Crispy tofu chunks are drenched in a sweet, spicy, gingery sauce and served with broccoli and rice to make this flavor-packed General Tso's tofu. A 30-minute vegan meal that's better than takeout and almost as easy!
Do you know someone who thinks they don't like tofu? Are you that someone? Since you're here, I'm guessing you're open to remedying that. Good call, because a good batch of General Tso's tofu is the best way to make a tofu lover out of anyone.
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I said a good batch because I have had bad General Tso's tofu before. It was soggy and too sweet with runny sauce. We're not doing that today! My Tso's starts with tofu cubes covered in a delicate cornstarch coating and shallow-fried to a crisp. (This is how your favorite restaurant probably does it.) It gets paired with stir-fried broccoli, aromatics, and a flavor-bomb of a sweet-and-savory sauce. Every single bite has layers and layers of amazing flavor and texture. This method also makes a killer orange ginger tofu, sweet and sour tofu, and crispy black pepper tofu.
And it all comes together in about 30 minutes, which makes it possibly quicker and easier than ordering takeout. Ready to get cooking? Let's go!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Water.
- Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos can also be used.
- Dark soy sauce. This adds color and gives the sauce a more complex flavor. Additional regular soy sauce will work as a substitute if needed. You can find it in the international section of most grocery stores.
- Hoisin sauce. Also look for this in the international section of your supermarket.
- Rice vinegar. You can also find this in the international foods section.
- Brown sugar. Use organic brown sugar to keep the recipe vegan, since conventional granulated sugars are often processed using animal bone char.
- Toasted sesame oil. Once again, we're looking for this in the international foods section of the store.
- Cornstarch.
- Tofu. I recommend using super-firm tofu, but extra-firm also works. If using extra-firm, be sure to press it first.
- Vegetable oil. Feel free to substitute another neutral high-heat oil, such as peanut oil or corn oil.
- Dried chiles. Leave these out for a milder version of this dish. You can find them in (you guessed it!) the international section of the supermarket.
- Fresh broccoli.
- Scallions. Also known as green onions!
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Toasted sesame seeds.
- Cooked rice. Use your favorite kind of rice. I like a starchy, sticky variety such as jasmine rice for pairing with this dish.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Prepare. Do all of your prep work, such as chopping the broccoli, mincing the garlic, and grating the ginger. Begin heating some oil in a skillet to a depth of about ¼ inch, and put some cornstarch into a small bowl.
Bread the tofu. Place a few cubes into your bowl of cornstarch, then gently roll them around to get them coated. Shake off any excess cornstarch when you remove them.
Fry the tofu. Transfer your tofu cubes to the hot oil, then bread a few more and add them as well. Add as many as you can fit without crowding (they stick together!). Fry the tofu in batches for a few minutes on each side, then transfer them to a plate.
Stir-fry. Start with the dried chiles, and stir-fry them for a minute, just until they start to darken. The broccoli goes in next. Cook it until tender-crisp and bright green. Finally, push everything to the side and add the white parts of your scallions, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Sauté everything briefly.
Add tofu and sauce. Return the tofu to the skillet, then carefully add your sauce mixture. Stir everything well to get the tofu and broccoli coated in sauce, then cook the mixture briefly, until the sauce thickens up.
Finish and serve. Your General Tso's tofu is done! Pile it onto plates with rice, and top it with some toasted sesame seeds and the green parts of your scallions. Enjoy!
Variations
- Veggie swaps. Replace the broccoli with your favorite stir-fry vegetables, such as cauliflower, bell pepper, snap peas, or mushrooms.
- Add heat. For an extra-spicy version of this dish, add cayenne pepper or hot sauce, such as sriracha, to the sauce mixture.
- Tso's noodles. Skip the rice and instead serve your General Tso's tofu over rice noodles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yup! Just substitute gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce and dark soy sauce, and make sure your hoisin sauce is gluten-free.
The dried chile peppers add some heat. For a milder version, remove the seeds from the chiles before cooking them. If you want complete control over the heat level, skip the dried chiles and instead season the sauce with hot sauce (such as sriracha or sambal oelek), chili oil, or red pepper flakes to taste. For a heat-free version, skip the chiles and hot sauce.
Instead of frying your tofu in cornstarch, try pan-frying it. This method will require significantly less oil.
Most of the sodium content comes from the soy sauce and dark soy sauce, so swap out both of these ingredients with reduced-sodium soy sauce.
This dish is best served immediately, as the coating can become soggy as it sits in the sauce. But if you do have leftovers, they'll still taste good. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More Chinese-Inspired Tofu Recipes
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📖 Recipe
General Tso’s Tofu
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup chilled water
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (or another tablespoon of regular soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the General Tso's Tofu
- 1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ⅓ cup cornstarch (plus more as needed)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (or high heat oil of choice, plus more as needed)
- 5-10 dried red chile peppers cut in half, seeds optionally removed (see Note)
- 1 medium broccoli crown, broken into florets (about 3 cups)
- 2 medium scallions, chopped, white and green parts separated (about ¼ cup total)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set it aside.
- Place the cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Generously coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and place it over medium heat. You'll need the oil to be about ¼ inch deep.
- While the oil heats up, place a few tofu cubes into the bowl of cornstarch. Dredge the tofu in the cornstarch, then once the oil begins to shimmer, remove the tofu from the bowl and gently shake the pieces to remove any excess cornstarch. Add the tofu cubes to the hot oil. Continue coating the tofu and adding pieces to the oil, cooking as many at a time as you can fit without crowding.
- Cook the tofu for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy, then flip the pieces and cook them for another 5 minutes on the opposite sides. Transfer the cooked tofu to a plate when done, and cook any remaining pieces in a second batch, adding oil to the skillet if needed.
- If the skillet is dry at this point, add a dash more oil. If there's already more than a light coating of oil, carefully blot some out with a paper towel. Raise the heat to high.
- Add the dried chiles to the skillet, then stir-fry them for about 1 minute, until they begin to darken.
- Add the broccoli to the skillet and stir-fry until tender-crisp and bright green, about 3 minutes.
- Push the broccoli and dried chiles to the sides of the skillet, then add the white parts of your scallions, garlic, and ginger to the center of the skillet. Sauté the mixture for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until very fragrant.
- Return the tofu to the skillet, then carefully pour the sauce over the tofu. Flip everything a few times to coat the broccoli and tofu with the sauce. Cook everything just until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle with green parts of scallions and sesame seeds.
- Divide onto plates and serve with rice.
Notes
- For a milder version of the dish, remove the seeds from the dried chiles before adding them to the skillet. You can also skip the chiles altogether, or substitute sriracha or sambal oelek to taste.
- Nutrition information includes 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds per serving and does not include rice.
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I just finished eating this, right in the middle of the day, because it sounded so good on this Sunday afternoon. It was every bit as good as I thought it would be. I didn't use the chilies, I used the samba oeleck and it was just perfect. I doubled the sauce bcause I love that stuff. Thanks for putting out this recipe. I am a big fan. I have all your stuff in one folder on the app paprika. Keep up the good work!
Jude
Can't wait to try this recipe! I was wondering if you had any guidance on when to marinate tofu not only this recipe but in general? I usually want my tofu to be really flavorful, so I marinate the tofu before cooking it, but I don't want it to clash with the sauce of this recipe. Any advice?
I usually marinate tofu when I bake it. You could marinate it for a recipe like this one, but like you pointed out, the flavors could clash. You also don't want the flavors to be overpowering and this dish has a very flavorful sauce. Here's an example of a baked tofu recipe that marinating works really well with: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/savory-lemon-herb-baked-tofu/
Awesome recipe! The sauce thickened beautifully. The chilies in the pan oil for a bit created an excellent sweet heat in this dish. I added some sliced carrots at the same time as the broccoli and some snap peas when I added the tofu back into the pan. Came out great! Will cook again!
Oh my goodness. This dish is as delicious as it is beautiful! I’ve never been a fan of tofu until tonight. The sauce is perfect. Everything about it is yummy! Thanks! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Super easy and delicous
I made this recipe last week, and my husband and I ate the whole thing! It's delicious and I'm going to make it again this week. I'm a life-long vegetarian and found out 3 years ago after a very long illness that I'm allergic to eggs and dairy, and due to an auto-immune disease I can't eat any gluten, so tofu is big in my cooking. Love your recipes!
This recipe looks and sounds delicious. I do not use oil so was wondering if I would need to use the cornstarch coating or omit it when prepping to air fry it. What do you suggest?
Thank you! I'm afraid I don't have an air-fryer, so I can't say for sure, but my instinct tells me to leave it off - I don't think the coating will stay on the tofu without some oil. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Sorry if this is a silly question but do you think I could use rice flour instead of cornstarch?
Thanks for the recipe! I'm trying to show my non-vegan SO that tofu can be delicious :)
Not a silly question! I haven't tried this with rice flour, so I can't say for sure, but my understanding is that it generally works well for dredging and frying. So I think it should work!
We love it, thanks a lot💚
Glad to hear it!
Can I make this oil free?
Perhaps! I'd skip the cornstarch coating and simply cook the tofu over medium heat in a good nonstick skillet. Be super careful to avoid sticking!
Made this tonight for the second time and served to someone who thought she didn't like tofu. Surprise! She loved it! Left out the broccoli, because I had baby eggplant, baby bok choy, mushrooms, and onion slices that needed to be used up. Left out the chiles, also, because she won't eat too spicy either. Used a little cayenne. Absolutely an amazing dish! Very versatile, and super yummy! Thanks, Alissa!
That's great!! And it sounds like an excellent meal! I'm so glad you both like it!
Can you bake tofu instead of fry. I often marinate tofu slabs and bake until browned and chewy.
Absolutely! I'd use a mild marinade because I could see the flavor becoming super intense with the sauce. Enjoy!
Thanks for this Alissa.... seriously yum! didn't add the chilli tho but did add mixed stir fry vegies :) will be a regular on my menu ♥
Thanks Sharon! Sounds like a delicious meal! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
This was great - a big hit with the family. We doubled the sauce and didn't find it to be "too much" but next time we'll definitely double the broccoli! Wasn't quite the sweet General Tso's that we know and love but was still really yummy!
Thanks! I'm so glad you liked it!
This was very tasty. The only change I would make is to increase the amount of sauce. I will make it again!
I'm glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks Judith!
We're not vegan, or even vegetarian, just trying to make our meals more plant-based overall. I love your website, and this recipe is a keeper for sure! I didn't have chiles on hand, so used about a teaspoon of sriracha, which made it nice and zingy but not overpowering. This recipe will go a long way toward convincing my family that vegan food is delicious and not "weird"
I'm so happy to hear that!! Thanks Ginny!
I made this for dinner last night and it was absolutely delicious. I eat a fair amount of tofu and I can't believe that I have never dredged it in corn starch before. What a revelation! It was crispy and chewy and soaked up the sauce so beautifully. This recipe is an absolute winner and I know that I'll be making it again and again. Thank you Alissa for another fantastic recipe!
The cornstarch thing was a total game changer to me too! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this. Thanks so much Pam!
One thing I learned about these tofu dishes, is that you need to get out as much of the liquid out as possible. Cut the block of tofu in cubes, place on paper towel or better yet, a dish towel. Carefully place another one on top and put something with some weight on top to squish out the juices. Like a plate perhaps. The drier the tofu is before you fry it, the crispier it is when finished.
I agree and that sounds like a great way to go about it! I buy tofu that's as firm as possible too, because that way it has less water to being with.:)
Just a helpful tip that prevents you from wasting paper towels or having to wash a dish cloth each time you press tofu. If you cut the block of extra firm tofu into 4 slabs, then place them all large flat side down on a plate, then put another plate the same size as the other one on top of the tofu. Then place a pan, or a cookie sheet, or a cutting board on top of the plate and put anything heavy you'd like on top (books, canned food, etc....I personally stack 2 heavy cast iron skillets on top ). Then after a few hours or however long you have you just drain the water from between the two plates. Hope this all makes sense and is helpful : )
And if you freeze the tofu for a few weeks before using it, it completely changes the texture. It becomes more porous too, absorbing sauces better. Yum!
This was my first time eating or making tofu. Your instructions were so good and helpful. We just finished it and my husband asked if there was anymore. It truly was delicious and now will be in my permanent recipe bank. Thanks for your hard work and great recipes .
I'm so glad to hear you both enjoyed it! Thanks so much Karen!!
Hello, I made this for tonight's dinner just omitting the chili, since I can't handle it, and leaving everything else as is. I'm Italian and people say I know how to cook, and let me tell you this recipe blew my mind. It is perfectly balanced with the sweet and sour sauce, the crunchy tofu and softer broccoli. Simply amazing. Will definitely make it again and will also try other recipes from your blog. Thanks!
Yay! I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks Lilia!!
I am supposed to avoid soy products, but your recipe looks so yummy! So I Googled "non-soy tofu" and found an interesting alternative: https://www.mynewroots.org/site/2014/04/genius-chickpea-tofu/ It is chickpea tofu and used a lot in Burma. I'm not sure if it will work with your recipe, but I might give it a try. Just thought I would share.
That's actually been on my list to try forever! I'm very curious and I'd love to hear how it works out if you give it a try.