This General Tso’s tofu is savory, sweet, spicy and so delicious it will likely go straight onto your regular dinner rotation. Super flavorful and high in protein too.
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!
How to make General Tso’s Tofu
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.
Cut the tofu into cubes and place into a container that has a lid.
Add some 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 in some 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 some 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 a sauce made from rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, onion powder, coconut sugar, cornstarch and vegetable stock 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!
Is General Tso’s Tofu Gluten Free?
Yes! As long as you use a gluten-free soy sauce (or switch for tamari), it is entirely gluten-free.
How Long Does General Tso Tofu Last in the Fridge?
Leftovers keep very well in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
How to Serve General Tso’s Tofu
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.
You will love this recipe for General Tso’s Tofu! It is:
- Savory
- Sweet and spicy
- Battered
- Extremely flavorful
- High in protein
- Easy to make
Keep leftovers in the fridge and enjoy within the next few days.
More Tofu Recipes
Let us know in the comments what you think of this General Tso’s tofu recipe and please rate the recipe too, thank you!
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General Tso’s Tofu
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 2-4
Description
This General Tso’s tofu is savory, sweet and spicy and so delicious it will likely go straight onto your regular dinner rotation. Super flavorful and high in protein too.
Ingredients
For the Tofu:
- 16oz (450g) Extra Firm Tofu
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1/8 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
- 1/4 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
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Vegetable Stock
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 or cauliflower rice and some chopped chives.
Notes
*Use gluten-free soy sauce or switch for tamari if you want to make this meal gluten-free.
*Check the hoisin sauce for vegan friendliness as not all brands are vegan.
*Prep time includes the time spent pressing the tofu.
*Nutritional information does not include rice.
- Category: Entree, Savory, Gluten-Free
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the Recipe
- Calories: 324
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 665mg
- Fat: 20.5g
- Saturated Fat: 3.2g
- Carbohydrates: 19.8g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 14.6g
Keywords: General Tso's Tofu
Just recently became vegan and made this dish this evening. So delicious!!! Will be making this weekly for sure!!!
★★★★★
Absolute perfection! I’ve made a similar recipe before and it turned out to be a big soggy mess. But with your recipe and clever instructions I got perfectly crisp, juicy, delicious tofu. I deglazed the empty pan afterwards with a little hot water and made a little extra sauce. Shame to waste the lovely flavours left on the pan. Served with your garlicky potato wedges and a mixed salad. Will try with rice next time. Will be on a fortnightly rotation in our vegan household! Thank you 😊
★★★★★
So happy it was a success! Thanks so much for sharing Satin! 🙂
This is the best tofu I’ve ever made. My husband & I loved it. Perfectly crispy and very flavorful! Excellent directions and tips. PS: just voted for you (and other favorites) on One Bite Vegan Food Blogger Awards 2020. Thanks for the great recipes and tips.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Barbara!! Much appreciated! xoxo
This was a huge hit! Just the best. My changes were to thinly slice the whites of the green onions up to the dark green leaves and fry that with the garlic and ginger, then add the fried tofu back and then the sauce, as directed. Also used water instead of broth in the sauce and increased it to half a cup. It still jelled nicely without increasing the cornstarch and made a nice amount of sauce. Served with steamed broccoli and jasmin rice. Will be making this again and again, thanks!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Lisa!
Thank you! This was my first tofu dish as a newish vegan, I was nervous but it was so worth it! I loved it!
★★★★★
Awesome! So happy to hear you enjoyed it Linda! xo
Made it last night. Was a big hit, thank you for the recipe!
Awesome! Thanks so much for posting!
I love this recipe, but every time I make the tofu, and fry it for the first time in the pan with the sesame oil, the batter sticks to the pan. I can’t seem to get my tofu to come out crispy. I follow your recipe exactly as instructed, and can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong.
★★★★
Hi Dylan, is your pan non-stick or not? If it’s not, then preheating the pan till hot becomes more important. If the pan and oil is hot then there will be less chance of it sticking. If it’s a non-stick pan though then this wouldn’t usually be the issue.
Ran into the same issue. I preheated a cast iron wok. Uncertain as to the temperature to use and how long to fry tofu. Family says they enjoyed it.
This was such an amazing combination of flavors and textures! well worth the time and effort! I used frozen tofu and made an amazing fried rice to go with it
★★★★★
Thanks so much Amy! 🙂
This was delicious! Very good directions, easy to follow and sooo good.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Selah! 🙂
This dish came out very well. I cooked my tofu in the air fryer and it came out amazing. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks Nirmala! 🙂
Excellent!! One of the best tofu recipes. on rice is great and I also put it in roll ups with spinach, tomato and vegan mayo…yum…no need for extra sauces.
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks Lynn! 🙂
I paired mine with some broccolini, and it was amazing. Thanks for the great recipe!! Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the wonderful review. 🙂