Step 1

Coat the chicken in seasoning and cornstarch. Mix the cornstarch, salt, and pepper together in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Add the chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake until the chicken is well-coated.

Step 2

Cook the chicken until the coating is crisp. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan, and cook about 2 minutes per side. The chicken might not brown, but the cornstarch coating will become crispy and dry. The chicken will not be completely cooked at this point, and that is OK. Transfer the chicken to a 6-quart slow cooker and repeat with any remaining chicken.

Step 3

Make the sauce and pour over the chicken. Whisk the sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, sesame oil, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes together in a small bowl. Pour over the chicken, then scatter the dried red chile peppers around the chicken.

Step 4

Slow cook the chicken. Cover and cook until chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 1 1/2 to 2 hours on the LOW setting or 45 minutes on the HIGH setting. Toss the cooked chicken with the sauce.

Step 5

Serve General Tso's chicken. Serve with steamed white rice and top with sliced scallions and additional red pepper flakes if desired.