Crispy tofu chunks are drenched in sweet and spicy gingery sauce and served up with broccoli and rice to make this flavor-packed General Tso's tofu. Better than takeout, and almost as easy!
One of my very first tofu experiences involved General Tso's tofu, and I'm sorry to say that it wasn't very good. Most restaurants that put tofu on the menu know what they're doing, but sometimes they don't.
Anyway, it was probably one of the few vegetarian things on the menu at this particular place, so I gave it a try, and it was too sweet, kind of soggy, a bit bland. All the things a good tofu dish should not be. I remembered hearing a tofu-hater once describe the flavor and texture of tofu as similar to wet bread, and that's came to mind.
I nicknamed the dish General Tso's French toast, and that name persisted. Forever. Years and years later, when I'd had so many excellent plates of General Tso's tofu (it's now a Chinese vegetarian restaurant favorite), I had to bite my tongue when ordering in order to not request a plate of the General's French toast.
So I have quite a history with this dish. It's about time I cooked some up in my own kitchen!
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How to Make Tofu Taste Good
There are a handful of great ways to cook tofu. It's awesome marinated and baked. It's also delicious pan-fried. But for dishes like General Tso's tofu, where we're replacing fried chicken, I my go-to method is to dredge the tofu in cornstarch and shallow fry it in some oil.
What you end up with is tofu bits that are soft and tender on the inside, with a crispy and delicious exterior coating that stands up to sauce.
This method also makes a killer orange ginger tofu and and crispy black pepper tofu.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Water.
- Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos can also be used.
- Hoisin sauce. Look for this in the international section of your supermarket.
- Rice vinegar. You can also find this in the international foods section.
- Maple syrup. Feel free to substitute another liquid sweetener like agave or coconut nectar.
- Toasted sesame oil. Once again, we're looking for this in the international foods section of the store.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Cornstarch.
- Tofu. Use extra-firm or super-firm tofu. If using extra-firm, be sure to press it first.
- Canola oil. Feel free to substitute another 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.
- Scallions. Also known as green onions!
- Fresh broccoli.
- 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.
Tip: Feel free to switch things up by substituting your favorite veggie for the broccoli. Keep in mind that harder veggies will take a bit longer to cook, while softer ones will cook faster.
How to Make General Tso's Tofu
The following 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!
- As with any stir-fry, you'll want to prep all of your ingredients before you start cooking. Chop your veggies and, press and dice your tofu.
- Next, make your General Tso's sauce so it's ready to go when you need it. Do this by whisking together the water, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil minced garlic, grated ginger, and cornstarch.
- Fill a small bowl with some cornstarch and heat up some oil in a nonstick skillet (I recommend using a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet). We're going to start by cooking the tofu. Place a few of your tofu cubes into the bowl and dredge them in the cornstarch.
- Now transfer those tofu cubes to the hot oil. Add as many as you can fit with a bit of space between them. Be careful not to crowd the skillet too much — the cornstarch will make your tofu pieces stick together if they come into contact with each other.
- Cook the tofu pieces until they're browned and crispy on the bottoms, then flip them and cook the other sides. Take them out of the skillet when they're done, then cook the rest of the tofu in a second (or second and third) batch.
- Now it's time to stir-fry! There should be a thin coating of oil in your skillet. If there's more than that, wipe it out. If there's less, add a dash.
- Crank up the heat and add some scallions and dried chile peppers to the skillet. Just cook them for a minute or so, until the scallions become fragrant and the chiles start to darken.
- Now add the broccoli and stir-fry it just until it becomes bright green in color.
- Finally, return the cooked tofu to the skillet and pour in the sauce. Be super careful when adding sauce to a hot pan, as it can easily sputter! Flip everything around with a spatula to get an even coating. The sauce should thicken up quickly. Once it does, take the skillet off of the burner.
- Top your General Tso's tofu with sesame seeds and scallions.
- Serve it on a bed of rice.
Leftovers & Storage
I recommend serving your General Tso's tofu immediately after it's finished cooking. The coating can become soggy as it sits in the sauce.
If you do have leftovers they'll still taste good. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yup! Just substitute gluten-free tamari for the 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.
More Chinese-Inspired Tofu Recipes
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General Tso’s Tofu
Crispy tofu chunks are drenched in sweet and spicy gingery sauce and served up with broccoli and rice to make this flavor-packed General Tso's tofu.
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup chilled water
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the General Tso's Tofu
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- ⅓ cup cornstarch (plus more as needed)
- ¼ cup canola oil (or high heat oil of choice, plus more as needed)
- 5-10 dried red chile peppers cut in half*
- 2 medium scallions, chopped, white and green parts separated (about ¼ cup total)
- 1 medium broccoli crown, broken into florets (about 3 cups)
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
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Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set it aside.
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Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes (or triangles, or your favorite shape!).
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Place the cornstarch into a shallow bowl.
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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 thick.
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Give the oil a minute to heat up, then dredge a few tofu cubes in the cornstarch, and transfer them to the hot skillet. Add just as many tofu cubes as you can fit without crowding.
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Cook the tofu for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp on the bottom. Flip the tofu pieces and cook for about 5 minutes more, until the pieces are crispy on the opposite sides.
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Remove the tofu from the skillet and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.
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Cook any remaining tofu using the same method, adding oil to the skillet between batches if needed.
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If the skillet is dry at this point, add a dash more oil. Raise the heat to high.
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Add the chile peppers and white parts of scallions. Stir-fry for about a minute, until the scallions become fragrant and the chiles darken a bit.
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Add the broccoli to the skillet and continue stir-frying until the broccoli is tender-crisp and bright green, about 4 minutes.
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Return the tofu to the skillet and add the sauce. Flip everything a few times to coat the broccoli and tofu with the sauce.
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Cook everything just until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
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Remove the skillet from heat and sprinkle with green parts of scallions, and sesame seeds.
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Divide the General Tso's tofu onto plates and serve it with rice.
Recipe 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.
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.
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!!
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!!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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 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!
We love it, thanks a lot💚
Glad to hear 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!
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!
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!
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
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!
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/
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