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.
I made this recipe today and it turned out good; however the next time I make I’ll let the tofu brown a little longer.
Very good recipe. Really Enjoyed. Tofu was clumping together when browning. Thought I would do in batches next time but once I poured the sauce over… tofu separated quite nicely. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
After many years of loving tofu, this was my first time frying it with corn starch. This dish turned out deliciously. I used only 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar and ran out of sesame oil after making the sauce. Super satisfying.
That’s awesome Cori! So glad you enjoyed it!
I’m a tough critic for recipes not having enough flavor but this recipe calls for a lot of flavor which I appreciate. Even with my omissions it was delish! I upped the garlic, did regular sugar, omitted onion powder and hoisin sauce as I didn’t have it, and reduced the amount of cornstarch and Sesame oil for health – and it was still impressively amazing flavor. Will definitely be making this again! Also a tip – I don’t ever bother with pressing tofu – I give a quick squeeze in my hands and call it a day and it just takes an extra minute or two on the stove.
So glad you enjoyed it Bhavana! Thanks for the wonderful review!
Well, now I know why my nose was running. I just realized I used 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes instead of 1/4, it was still excellent.
Oh hahaha! I can imagine that must have been hot! So glad it was still good! 🙂
Wow, I used my tofu press for the first time and this recipe. What wonderful flavors. My nose is running in a good way just like the old days when I at the chicken version.
My kitchen looks like a bomb went off but well worth it! Next time I will be more prepared and get it all ready beforehand. thanks for a great meal.
Awesome! Thanks for the great review Jennifer!
These recipes are incredible! Went vegan a year ago didn’t think I’d ever get to eat general tso’s again! Even my non-vegan family loved it!
Wonderful! Thanks so much Rich!
This was absolutely delicious. I made it tonight & will definitely make it again and again. It was sticky & really tasty. The tofu was lovely & crisp and golden; perfect! I’ve also recommended it to friends. Thank you and I can’t wait to try out more of your recipes ????
Wonderful! Thanks so much for the great review Suzy!
Fantastic recipe! I paired it with cauliflower rice and steamed broccoli – this will be a new “regular” in our house!
Awesome! Thanks so much!
I made this for my Week 6: Fakeaway entry for #52weeksofvegan. I do love me some General Tso’s Sauce. A good General Tso’s Sauce will be nice and spicy. This was delicious and probably the best homemade version I have tried. Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful! Thanks so much Michael!
This is a really good recipe. Follow the instructions and it comes out wonderfully well; It even looks like the photographs.
Thanks so much Kay!
Great recipe! It’s like guilt free Chinese food ????
Thanks Kris!
So yummy, I couldn’t stop eating it! Thank you.
Awesome! Thanks Jo!
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! 🙂