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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📖 Recipe
General Tso's Tofu
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
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.
Julie C says
I made today and it was delicious - definitely going to work this recipe into regular rotation!
Iosune says
Hi Julie! Thank you so much 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
Alisa says
I made the General Tso added peanuts and a tap sarachi and chives ti the recipe YUMMY
Iosune says
Hi Alisa! So glad you like it 🙂
Angelina says
My munchkin will normally only eat crunchy tofu.. after I added mine to the sauce it was not crunchy anymore but it was still super good and he devoured it! I make crispy tofu with cornstarch all the time but I think marinating it before tossing it really took it to a whole new level.
Iosune says
Hi Angelina! I'm so happy to read that 🙂 Have a nice day!
D. says
This is SO good! I recently made the switch to eating a more plant-based diet. Recipes as delicious as this make it easy.
Iosune says
Hi D! I'm so happy to heard that 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Susie says
This was the first recipe I have ever made where the TOFU WAS PERFECT. It crisped beautifully and the sauce was AH-MAZING. My husband added Siracha and said it was to die for. We also added broccoli- SOOOOOO GOOD. As I saw in other reviews, my husband also wants me to double the sauce next time. Thanks for a fabulous meal on the fly!
Iosune says
Hi Susie! I'm so happy to hear that 😀 Have a nice day!
Megan says
It took a while to prepare (longer than 10 mins) and after I added the sauce, the crispy texture of the tofu was gone. I was really bummed about that. I don’t like tofu when it’s mushy in texture. The flavor was very intense. I loved it! I think marinating the tofu in the soy sauce + apple cider vinegar mixture for a longer amount of time would make the tofu more flavorful. 5 mins isn’t enough. I also needed to make more of that mixture because it wasn’t enough for the 1lb block I prepared.
I really enjoyed the sauce. I think red chili flakes would be an excellent addition to the recipe.
Iosune says
Hi Megan! So glad you at least enjoyed the sauce 🙂
Kathryn Cole says
Although my extended family is suspicious of tofu, they LOVED this recipe. It was very easy to make. I now make a double batch and combine the General Tso's leftovers with ratatouille to serve as a casserole the following night.
Iosune says
Hi Kathryn! Sounds great 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Dee says
Wow!! This recipe was amazing!! I was looking for a recipe to try tofu for the first time in my life and I'm so happy this was it. The texture and the sauce were so delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Iosune says
Hi Dee! You're so welcome 🙂 I'm so glad you liked tofu and our recipe. Have a nice day!
Susan Lowe says
This was delicious! Thank you so much. We like our food spicier than most people, so I used a big squirt of sriacha sauce instead of cayenne pepper. It was so good I'm making it again tonight!
Iosune says
Hi Susan! You're so welcome 😀 I'm so glad you liked it so much. Have a nice day!
Brittany at I Love Vegan says
Thanks for the recipe! I used to sauce on some crispy tofu and it was lovely change from our usual tofu meals!
Iosune says
Hi Brittany! You're so welcome 🙂 Have a beautiful day!
Vicky says
As an Australian who has never been to America, I don’t know what general Tso’s sauce should taste like but I’ve just made this and I’m so happy right now....
Iosune says
Hi Vicky! So glad you liked it 🙂 Have a nice day!
Linda Perry says
This recipie is amazing, takes just like a takeaway Chinese but much healthier and cruelty free.
Iosune says
Hi Linda! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
Jodi says
Best vegan recipe I ever found! My whole family loved it and my son is the only one that is vegan! Switched out cayenne pepper for red pepper flakes.
Iosune says
Hi Jodi! Thank you SO MUCH 🙂 SO glad you enjoyed it. Have a nice day!
Penny says
This is amazeballs! And very easy to make. The freezer bag trick I will continue to use with other tofu dishes where I need to coat....and the sauce is soo good! I am making it again!
Iosune says
Hi Penny! Thanks a lot 🙂 I'm so glad you liked it! Yes, it's so useful to use a freezer bag to coat things...
Elina says
simple and delicious 🙂 I did slices instead of cubes for easier frying!
Iosune says
Hi Elina! Thanks a lot 🙂 Slices are okay as well. Have a nice day!
Amanda says
This was GREAT!! I'm new to vegan cooking but this was actually a hit and wonderful!! I didn't have Cayenne but I did have a spicy miso sauce. Next time I will double or even triple the sauce for my saucy needs!!
Iosune says
Hi Amanda! Sounds amazing 🙂 SO glad you liked it!!!
Barbara says
It is amazing taste just like it we just became vegetarian n i was looking for recipes came upon yours n it looked great so i tried it was delious and wasnt to hard to do. Great job thanks
Iosune says
Hi Barbara! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you liked it!