Kung Pao chicken vs. General tso's chicken — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison
Summary
General Tso’s chicken is made by deep-frying chicken in batter, while Kung Pao chicken is stir-fried.
General Tso is considerably higher in calories, protein, fats, cholesterol, and net carbs. General Tso’s chicken is also richer in vitamin K, vitamins B12 and B2, selenium, zinc, and phosphorus.
Kung Pao chicken is a better source of vitamin A, vitamin C, copper, and manganese.
Table of contents
Introduction
Kung Pao and General Tso’s chicken are two popular dishes you can get at many Chinese restaurants. Both consist mainly of diced-up chicken, served with various other ingredients, but what sets them apart? This article will answer this and other questions by comparing Kung Pao chicken with General Tso’s chicken.
History and Origin
Kung Pao chicken, also spelled as Gong Bao or Kung Po, originates in the Sichuan province of China. It has since spread all across China and the West.
The origins of General Tso’s chicken are a little more uncertain. It is said to be named after Zuo Zongtang of the Qing dynasty; however, the dish did not exist in his time. There are competing claims for the origin of General Tso’s chicken. Regardless of the story, General Tso’s chicken is rooted in the Hunanese cuisine of China with American influence.
Ingredients and Preparation
Kung Pao is stir-fried cubed chicken in sauce, usually served with peanuts and vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, red or green pepper, mushrooms, onions, and others. Except for chicken, the ingredients of Kung Pao can greatly vary based on the version.
The chicken in General Tso is not only cubed and mixed with a sauce but also covered in batter and deep fried. General Tso’s chicken meat is usually of darker cuts, such as thighs. This dish can also be served with vegetables, usually broccoli.
Kung Pao tends to be spicier, while General Tso’s chicken can have more of a sweet taste to it.
Nutrition
The nutritional information below is presented for Kung Pao and General Tso’s chicken dishes from Chinese restaurants. Rice was not included in the dishes; however, ingredients and amount of breading and sauce vary by restaurant.
The nutrition of the Kung Pao chicken dish can include carrots, broccoli, red or green pepper, mushrooms, onion, and celery. General Tso’s chicken can include broccoli and red pepper.
The infographics provide information based on 100g servings of these dishes. However, one average order of Kung Pao chicken weighs 604g, while one General Tso’s chicken order weighs 535g.
Macronutrients and Calories
General Tso is much denser in nutrients compared to the Kung Pao chicken dish, potentially due to the added water content of the carrots in Kung Pao chicken.
General Tso’s chicken contains 46% water and 54% nutrients, while Kung Pao chicken consists of 75% water.
Calories
Naturally, being denser in overall nutrients, General Tso’s chicken is much higher in calories. General Tso’s chicken provides over two times more calories compared to Kung Pao chicken.
Both dishes are very high-calorie foods. One average order of Kung Pao chicken provides 780 calories, while one order of General Tso’s chicken contains 1580 calories.
Protein
Compared to Kung Pao chicken, General Tso’s chicken is around 2g richer in protein per 100g serving.
The protein found in both General Tso and Kung Pao chicken is of high quality. One order of either of these dishes covers the daily needed values of all essential amino acids.
Naturally, General Tso’s chicken is higher in all essential amino acids compared to Kung Pao chicken.
Fats
General Tso’s chicken is also over two times higher in fats and cholesterol than Kung Pao chicken.
General Tso is higher in all three types of fatty acids - saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated.
Carbohydrates
Kung Pao chicken contains 3.5 times fewer carbohydrates compared to General Tso’s chicken.
General Tso’s chicken is high in net carbs, mostly due to the cornstarch found in the sauce and batter. This dish is 4 times higher in starch than Kung Pao chicken.
Kung Pao chicken is slightly higher in dietary fiber due to the added vegetables.
Vitamins
It’s hard to choose a definitive winner in this category as the two dishes are rich in different vitamins.
General Tso’s chicken is a better source of vitamin K, vitamin B12, and vitamin B2.
At the same time, Kung Pao chicken is richer in vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6.
Vitamin Comparison
| Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C | +343.8% |
| Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A | +1281.9% |
| Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 | +18.5% |
| Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 | +20.3% |
| Contains more FolateFolate | +45.5% |
| Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E | +18.6% |
| Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D | +∞% |
| Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 | +114.5% |
| Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 | +23.4% |
| Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 | +100% |
| Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K | +180.9% |
| Contains more CholineCholine | +11% |
Minerals
The two chicken dishes are similar in mineral content. However, Kung Pao chicken is higher in copper, magnesium, and calcium.
General Tso’s chicken contains more iron due to the darker cuts of the meat used. It is also richer in phosphorus and zinc.
Kung Pao and General Tso’s chicken are similarly high in sodium.
Mineral Comparison
| Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium | +33.3% |
| Contains more CalciumCalcium | +66.7% |
| Contains more CopperCopper | +58.7% |
| Contains more ManganeseManganese | +241.3% |
| Contains more IronIron | +52.6% |
| Contains more ZincZinc | +75.7% |
| Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus | +35.1% |
| Contains more SeleniumSelenium | +77.8% |
Health Impact
While Kung Pao and General Tso’s chicken can be good sources of protein, vitamins, and minerals, they are also high in saturated fats, net carbs, and sodium, which may have adverse effects on health.
Cardiovascular Health
Overall, high consumption of fried food has been researched to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular mortality, and cancer incidence (1, 2). However, compared to shallow-fried food, lower amounts of deep-fried food were found to lead to the same increased risk of coronary heart disease (1).
Diabetes
Frequent consumption of fried food has also been associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (3, 4).
References
Infographic
Macronutrient Comparison
| Contains more WaterWater | +65.6% |
| Contains more ProteinProtein | +32.2% |
| Contains more FatsFats | +134.4% |
| Contains more CarbsCarbs | +249.2% |
Fat Type Comparison
| Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat | -51% |
| Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat | +78.5% |
| Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat | +148.4% |
Carbohydrate type comparison
| Contains more StarchStarch | +367.6% |
| Contains more SucroseSucrose | +462.4% |
Comparison summary table
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| Lower in Cholesterol |
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| Lower in Sugar |
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| Lower in Sodium |
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| Lower in Saturated Fat |
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| Lower in Glycemic Index |
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| Lower in price | Equal | ||
| Rich in minerals | Equal | ||
| Rich in vitamins | Equal | ||
All nutrients comparison - raw data values
| Nutrient | |
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Opinion |
| Calories | 129kcal | 295kcal |
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| Protein | 9.76g | 12.9g |
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| Fats | 6.98g | 16.36g |
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| Vitamin C | 7.1mg | 1.6mg |
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| Net carbs | 5.37g | 23.09g |
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| Carbs | 6.87g | 23.99g |
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| Cholesterol | 26mg | 53mg |
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| Vitamin D | 0IU | 6IU |
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| Magnesium | 24mg | 18mg |
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| Calcium | 20mg | 12mg |
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| Potassium | 218mg | 201mg |
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| Iron | 0.76mg | 1.16mg |
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| Sugar | 3.03g | 11.6g |
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| Fiber | 1.5g | 0.9g |
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| Copper | 0.073mg | 0.046mg |
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| Zinc | 0.74mg | 1.3mg |
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| Starch | 2.53g | 11.83g |
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| Phosphorus | 94mg | 127mg |
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| Sodium | 402mg | 435mg |
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| Vitamin A | 1299IU | 94IU |
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| Vitamin A | 65µg | 11µg |
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| Vitamin E | 1.02mg | 1.21mg |
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| Vitamin D | 0µg | 0.2µg |
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| Manganese | 0.256mg | 0.075mg |
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| Selenium | 8.1µg | 14.4µg |
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| Vitamin B1 | 0.032mg | 0.027mg |
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| Vitamin B2 | 0.055mg | 0.118mg |
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| Vitamin B3 | 2.757mg | 2.853mg |
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| Vitamin B5 | 0.5mg | 0.617mg |
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| Vitamin B6 | 0.243mg | 0.202mg |
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| Vitamin B12 | 0.11µg | 0.22µg |
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| Vitamin K | 13.6µg | 38.2µg |
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| Folate | 16µg | 11µg |
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| Trans Fat | 0.034g | 0.09g |
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| Choline | 37.4mg | 41.5mg |
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| Saturated Fat | 1.352g | 2.76g |
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| Monounsaturated Fat | 2.173g | 3.879g |
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| Polyunsaturated fat | 3.02g | 7.501g |
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| Tryptophan | 0.118mg | 0.142mg |
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| Threonine | 0.407mg | 0.552mg |
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| Isoleucine | 0.431mg | 0.564mg |
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| Leucine | 0.775mg | 1.026mg |
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| Lysine | 0.449mg | 1.089mg |
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| Methionine | 0.24mg | 0.332mg |
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| Phenylalanine | 0.402mg | 0.563mg |
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| Valine | 0.47mg | 0.607mg |
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| Histidine | 0.265mg | 0.333mg |
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| Fructose | 0.54g | 0.51g |
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| Omega-3 - EPA | 0.003g | 0.005g |
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| Omega-3 - DHA | 0.003g | 0.005g |
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| Omega-3 - ALA | 0.244g | 0.84g |
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| Omega-3 - DPA | 0.004g | 0.006g |
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| Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid | 0g | 0.001g |
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| Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid | 0.002g | 0.005g |
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| Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid | 0.005g | 0.01g |
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| Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid | 0.005g | 0.011g |
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| Omega-6 - Linoleic acid | 2.688g | 6.47g |
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Which food is preferable for your diet?
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| Low Calories diet |
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| Low Fats diet |
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| Low Carbs diet |
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| Low Glycemic Index diet |
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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
Comparison summary
References
All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.
- Kung Pao chicken - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167676/nutrients
- General tso's chicken - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167675/nutrients
All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.