General Tso’s Tofu

5 from 12 votes

General Tso’s tofu is a super quick weeknight dinner! Crispy tofu in sticky, mildly-spicy sauce comes together in one pan and is just packed with amazing flavor.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: general tao tofu, general tso's tofu

Servings:

Calories: 199kcal

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the Tofu

14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu pressed for at least 15 minutes, then torn into organic ¾” shapes
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon oil
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons cornstarch or more, as needed to coat the tofu well

For the General Tso’s Sauce

1 teaspoon oil
1" ginger minced, or about 2 teaspoons minced
3 cloves garlic minced
½ cup chopped bell pepper, red and green chopped into ½ inch or larger squares
¼ cup red onion ½ inch petals
2 tablespoons green onion white parts only, use the greens for garnish
¼ cup soy sauce or use tamari for gluten-free
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon sambal oelek
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
⅛ teaspoon salt or to taste
½ cup water mixed with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
sesame seeds and the green parts of the chopped green onion for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the crispy tofu.

Press the tofu, if you haven't already, then tear it into organic shapes and add to a bowl. Add the soy sauce and oil, and toss well to coat.
Then, in a small bowl, mix the white pepper, red pepper flakes, and the cornstarch. Sprinkle this all over the tofu, tossing well to coat. If the tofu is a bit too wet, then add in some more cornstarch, 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time, and toss well.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu to the skillet. Stir occasionally, and flip the tofu pieces around until crispy on most of the edges. This can take anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes, depending on your skillet and your stove. Remove the tofu from the skillet.
Bake instead: spread the tofu on parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400deg F(205c) for 20 minutes.

Make the General Tso’s sauce.

Add the other teaspoon of oil to the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium . Once hot, add in the ginger and garlic, and cook for 15 seconds.
Add in the onion, bell peppers and other veggies, if using, ** and a pinch of salt. Toss well, then add in all of the sauces and the brown sugar, and mix really well.
Bring to a good boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then mix the cornstarch in the water, and add it to the skillet, and bring that to a boil. Simmer for another minute or two for it to thicken, then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust the flavor and add a bit more soy sauce, if you want, or salt, or sugar for sweet, if you like.
Fold in the crisped up tofu, and then switch off the heat. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion and serve over rice, noodles, lettuce wraps, or however you like!
Store refrigerated for upto 3 days

Video

Notes

** When adding more veggies. Add longer cooking veggies first and cook until aldente, then add the peppers and onion and quick cooking veggies and proceed.

Store: refrigerate for upto 3 days.

To make this gluten-free use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Cornstarch substitute: use any other starch instead of cornstarch, like tapioca starch or potato starch.

This is a naturally nut-free recipe.

To make this soy-free, change up the tofu to use pumpkin seed tofu or chickpea flour tofu and use coconut aminos. Just know that the flavor will be a bit different with that amount of coconut aminos in the sauce.

Nutrition