General Tso's Chicken may not be a traditional flavor for chicken jerky, but my General Tsos Chicken Jerky is AMAZING. Here's how to make it!
I spent a lot of time almost feeling guilty that I have easy access to all kinds of jerkies I can enjoy, when my husband - who can’t really eat red meat anymore - has a much more limited selection.
The few commercial chicken jerkies we’ve seen are either astronomically expensive, or just kind of “meh” - usually not even having the texture of the beef jerkies he’s missing out on.
This General Tso ground chicken jerky may just be his favourite, to date!
It’s got tons of flavour, a bit of kick... and he keeps going back for more.
Like my other ground chicken jerkies, this one is super easy to make - just mix the ingredients up, pipe them onto your dehydrating racks, and go!
The most difficult part is the waiting, especially when the aromas start spreading out from the dehydrator!
Anyway, let’s look at what you’ll need in order to start making your own General Tso’s Chicken Jerky...
Equipment
There are two specialized pieces of equipment that I use for making this General Tso Chicken Jerky, beyond basics like spoons, bowls, and measuring cups:
A Food Dehydrator
While you can apparently make homemade General Tso’s Ground Chicken Jerky in a regular home oven, I’m not a fan of running one for hours on end.
I’ve had food dehydrators before - the basic kinds with no time or temperature controls, - and I’d always been too nervous to try making jerky in them. I need more control over - and knowledge of - the drying process, when meat is concerned.
I’ve since upgraded to a Cosori 6 Tray Food Dehydrator, and LOVE it.
It was only like $200 Canadian, and it’s paid for itself MANY times over, between all the Maple Cinnamon Apple Chips and jerkies I’ve been making!
Think of it this way - The same size of jerky that I tend to make goes for about $4 in a gas station. (Really, more for chicken jerky!)
I get about 10-15 strips out of a batch of beef jerky (varying by recipe) - let’s average that out to 12. That’s $48 worth of jerky, for $8 or less. Make 5 batches, that’s your $200 in savings!
Anyway, we’re using a dehydrator a LOT more, now that we have a nice one. Having the control over the temperature really opens up the possibilities.
A Jerky Gun
Also known as a “jerky cannon”, this is basically a food grace caulking gun that you use to pipe out strips of chicken jerky onto your parchment paper.
Mine is the XINQIAO Jerky Gun Food Grade Plastic Beef Jerky Gun Kit . Regular $35 (Canadian) on Amazon, but it had a coupon for something like 25% off, when I purchased it.
Worth every penny, even if I’d paid full price!
I’ve heard of people making jerky by spreading the mixture out, flattening it with a rolling pin, then cutting it with a pizza cutter, but to be honest, that sounds fussy.
The very first time I used my jerk gun, I was HOOKED. I had no idea that the jerky making process could be so quick and easy!
I’ve never been one for single-function, special equipment in the kitchen... but I LOVE this thing!
Ingredients
With only 2 exceptions, the ingredients in this General Tso’s Chicken jerky recipe are super simple - you probably even have them on hand!
As for those last two, they may be specialty, but I use them in pretty much all of my jerky recipes. They’ll definitely get used, if you’re a jerky fan!
Some notes for you:
Lean Ground Chicken
Use the highest quality ground chicken you can when making chicken jerky.
While fresh or frozen will usually work in my jerky recipes, I recommend using fresh in this one, just due to the amount of liquid ingredients we’re adding.
If you want to make your own ground chicken, trim some boneless skinless chicken breasts - plain chicken - and run them through a food processor or meat grinder until well broken down.
Lean chicken breast meat will have a better shelf life than higher fat dark meat will - fat can go rancid.
Finally, if you want to make turkey jerky, feel free to use the same amount of lean ground turkey. For that matter, you can swap the meat our for whatever kind of ground meat you prefer!
Liquid Smoke
As with all of my jerkies, you’ll need some Liquid Smoke - a little goes a lot way!
I only use a small amount in this General Tso’s Chicken Jerky recipe, to give it a bit of traditional “jerky” flavour - it’s not at all overpowering, just an accent.
Prague Powder
Prague Powder is one of a few different curing salts out on the market. It’s not something you’ll normally cook with, but it’ll last a long time - a little goes a long way!
I use Prague Powder #1 Cure, same as I use for my Montreal Smoked Meat Recipe, Back Bacon Recipe, Homemade Corned Beef Recipe, and Peameal Bacon Recipe.
This is a bright pink curing salt that’s a mixture of salt and sodium nitrite. It’s commonly used in cured meats - like pepperoni or summer sausages - and is what gives the jerky its characteristic red / pink colour.
Beyond aesthetics, it also contributes to giving dehydrated meat that iconic jerky flavor, AND helps ensure that your homemade meat snack will be good to eat for a long time. It does this by preventing the growth of bacteria, during and after the drying process.
A couple of things to note:
1. Prague Powder is pink, but it is NOT the same thing as Himalayan pink salt!
2. Prague cure is only to be used in small amounts for curing meats, and should never be consumed as-is. The measurements are important - if you want a saltier General Tso’s chicken jerky, add some regular salt, rather than increasing the curing salt.
Everything Else
Rounding out this recipe, you will need:
Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
Green Onions
Granulated Sugar
Sesame Seeds
Red Pepper Flakes
Rice Vinegar
Garlic Powder
Ginger Powder
Salt
... as always, I don’t really have anything to add, when it comes to these last few ingredients!
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How to Make General Tso Ground Chicken Jerky
The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:
Cut 2 or 3 squares of parchment paper slightly smaller than your dehydrator trays, set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl - using freshly washed or gloved hands - combine ingredients well. REALLY well - for best results, it’s better to over handle it, than to under-mix it.
Use a spoon to load the mixture into a jerky gun, taking care to avoid creating air bubbles.
Line your dehydrator racks with the cut parchment paper, then pipe your jerky strips out onto them, leaving some space in between each.
Dehydrate in a food dehydrator at 165 F for 2 hours.
Before and after the first dry time.
Once two hours has passed, remove the jerky strips from the parchment, flip them over, and place them directly onto the wire rack.
To test for doneness, remove a piece of chicken jerky from the dehydrator and let it cool to room temperature. It should feel dry to the touch and be able to bend to 90 degrees without breaking. (A bit of cracking or crackling is ok!)
General Tso’s Chicken Jerky Storage
Allow jerky to cool COMPLETELY to room temperature before packaging.
General Tso Chicken jerky will keep at room temperature (in a cool dark place) for a week or so, or a few weeks in the fridge.
If sealed into an airtight container WITHOUT OXYGEN, it should be good for a month or so in a cool dark place, a couple months in the fridge, and 6 months or so in the freezer.
Once you open your vacuum sealed bag of chicken jerky, it should be eaten within a couple days - or a week, if put in the fridge after opening.
More Homemade Jerky Recipes
Are you someone who loves to bring jerky on road trips, hiking trails, and when camping? Me too! Here are some of my go-to recipes for homemade jerkies!
Basic Ground Beef Jerky
Blueberry Bison Jerky
Chipotle Chicken Jerky
Ginger Beef Jerky
Ground Venison Jerky
Homemade Salmon Jerky
Honey Garlic Chicken Jerky
Jalapeno Chicken Jerky
Jalapeno Ground Beef Jerky
Jerk Chicken Jerky
Lingonberry Elk Jerky
Mango Habanero Chicken Jerky
Mushroom Jerky, 2 Ways
Pumpkin Spice Chicken Jerky
Rosemary & Blueberry Beef Jerky
Spicy Garlic Chicken Jerky
Spicy Orange Chicken Jerky
Sriracha Chicken Jerky
Tofu Jerky, 2 Ways
Pepperoni Jerky
General Tso's Chicken Jerky [Ground Chicken Jerky]
Equipment
- 1 Jerky Gun
- Food Dehydrator
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Ground Chicken
- ¼ cup Finely Chopped Green Onion
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
- 3 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Powder
- ½ teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Prague Powder #1 Cure
Instructions
- Cut 2 or 3 squares of parchment paper slightly smaller than your dehydrator racks, set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl - using freshly washed or gloved hands - combine all of the ingredients.I like to mix everything but the chicken, then add the chicken in.Mix it all REALLY well - it’s better to over handle it, than to under-mix it.
- Use a spoon to load the mixture into a jerky gun, taking care to avoid creating air bubbles.
- Line your dehydrator racks with the cut parchment paper, then pipe your jerky strips out onto them, leaving some space in between each.
- Dehydrate in a food dehydrator at 165 F for 2 hours.
- Once two hours has passed, remove the jerky strips from the parchment, flip them over, and place them directly onto the dehydrator racks.
- Return to the dehydrator and continue dehydrating at 165 F for another 2 - 3 hours.
- To test for doneness, remove a piece of jerky from the dehydrator and let it cool to room temperature. It should feel dry to the touch and be able to bend to 90 degrees without breaking. (A bit of cracking or crackling is ok!)
- Allow jerky to cool COMPLETELY to room temperature before packaging.
Notes
Nutrition
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One of our favourite ground chicken recipes of all time - hope you love it too!