liveGfree Gluten Free General Tso’s Chicken

For a limited-inventory grocery store, Aldi sells a surprising number of foods that cater to people eating a gluten free diet. Aldi regularly stocks gluten free imitation Red Lobster cheddar biscuit mix, gluten free cornbread mix, gluten free cake mix, gluten free chicken nuggets, gluten free mac and cheese, and gluten free imitation Hot Pockets.

In addition, Aldi rotates limited-time gluten free specials into its stores at different times of the year. During the holidays, you might spot gluten free stuffing mix, gluten free French fried onions for green bean casserole, or gluten free donuts.

One of the more popular gluten free items Aldi sells year round is General Tso’s chicken. If you love American-Chinese takeout food but are avoiding gluten, this is worth a try.

liveGfree Gluten Free General Tso’s Chicken cost $5.89 for a 22-ounce package at the time of publication. That’s only 40 cents more at the time of writing compared to the traditional General Tso’s chicken that is not gluten free that Aldi also regularly sells. The gluten free General Tso’s is found in the Regular Buy freezer section at Aldi. The package describes it as “tempura white meat chicken in a zesty Asian-style sauce.”

This is an Aldi Regular Buy, which means you should be able to find it any time of year at Aldi. It’s stocked in the Regular Buy freezer section in a mixed case alongside liveGfree Gluten Free Chicken Breast Bites.

This meal is made with white meat chicken, is certified gluten free, and is Good Housekeeping quality tested.

The breading includes corn starch, rice flour, yellow corn flour, potato starch, and yellow corn meal.

If you’re watching out for allergens, this contains egg.

One bag contains about 4.5 one-cup servings (140 grams). A serving has 300 calories, 11 grams of total fat (14% DV), 1 gram of saturated fat (5% DV), 25 mg of cholesterol (8% DV), 440 mg of sodium (19% DV), 45 grams of total carbohydrates (16% DV), no dietary fiber, 21 grams of total sugars, no added sugars, and 14 grams of protein.

I was surprised to see that this chicken does not list added sugar in its nutrition information because Asian-inspired dishes with sauces like this usually have quite a bit of added sugar. The nutrition panel does list the total sugar amount, which can come in part from naturally sweet foods such as tomatoes. The ingredients list shows there is added sugar in the sauce in this meal, but it’s either such a small amount that it doesn’t count in the nutrition panel information, or it’s a typo. I’m not sure.

liveGfree Gluten Free General Tso’s Chicken nutrition information, ingredients, and preparation instructions. (Click to enlarge.)

This General Tso’s chicken can be prepared in a conventional oven, in a skillet, or in the microwave.

To bake in the oven, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Thaw the unopened sauce in warm water and set aside. Place frozen chicken from the bag onto a baking sheet or oven-safe pan. Separate the pieces for more even heating. Bake on the center rack in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until heated through. Place heated chicken in a large bowl and pour sauce over the chicken, mixing until completely coated.

To cook in a skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and frozen chicken from the bag in a large nonstick skillet on medium heat for 10-12 minutes, turning chicken frequently. Thaw the unopened sauce in warm water and pour the sauce over the chicken in the skillet and mix until completely coated. Heat an additional 1-2 minutes or until hot.

To microwave, thaw unopened sauce in warm water and set aside. Place the frozen chicken on a microwave-safe plate. Separate pieces for more even heating. For 1/4 of the bag, microwave uncovered on high for 30 seconds, flip chicken, and cook for an additional 30 seconds or until heated through. For 1/2 the bag, microwave uncovered on high for 1 minute, flip chicken, and cook for an additional 1 minute or until heated thoroughly. Pour sauce over chicken and mix until completely coated. Let stand 1 minute before serving.

The instructions say you may also heat the chicken and then place the sauce in a bowl and use it as a dipping sauce rather than pouring the sauce over the chicken.

Chicken after baking but before adding sauce. Some of the pieces are quite a bit larger than others, but they all seemed to bake evenly enough.

My family was split on this chicken. Half of us thought it was great, and the other half didn’t care for the texture. The breading is slightly chewier and somewhat harder compared to regular General Tso’s chicken, but I actually thought it was fine. Some of us thought this was somewhat spicier than the regular General Tso’s Aldi sells, while others thought it was less spicy and more sweet. Either way, I really liked this chicken.

liveGfree Gluten Free General Tso’s Chicken with sauce, ready to serve.

I served it alongside some Aldi chicken fried rice and Aldi potstickers to round out our meal. While no one in my family needs to eat gluten free, I would happily eat this again.

The Verdict:

liveGfree Gluten Free General Tso’s Chicken is the gluten free alternative to traditional General Tso’s chicken at Aldi. This can be prepared easily via the oven, microwave, or stove top. The chicken breading is crispy and the sauce is spicy and mildly sweet. My family gave mixed reviews, but I like this chicken.