General Tso Tofu Recipe

This recipe for General Tso’s Tofu is the BEST! It’s crispy, saucy and one of the most delicious ways you can enjoy tofu. It’s also ready in under 30 minutes for a quick and easy dinner recipe that is naturally vegan and has a gluten-free option!

General Tso Tofu is one of my favourite ways to eat tofu because it completely transforms it into these crispy delicious bites that are perfectly covered in sauce!

Tofu can be a little tricky to cook with sometimes, and if not cooked properly it can turn out bland and flavourless.

One of the best ways to cook tofu is to fry it until crispy and coat it in sauce. Since tofu doesn’t have much flavour on its own, it’ll easily take on the flavour of whatever sauce you coat it with!

What is General Tso’s?

General Tso’s is a popular Chinese dish that you’ll find at most Chinese restaurants. It’s usually made with chicken (General Tso’s Chicken) that is fried and crispy and covered in General Tso’s sauce. The dish isn’t considered to be totally “authentic,” but rather more of an American-Chinese dish.

General Tso’s Tofu is a vegan and vegetarian-friendly take on the traditional dish that is made with pan-fried crispy cubes of tofu tossed in a sweet and sour sauce. It’s delicious to enjoy on it’s own or served over rice!

How to make General Tso Sauce

This general Tso’s sauce is made from just a few simple ingredients. When combined together, these ingredients give the sauce a sweet, salty and sour taste that are key components to a great General Tso’s Sauce. This sauce is made with:

• Ketchup: not used in every traditional recipe, but ketchup contains vinegar and sugar which makes for a delicious sweet and tangy sauce!
• Rice vinegar: You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar too, but rice vinegar is a classic ingredient to use in Asian sauces.
• Coconut sugar: The sweet element of our sauce! You could also substitute this for brown sugar or even maple syrup or honey.
• Soy sauce: The salty element. You can use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari if needed.
• Grated ginger: to give the sauce a little kick! This is the “secret ingredient”

How to make General Tso Tofu

Step 1

Press as much liquid out from the tofu as possible then cut into even cubes. Toss with the tofu cubes with cornstarch. This is what will help make the tofu nice and crispy!

• 

• 

Step 2

Cook the tofu in a skillet with some oil and sliced green onions. You want to cook the cubes on each side until golden brown. Don’t rush this process. this is the next important step to get crispy tofu. This will take about 2-3 minutes per side.

• 

• 

Step 3

While the tofu is cooking prepare the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.

• 

• 

Step 4

Add the sauce to the pan of tofu and mix everything together until the tofu is evenly coated. If the sauce begins to stick to the pan, use a splash of vegetable broth or water to deglaze the pan.

• 

• 

Serve immediately and top with some sliced green onions and sesame seeds. This dish can be enjoyed on its own or served over some rice.

Optional General Tso Add-ins 

This General Tso Tofu is great as is, but can also be delicious by adding in some different vegetables. 

If you’d like to make this dish with vegetables, cook the tofu until crispy then remove it from the skillet. Heat one tablespoon of oil in the skillet and add the vegetables. Sautee for 3-5 minutes until the vegetables are tender, then add the crispy tofu back to the pan and add the General Tso sauce. 

Here are some great options for veggies you can add in: 

• Peppers
• Broccoli 
• Cauliflower
• Bok Choy 
• Nappa Cabbage 
• Shredded Carrots
• Kale

How to store and reheat leftovers

Store: store any leftover General Tso Tofu in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. This recipe does not freeze well so I wouldn’t recommend freezing it.

Reheat: this tofu can be reheated on the stovetop, in the oven or in the microwave. To reheat on the stovetop, spray a pan with some cooking spray then add the tofu and let it cook on each side. To reheat it in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees then add the tofu to a small baking dish and bake for 7-10 minutes. To reheat in the microwave heat for 60 seconds.

What is the best tofu to use when making General Tso Bean Curd?

You want to make sure to use firm or extra-firm tofu for this recipe. Extra-firm tofu has the least amount of liquid in it and will crisp up the best when pan-frying.

You can also use a tofu press and press out as much liquid as possible from the tofu, which will help it become extra crispy. You can try out a few different brands of tofu to find your favourite. I always recommend buying organic tofu, since soy is a highly sprayed crop.

More tofu recipes to try

• Weeknight Tofu Stir Fry
• Tofu Satay
• Thai Green Curry Tofu
• Kung Pao Tofu
• Spicy Baked Peanut Butter Tofu
• Teriyaki Tofu

If you tried this General Tso’s Tofu or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!

Print