General Tso's is usually chicken, but the flavor is the real star: sweet, salty, spicy and sticky. A viewer, Lady Smith 357, sent us her General Tso's pork jerky recipe. Our test kitchen rebuilt the marinade so it soaks deep into the meat, dried it, and put it to a keep-it-or-kill-it vote. Here's the full recipe and how it went. Want pork jerky now? Try our All-Natural Maple Pork Jerky.

Why pork, and why we changed the recipe

Once you nail the General Tso's flavor profile, it works on almost anything, and pork is one of the most underrated proteins for jerky. The original viewer recipe was good, but we felt the marinade was too thick to soak in and needed more salt. So we doubled down on soy sauce and loosened the marinade with pineapple juice.

Instructions

Blend the marinade. Blend everything until smooth and pourable. Why each piece matters: soy sauce is the salt and umami anchor that makes it taste like jerky, not meat candy. Hoisin is the glaze base. Gochujang brings a funky, slow-burn heat. Sesame oil carries the flavor. Oyster sauce adds deep umami. Rice vinegar cuts the sweetness. Brown sugar caramelizes into a glossy finish. Garlic and ginger make it smell like a good Chinese restaurant.

Don't skip the pineapple juice. It loosens the marinade so it penetrates instead of sitting on the surface, and its natural enzyme (bromelain) helps tenderize. Use only 2-3 tablespoons: too much, or too long, and the meat turns mushy.

Firm up the pork. Freeze the tenderloin before slicing. We did about 30 minutes, and it wasn't enough; next time we'd add another 30-45 minutes so the center firms up too.

Slice with the grain. We cut half-inch slabs and fed them through our slicer for consistent strips. Go anywhere from 1/8 to 1/4 inch: thinner dries faster and crisps up, 1/4 inch gives more chew. We went close to 1/4 inch. An OSTBA electric meat slicer makes this easy.

Massage it in, then marinate. Use your hands and work the marinade into every square inch of every strip. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours; overnight is better. We went 24 hours. For more on marinades, see our beef jerky marinade guide.

Hang-dry it. We pierced the strips with skewers and hung them from the trays of our Cosori dehydrator with stainless steel S hooks. It doesn't change the flavor, just the chew. Laying them flat works too.

Dry and watch the glaze. At about 3 hours the edges darken as the sugar caramelizes. Ours was still soft at hour 4, close at hour 5 and perfect at hour 6: leathery, bending without snapping, and not wet or tacky.

Test kitchen note: We dried at 158°F. The USDA recommends heating meat to 160°F (poultry to 165°F) before or during drying. The simplest way is to dry at 160°F. If your dehydrator can't reach 160°F, steam or roast the strips to 160°F first.

Keep it or kill it? The taste test

Joey and Kenny tasted it with us for the first time. It looked "pretty legit," with a reddish color and a glaze-like sheen, and it smelled like Chinese food: heavy garlic and hoisin. One taster who isn't usually a pork jerky fan said, "I think this is really good." The panel picked up a little unexpected spice, and loved the chew of the hang-dried strips: "almost the perfect texture."

The secret, they agreed, is balance: the sweetness against the fermented funk, and the garlic and ginger that make it taste like General Tso's.

The verdict: Keep it. "This is a banger." Three thumbs up.

Tips and variations

• Marinade too thick? Add the pineapple juice. Paste-thick marinade sits on the surface instead of soaking in.
• Want it crispier? Slice closer to 1/8 inch.
• Want more heat? Add more gochujang.
• Other proteins: the same marinade works on beef or chicken (dry poultry to 165°F).

Love new flavors?

Our official Taste Testers get a brand-new jerky flavor every month and vote on which ones stay. Sign up to become an official Jerky.com Taste Tester, it's free. Got a recipe idea like Lady Smith 357's? Leave it in the comments; we might make yours next.

FAQ

What cut of pork is best for General Tso's pork jerky?
We used a 2 lb pork tenderloin. It's lean, which makes it a good fit for jerky.

Why add pineapple juice to jerky marinade?
It thins a thick marinade so it soaks in, and its natural enzyme helps tenderize. Use only a few tablespoons, since too much can make the meat mushy.

How long should I marinate pork jerky?
At least 4 hours, and overnight is better. We marinated ours for 24 hours.

How thin should I slice pork for jerky?
Anywhere from 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Thinner dries faster and crisps up; 1/4 inch gives more chew.

How long does General Tso's pork jerky take to dry?
Ours took about 6 hours, checked from the 3-hour mark. Time depends on your slices and dehydrator.

What temperature should pork jerky reach?
The USDA recommends heating meat to 160°F (poultry to 165°F) before or during drying. The simplest way is to dry at 160°F.

Rather skip the work? Try ours: All-Natural Maple Pork Jerky or our Pork Jerky Assortment, or read our guide to pork jerky and bacon jerky.

Keep it or kill it? Tell us in the comments!

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