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.
Wow this looks mouthwatering, can’t wait to try it!
So good! I will definitely double the sauce next time. I wanted to lick out the pan.
Haha, that’s awesome! Thanks for the great review Karen! 🙂
Can I use white wine vinegar instead of rice?
Hi Vivi, white wine vinegar is fairly similar so could be used instead. 🙂
Can you use an oil that’s not sesame? Like grape seed oil?
Sure, use any oil you prefer. 🙂
Thanks for all the delicious recipes.
It’s a pleasure Mimi! 🙂
This recipe was easy to make with the clear, concise recipe directions. It was also delicious!
So happy to hear that! Thanks so much for the wonderful rating. 🙂
This was fantastic! Next time I’ll double the sauce and throw in some broccoli.
Awesome! Thanks Chris. 🙂
Hi, I want to try this recipe. What can i substitute for Hoisin Sauce ? Thanks !
Hmmm, I think you could switch it for something like vegan barbecue sauce or sweet chili sauce. It’s not going to be the same, but it’s still going to taste great!
Thank you ! Will try and let you know.
This turned out great. the tofu was thoroughly coated with sauce. Next time will double the sauce and add it to the broccoli we had on the side. Reduced the sesame oil by half and used vegetable broth to reduce calories. I love your music BTW!
Hi Julie! Oh wow, thanks so much! So glad you enjoyed the recipe too and thanks for the wonderful review. xo
OMG just made this last night and it was delicious. “Like a restaurant” people declared. So good. I stir-fried some broccoli with ginger garlic and lemon as a side accompaniment. Just perfect. Thanks again for another delicious recipe.
So happy to hear this Neil! And I think the side accompaniment sounds divine! Thanks for the wonderful review. 🙂
meant to give it 5 stars
Thanks so much Emma! So happy it was a hit! 🙂
Really good. Sticky, savoury and moreish. Even my 16 yr old son liked it and he is very sceptical about things vegan.
Oh yeah, looks good ! I’ll be trying very soon !
This is so good!!!
Couldn’t agree more! Thanks Brenda! 🙂
This is definitely my new favorite weeknight meal! So easy and tastes fantastic!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the great review! xo