This General Tso’s tofu is salty, sweet, spicy and so flavorful it will go straight onto your regular dinner rotation. Better than take-out.
Oh tofu how I love thee.
Well… how I love thee when thee is made like this!
I reckon anyone would when it’s made like this.
This General Tso’s tofu is deliciously battered and fried until crispy and then drenched in the most amazing sauce. It’s savory and sweet with the perfect amount of spice and all things nice.
It’s also pretty quick to make and super high in protein. So basically, you are going to love it!
You’ll also love our crispy air fryer tofu and our kung pao tofu.
How To Make General Tso’s Tofu
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Press the tofu first. The best way to do this is to use a tofu press. But if you don’t have a tofu press no worries at all, just place your tofu on a plate with another plate on top of it and then place something heavy on top of that (like a heavy pot).
- Let it sit for 20-30 minutes and then drain off the excess water.
- While the tofu is pressing, add rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, onion powder, coconut sugar, cornstarch and vegetable stock to a measuring jug and whisk it together into a sauce.
- Cut the tofu into cubes and place into a container that has a lid.
- Add sesame oil, maple syrup and cayenne pepper, and then seal the container and then gently rotate the container so that the tofu gets evenly covered with the oil and maple syrup and cayenne. You don’t want to violently shake the container or anything, as you want those cubes of tofu to stay nicely intact.
- Then open the container and add cornstarch and repeat the rotating of the container until all that tofu (sticky from the maple syrup) is coated in cornstarch.
- Then you fry the tofu in a hot pan with some sesame oil until it’s golden brown and delicious. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.
- Now add sesame oil, crushed garlic, minced ginger and dried red chili flakes to the pan and fry those until aromatic.
- Add the tofu back in.
- Pour over your sauce and flash fry for 1 minute to coat the tofu with the sauce.
TIP: Don’t fry the tofu too long once the sauce is added or the batter will start to strip off the tofu, so make this really fast, you just want that sauce to go into a hot pan and flash fry quickly so that it can thicken and blend the flavors beautifully and then you’re done!
Can You Make This Gluten Free?
If you use a gluten-free soy sauce and gluten-free hoisin sauce, then you can make this recipe gluten-free.
Serving Suggestions
Serve it over some basmati rice with some chopped chives on top. If you prefer cauliflower rice you can definitely serve it over that too.
Some fresh lime is also great to serve with this.
Storing Tips
Leftovers keep very well in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
It is not recommended for freezing.
More Tofu Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
General Tso’s Tofu
Ingredients
For the Tofu:
- 16 ounces Extra Firm Tofu (450g)
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- ⅛ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 4 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil for frying
For the Garlic, Ginger and Spices:
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Minced Ginger
- 1 tsp Crushed Garlic
- ¼ tsp Red Chili Flakes
For the Sauce:
- 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce*
- 1 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce*
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- ¼ cup Vegetable Stock (60ml)
Instructions
- Press the tofu for 30 minutes either using a tofu press or by placing the tofu onto a plate with another plate on top of it and then putting something heavy on top like a heavy pot.
- While the tofu is pressing, you can prepare your sauce by just mixing all the ingredients up in a measuring jug. Set aside.
- When the tofu is pressed, cut it into cubes and place it into a container with a lid. Add sesame oil, maple syrup and cayenne pepper and then seal the container and gently rotate it so that the tofu is evenly coated.
- Then add in the cornstarch to the container, 1 tablespoon at a time and gently toss until the tofu is well coated.
- Add the sesame oil to a frying pan and when hot add in the battered tofu and gently fry until golden brown. Remove the tofu from the pan.
- Add the sesame oil, minced ginger, crushed garlic and red chili flakes to the frying pan and fry until toasted and then add the tofu back in.
- Pour over the sauce and flash fry for 1 minute to coat the tofu with the sauce. Don’t fry it for too long or the batter will start coming off the tofu.
- Serve with basmati rice and chopped chives.
Video
Notes
- Check the hoisin sauce for vegan friendliness as not all brands are vegan.
- Prep time includes the time spent pressing the tofu.
- Leftovers keep very well in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days. It’s not recommended for freezing.
- Nutritional information does not include rice.
we love this recipe! delicious!
I made this last night after eyeing it for a long time thinking it would be a complicated recipe. Wanted something different to show off to my grown children when they visit. It was ABSOLUTELY Fantastic!! Followed the recipe exactly except for the cayenne and red pepper flakes. I doubled both. Love me some heat!!! Turned out FABULOUS!!! Definitely a keeper.
Thanks so much Cynthia!
Just made it – absolutely fantastic!
Awesome! Thanks so much Alison!
Made this for a family dinner-most of them were skeptical that tofu could taste good-until they tried this. Made a double batch and there were just a few pieces left. Already have requests to make it for the next family get together. Love your recipes-you nail it every time! Thanks for sharing them 🙂
That’s so awesome to hear Joan! Thanks so much for the fantastic review!
I’ve tried other tofu recipes, hated every one of them. Until this one. This extra firm tofu with your flavors is outstanding! I love it!!!! I will make it over and over and over again! Thank you for a great healthy recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that Kim! Thanks so much for the awesome review!
I made tofu for the first time today and followed this recipe for the most part. I used honey instead of maple syrup. Looked at several recipes and this one was the most appealing. I’m glad I tried it. It was definitely delicious and I will be making this again!
So pleased you enjoyed it Monica! Thanks for the wonderful review.
Can I use toasted sesame oil in place of regular sesame oil? Or will that flavor profile be thrown off?
Hi Claire, toasted sesame oil works great for flavor, but it has a lower smoke point than regular sesame oil, so it’s generally better for cooking to use regular sesame oil and to use toasted sesame oil for sauces etc. But that being said, toasted will still work fine!
Made this general tso’s tofu tonight and it was the first time I ever made tofu! This recipe was awesome! Me and my partner both loved it! The only modification I made was I added broccoli but otherwise was exactly the same. Will definitely be making this one again 🥰
So happy to hear that Jenn, thanks so much for the awesome review!
Last night my mom and I made General TSO’s Tofu it was so good. We added spinach and cucumbers and vegan chow mein noodles.
That sounds fantastic! So happy you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for sharing Rose!
I made this in the oven and it came out wonderful. This is going to be a new family favorite.
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing Donna!
Absolutely delicious!! Thank you!
Awesome, thanks so much for the great review!
Hey there! I am anxious to try this. Have you ever baked the tofu before adding it to the sauce? Also, any options to cut down the sodium per serving?
Thanks!
Hi Joseph, I haven’t tried baking it first, but I think it would work! To lower the sodium you could use a low sodium soy sauce and vegetable stock. 🙂