General Tso’s Tofu, ready in just 30 minutes! It’s spicy-sweet, healthier than the classic Chinese takeout dish, and one of my favorite tofu recipes.
This General Tso’s Tofu is a healthier and lighter version of the classic General Tso’s Chicken. Besides, it’s made with tofu instead of chicken and the tofu is not deep-fried, just sautéed in a little bit of oil.
For those of you who don’t know General Tso’s chicken, it’s a sweet, deep-fried chicken dish that is served in North American Chinese restaurants.
I’ve used only a little bit of oil to cook the tofu and also made a less spicy version, but add as much oil and red pepper flakes as you want.
You can also make this recipe oil-free (just read the pro tips or recipe notes) and omit the red pepper flakes if you’re not into spicy food.
As you can read in the recipe description, this is one of my all-time favorite tofu recipes, but it’s also one of the most popular recipes on the blog!
How to make General Tso’s tofu – Step by step
- Place the tofu cubes in a bowl or shallow dish (photo 1).
- Add the marinade ingredients (2 tbsp of tamari and 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar), stir and let rest for at least 5 minutes, preferably overnight (photo 2).
- Drain the tofu (photo 3) and discard the marinade.
- Transfer 1/3 of the tofu cubes to a freezer or plastic bag with 2 tbsp of cornstarch and toss to coat (photo 4). Repeat this step with the rest of the tofu cubes and cornstarch. Add more cornstarch if needed.
- Once the tofu cubes are coated with the cornstarch (photo 5), heat some oil in a skillet and add the tofu cubes (photo 6). I used extra virgin olive oil, but any oil will do.
- Cook the tofu cubes over medium-high heat until all sides are golden brown (photo 7). Remove the tofu from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the garlic to the skillet (photo 8) with a little bit of oil if needed and cook over medium-high heat for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently until golden brown (photo 9). Set aside.
- Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl (photo 10). Set aside.
- Add the sauce to the skillet where you had your cooked garlic and cook over medium-high heat until it thickens, stirring frequently (photo 11).
- Finally, add the tofu cubes, stir and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes (photo 12).
- Serve with some cooked white rice and garnish with some sesame seeds and chopped chives (optional). Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Pro tips
- Depending on your taste buds and the type or brand or vinegar you’re using, you may want to add less vinegar to the sauce. Some readers love the recipe just like this, but others prefer the sauce with less vinegar. Add only 1 tbsp of vinegar at first and add more vinegar if needed.
- I never press my tofu because I prefer to save some time and also think it’s not necessary, but it’s up to you. I just drain the tofu and discard the liquid.
- Firm or extra firm tofu works great. I’ve never tried to use soft or silken tofu myself, but I don’t think it’s going to work.
- If you don’t want to use a freezer or plastic bag, just add the cornstarch to a shallow dish, then the tofu cubes and toss to coat.
- If you don’t eat soy, you could use cauliflower instead. I’ve seen some recipes online, but I’ve never tried it myself. Tamari or soy sauce can be replaced by coconut aminos.
- For an oil-free version of this recipe, bake the tofu at 350ºF or 180ºC until golden brown.
- Feel free to use any type of vinegar, starch or sugar you have on hand.
What foods go well with General Tso’s tofu?
- For a complete meal, I like to serve my General Tso’s Tofu with some type of carb and also with veggies.
- My favorite carb to serve Chinese food with is rice, especially white rice, but brown rice or any other grain will do.
- Any dish of veggies is okay, but I prefer to serve it with some Chinese or Asian-style vegetable dish, like bok choy or Thai cucumber salad.
- Another good choice, if you don’t want to eat any carb, is to serve this with some cauliflower rice instead of white rice.
What type of tofu should I use to make General Tso’s tofu?
You should use firm or extra firm tofu. I’ve always used firm tofu, but extra firm is also okay. Silken tofu is so delicate, so it will fall apart and it hasn’t the texture we’re looking for either.
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General Tso’s Tofu
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Total: 40 mins
- 2–4 1x
- Main dish
- Asian, Vegan
Servings 2–4 1x
Scale Tap or hover over number to scale servings
General Tso’s Tofu, ready in just 30 minutes. It’s spicy-sweet, healthier than the classic Chinese takeout dish, and one of my favorite tofu recipes.
Ingredients
For the general Tso’s tofu
- 10 ounces firm tofu (275 g), cubed
- 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 6 tbsp cornstarch
- Oil of your choice, I used extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar, see notes
- 3 tbsp vegetable stock or water
- 3 tbsp cane, coconut or brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Place the tofu cubes in a bowl or shallow dish.
- Add the marinade ingredients (2 tbsp of tamari and 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar), stir and let rest for at least 5 minutes, preferably overnight.
- Drain the tofu and discard the marinade.
- Transfer 1/3 of the tofu cubes to a freezer or plastic bag with 2 tbsp of cornstarch and toss to coat. Repeat this step with the rest of the tofu cubes and cornstarch. Add more cornstarch if needed.
- Once the tofu cubes are coated with the cornstarch, heat some oil in a skillet and add the tofu cubes. I used extra virgin olive oil, but any oil will do.
- Cook the tofu cubes over medium-high heat until all sides are golden brown. Remove the tofu from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the garlic to the skillet (add more oil if needed) and cook over medium-high heat for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently until golden brown. Set aside.
- Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl (tamari or soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, vegetable stock or water, sugar, cornstarch and red pepper flakes). Set aside.
- Add the sauce to the skillet where you had your cooked garlic and cook over medium-high heat until it thickens, stirring frequently.
- Finally, add the tofu cubes, stir and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes.
- Serve with some cooked white rice and garnish with some sesame seeds and chopped chives (optional). Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Depending on your taste buds and the type or brand or vinegar you’re using, you may want to add less vinegar to the sauce. Some readers love the recipe just like this, but others prefer the sauce with less vinegar. Add only 1 tbsp of vinegar at first and add more vinegar if needed.
- I never press my tofu because I prefer to save some time and also think it’s not necessary, but it’s up to you. I just drain the tofu and discard the liquid.
- Firm or extra firm tofu works great. I’ve never tried to use soft or silken tofu myself, but I don’t think it’s going to work.
- If you don’t want to use a freezer or plastic bag, just add the cornstarch to a shallow dish, then the tofu cubes and toss to coat.
- If you don’t eat soy, you could use cauliflower instead. I’ve seen some recipes online, but I’ve never tried it myself. Tamari or soy sauce can be replaced by coconut aminos.
- For an oil-free version of this recipe, bake the tofu at 350ºF or 180ºC until golden brown.
- Feel free to use any type of vinegar, starch or sugar you have on hand.
- The amount of sodium is not accurate, as you’re going to discard part of the tamari or soy sauce of the marinade.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 237
- Sugar: 7.4 g
- Sodium: 1054 mg (see notes)
- Fat: 13.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 22.3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8.1 g
Update Notes: This post was originally published in December of 2017, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions and tips in June of 2019.
I’ve been hesitant to make tofu even after being vegetarian for a year but this recipe gave me great texture of tofu! Unfortunately I missed the part where you take the garlic out so that part makes it a little meh 😕 my mistake and will try again!
★★★★
Hi Taylor! So glad you liked our geneal tso’s tofu recipe 🙂 Have a nice day!
I made this a couple weeks ago and really liked it! I am making it again today and will add just 1 tbsp vinegar.
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Hi Patricia! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Just made this earlier today and I love it! Definitely will have to cut down on the apple cider vinegar next time I make it but overall this is a wonderful recipe! Thank you for this recipe! I’ve been wanting to make my own general tso tofu for awhile now as my local chinese place makes it and I always order it when I go there.
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Hi Alexis! So glad you liked it 🙂 Have a nice day!
Made the recipe tonight! I am kind of a loose recipe follower (I just wing it a lot lol) but it came out so delicious! Thank you for posting this recipe! I was wondering if anybody has suggestions for how to make it gluten-free and still get the same great texture and thickness to the sauce?
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Hi Jessica! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂 So glad you liked it! This recipe is gluten-free!
This is definitely going into my regular rotation. I used rice vinegar the first time I made it, apple cider the second and both were equally good. I also used sriracha instead of chili flakes. So yummy I think about it all day when I know I have leftovers waiting for me at lunch at work.
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Hi Stephanie! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂 So glad you liked our General Tso’s Tofu!
Made as written, except used rice vinegar (that’s all I had). Absolutely delicious! My husband kept eating off my plate (he’s very vegetarian friendly but hate’s tofu so I had made him a different meal). This sauce really was phenomenal. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
So glad you and your husband liked it 🙂 Have a nice day Lauren!
This was really good! I was a little skeptical about not pressing the tofu, but if worked fine. Unlike other recipes I tried, the tofu did not fall apart and crumble. It was also really easy and I didn’t have to get out the immersion blender or anything like that. I would say that the whole tofu- garlic- tofu- sauce-tofu process is a little confusing, I just cooked the garlic first, took it out, and added the tofu. Then I added the garlic back in. It sounds just as confusing, but garlic is a little easier to handle than tofu. I also think I might have used a little more marinade and cornstarch than the recipe said. Actually, I used a lot more. The tofu needs at least 4 tablespoons of cornstarch to get crispy and and almost double the marinade to really get into all the tofu. That being said, I didn’t marinate it overnight, just about 20 minutes. I served with green beans and rice. Thanks for the recipe! Really good.
★★★★★
Thanks for your kind comment 🙂 So glad you liked our recipe!
This was so delicious, I followed the recipe exactly, I would just use a little less cornstarch, yum yum yum
★★★★★
Hi Lisa! So glad you liked it 🙂 Have a nice day!
Incredible, I love General Tso’s from my meat eating life, and have never really made an enjoyable tofu dish. I will be making this again, and also using the cauliflower alternative as well as trying both in the air fryer! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Thanks for your words 🙂 So glad you liked it!!
Absolutely amazing! And easy to make!
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Hi Caitlin! That’s always our intention 🙂 So glad you liked it!
I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was enjoyed by both vegans and non-vegans! I added some broccoli to the dish for color and veggies. Delicious!!
★★★★★
So glad you all liked it 🙂 Have a nice day!!
Hi! So glad you all liked it 🙂 Have a nice day!
I loved this recipe! So good. I do recommend adding less than 3 tbsp of vinegar as suggested, and also adding a bit less cornstarch (maybe 2.5 tbsps instead of 3). It was a bit too starchy with 3. But generally, def making this again. Thanks!
★★★★
So glad you liked it Claudia 🙂 Have a nice day!
You say to set aside the browned garlic. You never mention putting it back in.
Hi Kate! Garlic only gives to the recipe more flavor 🙂 Hope you like it!
The sauce is amazing!
★★★★★
Hi Alex! So glad you liked it 🙂 Have a nice day!
Oh goodness this was beautiful..made it over the weekend..forgot the garlic thpugh (gutted!!!)…but was so tasty will do it again soon. Leftovers heated up and enjoyed the following day!
★★★★★
Hi Katherine! So glad you loved it 🙂 Have a nice day!
I made this meal, however; I did substitute the “frying oil with a mixture of peanut and sesame oil”. I didn’t add sesame seeds because of my boyfriend’s issues, but it was awesome. Also, instead of the “red flakes” I used a couple splashes of the Calabrian chili pepper’s juice (hot & spicy). I also didn’t put apple cider vinegar, but instead the rice vinegar in the sauce mix along with recommended value of pure virgin olive oil. Thank you so much for your website. This is 1 out of 4 meals I am about to try.
Hello Janan, so glad to read this 🙂 Have a nice day!