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 tablespoon of tamari and 1 tablespoon 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 ⅓ of the tofu cubes to a freezer or plastic bag with 2 tablespoon 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 tablespoon 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.
Looking for more tofu recipes?
Did you make this General Tso's tofu recipe?
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General Tso's Tofu
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.
Servings:
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Ingredients
For the general Tso's tofu
- 10 ounces firm tofu, cubed
- 2 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 6 tablespoon cornstarch
- Oil of your choice, I used extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
For the sauce
- 3 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, see notes
- 3 tablespoon vegetable stock or water
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Place the tofu cubes in a bowl or shallow dish.
- Add the marinade ingredients (2 tablespoon of tamari and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar), stir and let rest for at least 5 minutes, preferably overnight.
- Drain the tofu and discard the marinade.
- Transfer ⅓ of the tofu cubes to a freezer or plastic bag with 2 tablespoon 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 tablespoon 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.
- Nutritional info has been calculated by using 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.3g | Protein: 16.6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2.2g | Sodium: 2589mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 15.1g
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!
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.
Winona says
This recipe was delicious. Extremely simple. I doubled the red pepper flakes (love spicy). It was great over cauliflower rice.
Iosune says
Hi Winona! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Stavi says
Loved this dish! I have been a very lazy vegan up until now but your website makes it so easy to try new things! Any chase you might create a facility to keep my favorite recipes saved somewhere on it?
Iosune says
Hi Stavi! Thanks a lot 🙂 I'm afraid I can't, but please feel free to print them. Have a nice day!
Michelle says
I’m not a great cook, so I’m always excited to find simple and straightforward vegan recipes. This one certainly did not disappoint! I’m just wondering if you have any tips on storing and reheating the sauce? I always find constrain based sauces just turn into one big glob when cold, and I haven’t found an effective way to heat them up. I would really appreciate some advice!
Iosune says
Hi Michelle! It's best freshly made, but you can add some water when you reheat the sauce or some vegetable stock as it thickens in the fridge. Have a nice day!
Chanielle says
So good! Thank you for this! I don’t even garnish it because I cook for myself & man it’s yummy! I cooked it in coconut oil & used rice vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.
Iosune says
Hi Chanielle! You're so welcome 🙂
Dee says
Hi, I have never baked tofu. About how long in the oven before I start checking it?
Iosune says
Hi Dee! About 10-15 minutes. Take a look at this recipe: https://simpleveganblog.com/baked-tofu/ Have a nice day!
Akshay Bhosale says
Paneer chilly is one of my most favorite dishes and was, therefore, searching for a vegan alternative and found this recipe. It was quite easy to make. Followed all your instructions. Just used normal wheat flour instead of cornstarch flour as I had that at home. It turned out to be great. Thanks a lot for this recipe.
Iosune says
Hi Akshay! You're so welcome 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
Ashley says
Possibly our new favorite dish. This is so easy, cheap and SO YUMMY. Thank you so much for sharing this!!!
Iosune says
Hi Ashley! Thank YOU for your comment 🙂
Ankita says
Hi!!
Love your post. It's really amazing & helpful too. Being foodie i keep trying new dishes i tried this recipe & it turned out to be really tasty . Keep sharing 🙂
Thank You & Regards
Ankita
onlyloudest
Iosune says
Hi Ankita! Thanks a lot 🙂
Shama says
I made the recipe exactly as stated (I used brown sugar and water instead of vegetable stock) - this was excellent! I can’t wait to make it again. Perfect balance of sweet and tangy and the consistency is just like a restaurant.
Iosune says
Hi Shama! So glad you liked it so much 🙂
Mary says
Fairly new to tofu, this recipe is my 3rd attempt using it (first 2 were the same recipe, which I really enjoyed). I didn't care for the flavor, although everything looked great, my husband was tempted to try a taste but he is being spiteful because he said he would never eat tofu. I marinated over night, once the tofu was coated and cooked in the pan, I tasted a couple pieces, enjoyed the crunch just not the marinade flavor. The sauce came together nice, once I put the tofu in the sauce it lost its crunch and I wasn't a fan. I think I was expecting more of a sweet and sour taste, sadly everything (even the rice I made) went in the compost. How does your picture look reddish, mine turned out brown?
Iosune says
Hi Mary! I'm so sorry the recipe didn't work for you, but as you can read in the comments this recipe is extremely popular on the blog. It's normal the sauce turn out brown, the color depends on the ingredients you're using (it may change from one brand to another). Have you followed the recipe to the T? Did you use firm tofu?
Mary says
Yes I did notice the positive comments, which was the reason for trying the recipe. Recipe was followed to a t. Like I said it was the change in texture to the tofu once added back to the sauce, it went soft and I did not like it. Now I know I do not like tofu in chunks, but I do love my tofu made into crumbles, then baked and then added to whatever sauce I'm using, its comes out like ground meat. But soft chunks of tofu in my mouth (regardless of the sauce flavor) I do not enjoy. I used extra firm tofu. While the recipe is popular, it's a texture thing for me. When the tofu was crunchy, it was edible, my husband said I should of used the sauce as a dip instead of adding the tofu to the sauce, it would of stayed crunchy. The sauce tasted good, it was the tofu..
Iosune says
My tofu wasn't soft at all. You could try another brand of tofu, or just press it before cooking. Extra firm tofu is also a good choice 🙂
Katie Mae says
I made this tonight, it was so easy and came out even better than I expected!
Iosune says
Hi Katie! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Jennifer says
Absolutely delicious! Made this for my family last night, and even the kids ate it!
Iosune says
Hi Jennifer! Thanks a lot 😉 SO glad you and your family enjoyed it!