General Tso’s Tofu

General Tso’s tofu is sweet, savory and super easy to make. This comfort food recipe is sure to make it into your regular dinner rotation!

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General Tso’s Tofu is the perfect combination of sweet, savory and comforting.

It is traditionally made with deep fried chicken, but we’ll be making a lighter plant-based spin with oven baked tofu.

Take-out General Tso’s is one of my favorite meals, so I had to find a way to make my own version at home.

A few simple modifications take a recipe that can be high-sodium and high-sugar and make it a little healthier without sacrificing flavor.

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Instead of frying the tofu, we’ll use my favorite method for getting crispy, nicely textured tofu: coat the tofu in a bit of corn starch and oil and bake in the oven until golden brown. This is also the way I make peanut tofu.

For more information on this method, you can read my post on how to make crispy tofu.

Don’t want to use your oven? Alternatively, drizzle a large pan with olive oil. Drizzle tofu with soy sauce and saute over medium heat until lightly browned.

Ingredients

If any of these ingredients look unfamiliar to you, don’t worry — they are available in most grocery stores in the international section.

Alternatively, they can be found on Amazon (I linked to the brands that I use).

• vegetable broth
• hoisin sauce
• reduced sodium soy sauce
• rice vinegar
• sugar
• ground ginger
• garlic powder
• cornstarch
• tomato paste

How to make the sauce

Set aside corn starch and 1 tablespoon of vegetable broth. Combine all remaining ingredients, except for vegetable broth, in a small sauce pan.

With the heat off, use a silicon whisk to mix ingredients together (I use silicon to avoid scratching).

Slowly whisk in vegetable broth. Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat.

In a small bowl, combine the corn starch and 1 tablespoon cold or room temp veg broth (hot broth won’t mix as well). Add this slurry to the simmering sauce, stirring to combine.

Bring heat to medium-low. Simmer sauce uncovered until thickened enough to coat the back of a metal spoon without sliding off. 

Serving ideas

I like to eat General Tso’s Tofu with white or brown rice and steamed broccoli. It’s also good with quinoa and peas or mixed vegetables.

This also goes so well with my vegan fried rice!

The tofu will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or re-crisp on the stove over medium heat.

If you like this recipe, you’ll love spicy peanut tofu and tofu veggie spring roll bowls.

Check out red lentil coconut curry or coconut curry rice bowls for more vegetarian dinner recipes.

Enjoy!

General Tso's Tofu

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

It's easy to make your favorite take-out recipe at home using crispy baked tofu and a few simple, flavorful ingredients.

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Ingredients

• 1 block (14 ounces) extra firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1-2 tablespoons white sugar (see note)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon vegetable broth, divided
• for serving: 3 cups cooked white rice, 2 cups broccoli

Instructions

To Make the Tofu

1. Preheat oven to 420 degrees F.
2. To make the baked tofu: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice tofu into 1" cubes. Pat tofu firmly with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Add tofu to a large plastic bag or container. Sprinkle with olive oil, corn starch and salt. Gently toss to evenly coat the tofu.
3. Place the tofu in a single layer on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake in 420 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven when golden brown.

To make the sauce

1. In a small saucepot (the stove should be off) whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, tomato paste, sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Pour in 3/4 cup vegetable broth, stirring to combine.
2. Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon corn starch and 1 tablespoon vegetable broth. Pour this slurry into the simmering sauce.
3. Reduce heat to a slow simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer until thickened enough to coat the back of a metal spoon without sliding off. This should take about 5 minutes.
4. Stir baked tofu into the sauce. Serve with rice and broccoli.

Notes

• Sugar: You can use white sugar, coconut sugar, or maple syrup in this recipe in equal amounts. The maple syrup will give a slightly different flavor but is still very good. Use 2 tablespoons for a sweeter sauce.
• Read my post on how to make SImple Baked Tofu for more information on the tofu method.
• Don't want to use your oven? Drizzle a large pan with olive oil and add cubed tofu, drizzling with soy sauce for color and flavor. Saute over medium heat until crispy.
• This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. Do note that the base General Tso's sauce makes a little more than is needed to coat all of the tofu. I usually drizzle my vegetables and rice in the extra sauce.
• Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or re-crisp on the stove over medium heat.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 369Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 641mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 5gSugar: 10gProtein: 18g