General Tso's Tofu is made in a flavorful, sweet, tangy sauce. It tastes just like your favorite Chinese takeout except healthier. A perfect vegan Chinese restaurant recipe for tofu when you need a take-out vibe kinda dinner!
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General Tso's chicken is originally a sweet, deep-fried chicken dish that is served in American Chinese restaurants. The story behind this dish is that it was created by Chef Pang in the 1950s. He says the Hunanese cuisine inspired the dish and he named it after a Hunanese general. When Pang moved to New York, he opened his first restaurant and adapted the recipe to cater to American Chinese cuisine which became widely popular.
Since this is a vegetarian blog, this recipe uses tofu. Many Chinese tofu recipes are found in restaurants across America.
Why You'll Love General Tso's Tofu
- It's delicious. The crispy tofu in combination with the mouthwatering sauce is what makes General Tso's Tofu amazing.
- It's ready quickly (probably faster than if you ordered or picked up takeout)!
- The recipe sauce can be prepped ahead to make it an even easier weeknight dinner.
📖 How to make Crispy Tofu and General Tso's Sauce
- Press the tofu. Wrap the tofu in an absorbent towel and placing something heavy on it to remove excess water (or use a tofu press). After the tofu is pressed, cube the tofu.
- Coat with cornstarch. This crisps up the tofu while cooking.
- Cook the tofu. Heat a non-stick skillet and add oil on medium heat. Add the tofu. Sauté for about 5 minutes, flipping occasionally to cook until golden brown and becomes slightly crispy tofu.
- Alternatively, you can bake the tofu. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook for about 25 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes until golden brown.
- Make the General Tso's sauce. Saute all the sauce ingredients until you have a thick slurry.
- Add the tofu. Add the crisped tofu to the sauce until the tofu is well coated.
- I like to serve mine with some basmati rice and blanched broccoli. This also goes great with some stir-fried vegetables!
💭 Variations
- Tofu Variations. Instead of tofu, you can also use cauliflower, tempeh, or a plant-based chicken option.
- Gluten-free option. To make this dish gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Vegetables. I love adding vegetables to recipes. I like to use broccoli, bell peppers, and onions for this one. you can also use a frozen bag of stir-fried vegetables and saute them before adding the sauce's liquid.
Through the perfect combination of crispy tofu and savory sauce, this vegan take on a popular Chinese dish is easy and delicious. Get ready to elevate your weeknight dinner plans with this General Tso's Tofu recipe that's better than Chinese takeout!
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Easy Garlic Chili Oil Noodles
- Maggi Masala Noodles with Vegetables and Tofu
- Vegan Tofu Tacos with Peanut Sauce
- Spicy Gochujang Noodles
- Vegan Gochujang Cauliflower Wings
- Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
If you loved this General Tso's Tofu recipe, please let me know in the comments below! I’d love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Subscribe to my weekly emails at the bottom so you never miss a new recipe!
📖 Recipe
General Tso's Tofu
Ingredients
For the Tofu
- 1 package tofu, 16 oz
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil,, Ex: vegetable, canola, or avocado oil
- ⅓ cup corn starch
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil for cooking
For the General Tso's Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons sambal oelek or chili garlic sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 inch ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 scallions for topping,, chopped
- ¼ cup roasted sesame seeds
For Serving (optional)
- 4 cups cooked white or brown rice
- Steamed or blanched broccoli
Instructions
- Drain and press the tofu by wrapping it in an absorbent towel and placing something heavy on it to remove excess water (or use a tofu press) for about 10-15 minutes.
- While tofu is pressing, prepare the General Tso's sauce by combining soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, water, and corn starch. Combine well and set aside.
- Cube the tofu place in a large mixing bowl or container with a lid. Drizzle soy sauce and oil and give the tofu a quick stir and let it rest for 5 minutes to absorb the sauce. Drizzle the cornstarch over the tofu, and close the lid. Give it a good shake until all the tofu is well coated.
- In a heat-safe plate, place a paper towel to set the tofu on once cooked. Heat a large skillet and then add 3 tablespoons of the neutral oil. Let the oil warm (about 30 seconds to 1 minute-don't let it start burning). Use metal tongs, a slotted spoon or fork to add tofu to the pan (leave any extra cornstarch behind).
- Cook tofu on all sides until light golden brown. Remove tofu from pan to the plate with the paper towel once it's finished browning and turn off heat.
- Note: The tofu will soften the longer it sets so I recommend doing this part right before serving. Alternatively, you can place the tofu in the air fryer once it's cooking for about 5 minutes at 400 F before adding to the sauce.
- To the same pan, keep only 1 tablespoon of oil and remove any excess (handle carefully as the oil will be hot!). Turn the heat back on and add garlic and ginger and cook until aromatic. Give the sauce mixture a quick stir and add into the skillet. Cook the sauce while stirring until the sauce thickens (about 1 minute).
- Serve in a bowl with rice and broccoli (optional) and top with the scallions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- You can add 1 tablespoon of chili garlic sauce if you prefer less spice.
- The recipe makes 2 servings if used for a full meal. If you serve with rice and vegetables, it would make about 3-4 servings.
Nutrition Info
Dannii
The sauce on this was incredible. Such a great way to cook tofu too.
Shweta
Thank you so much!
gunjan
Tofu is my favorite and its frequent for me. So I had to make this general tsos. Looks and taste are excellent and I fell in love with this in my first bite. Making it again tomorrow.
Shweta
I love tofu also! Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
Tara
Such an amazing use for tofu! It sounds incredible paired with that sweet and tangy sauce. Definitely perfect for weeknights.
Shweta
Yes, sweet and tangy sauce with tofu is my favorite!
Andrea
This hot and spicy dish looks and sounds amazing. My family are going to love it.
Shweta
Thank you so much!
Patricia
This is such a great meal to make at home! I love using tofu in different recipes -- I'm always on the lookout -- and this one is so great!
Shweta
Thank you! So glad you loved it!