.
Chicken Broth
Many recipes for General Tso’s sauce also include chicken broth as an ingredient. Chicken broth provides moisture and chicken flavor to the sauce.
Some chicken broths are made with gluten-containing ingredients like wheat, barley or rye. However, there are also many gluten-free chicken broth options made without these grains.
So whether the chicken broth in General Tso’s sauce contains gluten depends entirely on the specific brand used by the restaurant. It may or may not contain gluten depending on the ingredients.
Avoiding Gluten
Because the soy sauce contains gluten, and the chicken broth may contain gluten, most traditional General Tso’s sauces are not gluten-free.
People with celiac disease or gluten intolerance need to avoid consuming dishes made with regular General Tso’s sauce, or ensure the restaurant is using a gluten-free modified version of the sauce.
Gluten-Free Adaptations
The good news is that it is possible to adapt General Tso’s sauce to make a gluten-free version that those with celiac disease can safely enjoy. This requires replacing the soy sauce and chicken broth with gluten-free alternatives.
Gluten-Free Soy Sauce
In the past decade, several brands have developed soy sauce products that are made without wheat for gluten-free diets. These are typically made using just soybeans, salt and microbial cultures.
Popular gluten-free soy sauce options include:
– La Choy soy sauce
– Kikkoman gluten-free soy sauce
– San-J tamari gluten-free soy sauce
– Bragg Liquid Aminos
Substituting one of these gluten-free soy sauces for regular soy sauce is an easy way to remove a major source of gluten from General Tso’s sauce.
Gluten-Free Chicken Broth
There are also a variety of gluten-free chicken broth options on the market made without gluten-containing grains. Some good brands to look for include:
– Pacific Foods organic gluten-free chicken broth
– Kitchen Basics gluten-free chicken stock
– Swanson certified gluten-free chicken broth
Using a certified gluten-free chicken broth ensures the sauce won’t contain traces of gluten from the broth.
Cooking at Home
For those with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, the safest option is to prepare General Tso’s chicken at home. This allows complete control over all the ingredients used.
Gluten-free soy sauce and chicken broth can be purchased to make a gluten-free General Tso’s sauce from scratch. Follow any standard General Tso’s sauce recipe, simply swapping in the gluten-free ingredients.
Making it at home also allows control over preparation and avoiding cross-contamination with gluten. All cooking surfaces, equipment and utensils should be thoroughly cleaned before cooking to prevent contamination.
Checking with Restaurants
If you wish to order General Tso’s chicken from a restaurant, be sure to inquire about the ingredients and preparation when ordering. Many restaurants today have gluten-free menus and options, but you need to ask.
Here are some important questions to ask:
Does Your General Tso’s Sauce Contain Soy Sauce?
Confirm if regular soy sauce is used, or if they make adaptations. Some restaurants may actually use tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce variant. Knowing the exact soy sauce ingredient is key.
What Brand of Chicken Broth Do You Use?
Ask what type of chicken broth the restaurant uses in their General Tso’s sauce recipe. Request to see the label so you can verify if it is gluten-free.
How is Cross-Contamination Prevented?
Even if the sauce ingredients are gluten-free, you need to ensure steps are taken to avoid cross-contamination with other gluten sources in the kitchen. Things like shared fryers, utensils and surfaces can be sources of contamination.
Responsible restaurants should be able to describe procedures they follow to prevent cross-contact for gluten-free orders. This may include designated cookware, surfaces and fryer oil.
Can It Be Prepared Without Soy Sauce?
If the restaurant cannot confirm their General Tso’s sauce is gluten-free, ask if they can prepare the dish without soy sauce or modify the recipe. This removes a major culprit ingredient.
General Tso’s Sauce Gluten-Free Brands
Today there are even some brands of pre-made General Tso’s sauce that are certified gluten-free:
Panda Express Gluten-Free Sweet Fire Chicken Breast
Panda Express has a gluten-free menu and their Sweet Fire Chicken Breast is their version of General Tso’s chicken made without soy sauce or gluten ingredients.
Roland General Tso’s Sauce
Roland Foods makes a ready-to-use General Tso’s sauce that is certified gluten-free. It uses tamari in place of soy sauce.
Stonewall Kitchen Gluten Free Orange Chipotle General Tso’s Sauce
Stonewall Kitchens makes a zesty gluten-free General Tso’s sauce with a tangy orange flavor. It’s sold in bottles for dipping or stir fries.
Leeway Franks General Tso’s Sauce
Leeway Franks offers gluten-free packaged General Tso’s sauce with no MSG or soy sauce that can be ordered online.
So despite the traditional recipe, there are more and more gluten-free General Tso’s options available both at restaurants and in bottles to cook at home. Doing your homework helps ensure you can enjoy Kung Pao Chicken safely.
Risk of Cross-Contamination
It’s important to be aware that even if a General Tso’s sauce is made with gluten-free ingredients, there is still a risk of cross-contamination occurring with gluten. Here are some potential sources of cross-contamination:
Shared Fryers
If the restaurant uses the same fryer to fry breaded, gluten-containing items and the general tso’s chicken, cross-contamination can occur. Gluten can get transferred to the oil and passed to gluten-free items fried in the same oil.
Shared Cooking Surfaces
If the woks, pans or cooking utensils used to prepare the general tso’s chicken are also used to cook wheat-based dishes without thorough cleaning in between, cross-contamination is possible.
Shared Serving Utensils
Using the same ladles, tongs or other serving utensils to portion both gluten-containing and gluten-free dishes can lead to cross-contact.
Thickening Sauces
Sometimes wheat flour is used to thicken sauces at the end of cooking. This could potentially add traces of gluten to a sauce made with gluten-free ingredients.
Airborne Wheat Particles
In high volume restaurant kitchens, airborne particles of wheat flour can circulate in the air and come into contact with food. This is very difficult to control.
Asking restaurants about their procedures to prevent cross-contamination is important. Avoiding busy high volume kitchens around peak times also reduces risk.
Symptoms of Gluten Exposure
For those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, ingesting even small traces of gluten can trigger symptoms and issues. Here are some of the common symptoms that may indicate you’ve been exposed to gluten:
– Bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort
– Diarrhea, constipation or other digestive upset
– Headaches and fatigue after eating
– Skin rash or eczema flare up
– Joint pain and inflammation
– Brain fog, anxiety, depression
If you experience any symptoms or feel unwell after eating a meal that should be gluten-free, it may indicate cross-contamination. Be sure to follow-up with your doctor and dietitian if you have a reaction.
Reporting reactions to restaurants can also help them improve procedures and prevent cross-contact in the future. Being vigilant protects your health and others with gluten issues.
Homemade Gluten-Free General Tso’s Sauce Recipe
To ensure you have a safe, gluten-free General Tso’s sauce, consider making it yourself at home. Here is a simple recipe to try:
Ingredients
– 1⁄2 cup gluten-free chicken broth
– 1⁄4 cup rice vinegar
– 1⁄4 cup gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
– 2 tablespoons honey
– 1 tablespoon ketchup
– 1 teaspoon sesame oil
– 1 tablespoon cornstarch
– 1 tablespoon water
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
– 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, rice vinegar, tamari, honey, ketchup, sesame oil, cornstarch, water, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes.
2. Pour the sauce mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and let simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened and reduced.
3. Toss with cooked chicken pieces to coat. Serve over steamed rice.
This simple homemade recipe allows you to have total control over a safe, gluten-free General Tso’s sauce. Adjust any flavors to your taste preferences. Making a large batch allows you to reheat for quick meals anytime.
Precautions for Gluten-Free Diets
When you need to avoid gluten, taking some general precautions helps minimize risk of exposure:
– Read all food labels carefully to look for gluten sources
– Ask restaurants about ingredients and preparation
– Avoid obviously glutenous foods like breads and pasta
– Don’t eat foods with unclear ingredients
– Check labels for warnings like “made in a facility with wheat”
– Only eat at dedicated gluten-free restaurants
– Cook more meals at home where you control ingredients
– Bring safe snacks when traveling or eating out
Being diligent helps make the gluten-free diet manageable. With the right modifications and precautions, you can still enjoy gluten-free versions of dishes like General Tso’s chicken.
Conclusion
General Tso’s chicken is a popular Chinese takeout dish that typically contains gluten due to soy sauce being a staple ingredient in the sauce. However, with some simple ingredient swaps like tamari and chicken broth, it can be made safe for gluten-free diets.
Being informed about menu items, asking the right questions at restaurants, and implementing kitchen best practices all help minimize the risk of gluten exposure when dining out. Home cooking also allows full control over ingredients. With the right adjustments, people who are gluten-intolerant can find ways to still enjoy their favorite Asian dishes like General Tso’s chicken. Just take the proper precautions and enjoy!
