• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Curry Trail

Simple Flavorful Recipes For The Home Cook

  • Starters/Appetizers
  • Main Dishes
  • Side Dish
  • Desserts
  • Summer Time Favorite
  • About Me
  • Starters/Appetizers
  • Main Dishes
  • Side Dish
  • Desserts
  • Summer Time Favorite
  • About Me
Home > Asian Recipes > General Tso Tofu

General Tso Tofu

Last updated March 18, 2022. Originally posted March 18, 2022 By Jyothi Rajesh 11 Comments

Jump to Recipe Rate this Recipe Print Recipe
general tso tofu with rice in bowl

General Tso tofu is most favorite vegan Chinese take-out. This easy-to-make vegan tofu stir fry is very satisfying and healthier than the takeout version. It’s a perfect mid-week dinner that can be made in under 30 minutes.

general tso's tofu served with rice in white plate
Jump to:
  • General Tso’s tofu stir fry
  • What is General Tso tofu
  • What goes in General Tso’s sauce
  • How to make General Tso tofu
  • 📋General Tso’s Tofu

General Tso’s tofu stir fry

This sweet, slightly spicy fried tofu is stirred in a killer sauce which is believed to be invented by General Tso. The sauce is sweet, salty, with slight kick and has a wonderful flavor from ginger and garlic. This is vegan version of the famous General Tso’s chicken – one of the most popular Chinese takeout in America.

Think of those late-night Chinese takeout’s after a long day’s work when you want to cuddle to your couch, watch tv and have your late-night dinner. It’s comfort food. It’s time to make your favorite Chinese take-out and make it easily at home.

general tso's tofu cooked in cast iron pan with wooden spatula

If you love Chinese food, you can’t miss out on this ridiculously easy-to-make General Tso’s Tofu. And for all those non-vegan readers you must try this delicious and satisfying General Tso’s chicken recipe. Try it and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

General Tso’s is NOT an authentic Chinese dish. If you are interested to know more about the popular take-out dish, read below. Don’t care about the history of the dish? Just scroll past the below brief introduction!

The dish is named after Zuo Zontang (TsoTsung-t’ang) a military leader from Qing’s dynasty.   Eileen Yin-Fei Lo states in her book The Chinese Kitchen that the dish originates from a simple Hunan chicken dish and that the reference to “Zongtang“.. The dish or its variants are known by a number of names, including Governor Tso’s chicken, General Tao’s Chicken, General Gao’s / Gau’s chicken, General Mao’s chicken, General Tsao’s chicken, General Tong’s chicken, General Tang’s chicken, General Cho’s chicken, General Chai’s chicken, General Joe’s Chicken, T.S.O. Chicken, General Ching’s chicken, General Jong’s Chicken, House Chicken, or simply General’s Chicken – Info source – Wikipedia!

general tso's tofu cooked in cast iron pan with napkin tied to handle

What is General Tso tofu

It’s crispy, fried tofu in a flavorful sauce that is not too spicy and not too sweet.  This is vegan lovers’ delight, the popular General Tso’s chicken gets a vegan to makeover by replacing meat with tofu.

For vegetarian options you can easily replace tofu with cauliflower or even baby potatoes and create amazing General Tso’s vegetarian dish. This General Tso’s sauce magic. It turns the otherwise bland and flavorless tofu into flavor bursting tofu stir fry kind of dish

general tso's tofu served with rice in white plate

This plant based tofu dish is spicy, sweet, salty and crunchy. A flavorful healthy and delicious alternative of the popular meat based General Tso’s Chicken.

What goes in General Tso’s sauce

It’s one of the amazing stir fry sauces you’ll make using few basic ingredients.

  • Ginger
  • Garlic
  • Red chili sauce
  • Dark and light soy sauce
  • Rice-wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar
  • Hoisin sauce
  • Corn starch
  • Brown sugar or white sugar
  • Vegetable stock

Please check your sauce labels to see if there are any animal products in them. Also, there is no guarantee that General Tso Tofu ordered in the restaurant will be vegan as most restaurants might use fish sauce or chicken stock during preparation. So if you are particular about vegan, it’s always better to try it at home.

general tso's tofu cooked in cast iron pan with wooden spatula

How to make General Tso tofu

To make the sauce, whisk garlic, ginger, red chili sauce, hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, half of the light soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar in a bowl.

sauce for general tso's tofu

If using block tofu, make sure you have the firm tofu. Cut into 1” cubes. Put tofu in zip lock bag.

Tofu cubes in zip lock pack -prep work for general tso's tofu

Pour rice wine vinegar and remaining light soy sauce into the bag, lock the bag and gently shake well to coat tofu pieces in the sauce. Let it rest for 10 to 30 minutes.

Tofu cubes in zip lock pack with sauce -prep work for general tso's tofu
prep for general tso's tofu with tofu cubes marinated in sauce

Drain out excess sauce into another bowl. Do not waste this. We can add this sauce back into the stir fry sauce while cooking.

Add corn starch, and coat tofu pieces well in the starch.

prep for general tso's tofu with tofu cubes mixed with corn flour

Toss to ensure all tofu cubes are coated well in corn starch

prep for general tso's tofu with tofu cubes mixed with corn flour

Heat oil in pan. Sesame oil, peanut oil, canola oil are best choices for stir fry. Use one of them.

Frying marinated tofu cubes for general tso's tofu

Into the hot oil, add tofu pieces and fry until golden brown. Turn over tofu and fry until golden brown on all sides. Do not crowd the pan. Layer tofu in single layer. Do in batches if you have to.

Frying marinated tofu cubes for general tso's tofu

Remove fried tofu onto a plate.

Pour off some of the oil from the pan (if too much is left over). Add dried red chilies.

dried red chilies fried in oil for general tso's tofu

Pour in the prepared sauce. Stir constantly and cook for a minute or two.  Pour the left over sauce from the tofu marinade as well.

dried red chilies and ginger garlic fried in oil for general tso's tofu

Throw in the scallions. Stir well.

cooking general tso's tofu

Add in fried golden brown tofu cubes. Toss until every tofu piece is covered evenly in sauce.

fried tofu cubes added to cast iron pan for general tso's tofu

Remove the pan from heat.

general tso's tofu cooked in cast iron pan

Serve this slightly sweet, slightly spicy, slightly salty, slightly crunchy General Tso Tofu over jasmine rice (or quinoa for lighter healthy option) garnished with green onions, sesame seeds.

More quick and easy delicious stir-fry recipes-

  • Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry
  • Shrimp Snowpeas Stir Fry
  • Cantonese Style Chicken Chowmein
  • Cantonese Chicken with Mushrooms

Don’t forget to Subscribe to CurryTrail  Recipes below to get our newest recipes delivered straight to your inbox.

LOVE THIS RECIPE? KEEP IN TOUCH AND DON’T MISS OUT ON ANY OF CURRYTRAIL RECIPES! FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, FACEBOOK.

HAVE YOU TRIED ONE OF MY RECIPES? I’D LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU’VE MADE! TAKE A PICTURE AND USE THE HASHTAG #CURRYTRAIL ON INSTAGRAM SO I CAN SEE! I’LL DO A HAPPY DANCE IF YOU TRY MY RECIPE AND SHARE IT WITH US!

general tso's tofu served with rice in white plate
general tso's tofu served with rice in white plate
5 from 8 votes

📋General Tso’s Tofu

Jyothi Rajesh
Prevent your screen from going dark
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Vegan
Servings 4 servings
Calories 211

Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounce extra firm tofu cubed
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil to fry tofu
  • 4 whole dried red chilies (or use ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili flakes)
  • ½ cup scallions
  • 6 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon ginger minced
  • 2 teaspoon garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 ½ teaspoon red chili sauce (adjust as per taste preference)
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (vegan)
  • 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon rice-wine vinegar (or use apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon brown sugar (or white granular sugar)
  • ½ cup vegetable stock (add more stock if needed to get desired consistency of sauce)

For garnish

  • ¼ cup green onions
  • 2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions
 

  • To make the sauce, whisk garlic, ginger, red chili sauce, hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar in a bowl.
  • If using block tofu, make sure to use extra-firm tofu. Cut into 1” cubes. Put tofu in zip lock bag.
  • Pour rice wine vinegar, light soy sauce into the bag, lock the bag and gently shake well to coat tofu pieces in the sauce. Let it rest for 10 minutes, preferably overnight.
  • Drain out excess sauce into another bowl. Do not waste this. We can add this sauce back into the stir fry sauce while cooking.
  • Add corn starch, and coat tofu pieces well in the starch. Toss well until all tofu cubes are coated well in corn starch.
  • Heat oil in a pan. Sesame oil, peanut oil, canola oil are the best choices for stir fry. Use one of them.
  • Into the hot oil, add tofu pieces and fry until golden brown. Turn over tofu and fry until golden brown on all sides. Do not crowd the pan. Layer tofu in single layer. Do in batches if you have to.
  • Remove fried tofu onto a plate.
  • Pour off some of the oil from the pan (if too much is left over). Add dried red chilies.
  • Pour in the prepared sauce. Stir constantly and cook for a minute or two.  Pour the left over sauce from the tofu marinade as well.
  • Stir in scallions. Cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add in fried golden brown tofu cubes. Toss until every tofu piece is covered evenly in the sauce. Cook on simmer for a few minutes, coat tofu well in the sauce.
  • Note: is sauce thickens adjust the consistency by adding one or two tablespoons of vegetable stock or as required. You need to have thick pourable consistency of the sauce and have enough sauce to serve it with rice.
  • Remove the pan from heat.
  • Serve this slightly sweet, slightly spicy, slightly salty, slightly crunchy General Tso Tofu over jasmine rice (or quinoa for lighter healthy option) garnished with green onions, sesame seeds.

Video

Notes

Tofu – you must use extra-firm tofu to make this General Tso tofu.
Crispy tofu – fry the tofu in small batches and fry until golden brown. 
Make it spicy – you can make it spicy if you want by adding ½ teaspoon of paprika to the sauce or increasing red chili flakes.
Enough sauce – is sauce thickens adjust the consistency by adding one or two tablespoons of vegetable stock or as required. You need to have thick pourable consistency of the sauce and have enough sauce to serve it with rice.
 
Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 211kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 10gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 763mgPotassium: 289mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 515IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Follow @CurryTrail and tag #CurryTrail to share your creation!
1615 shares
  • 86
Previous
Fresh Basil Oil
Next
Garlic Skillet Potatoes with Sausages

Reader Interactions

    Leave A Reply! Cancel reply

    Share your thoughts!
    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

    Recipe Rating




    Comments & Reviews

  1. Catherine says

    September 26, 2018 at 5:55 am

    5 stars
    This looks so good! I love making my own Orange Chicken with tofu! This General Tso version looks and sounds marvelous.

    Reply
  2. Jenni LeBaron says

    September 26, 2018 at 2:12 am

    5 stars
    This looks really tasty. I don’t think I’d even miss the meat with that sticky sauce! This is a great vegetarian alternative to traditional general tsos.

    Reply
  3. Denay DeGuzman says

    September 26, 2018 at 2:10 am

    5 stars
    OMGoodness, your images are stunning! You have my mouth watering with delight! I can hardly wait to pick up the ingredients and make General Tsos Tofu tonight!

    Reply
  4. Valerie says

    September 25, 2018 at 5:43 pm

    5 stars
    Many years ago the owner of a local Chiese restaurant told me that half of the dishes we think are authentic Chinese food are not. It really surprised me, but did help explain why sometimes a restaurant might not have something I’d expected to see because I saw it elsewhere.

    Reply
  5. Veena Azmanov says

    September 25, 2018 at 5:36 pm

    5 stars
    I love TSO chicken and we love Tofu so this is definitely a dish we would enjoy very much. My kids would eat this and not complain about chicken. Looks yum

    Reply
  6. Marisa Franca says

    September 25, 2018 at 4:17 pm

    5 stars
    This certainly is a delicious variation for a meatless meal. We like tofu and I don’t know why we don’t use it in more dishes than Hot and Sour Soup. It looks like it’s loaded with flavor and yet it would be low in fat and calories. — I’m trying to watch out for both. And I believe I could sub out the tofu with chicken if I felt like the other version.

    Reply
  7. Michelle says

    September 25, 2018 at 7:16 am

    5 stars
    Your photos are beautiful and this dish looks delicious! That sauce looks amazing 😀

    Reply
  8. Claudia Lamascolo says

    September 25, 2018 at 12:33 am

    5 stars
    there is nothing better in flavors than this I would have never thought to use tofu. I bet this is an awesome addition to flavor it

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Healthy shrimp stir fry recipe with snow peas | Currytrail says:
    December 15, 2018 at 7:45 am

    […] General Tso’s Tofu Recipe (with Video) – CurryTrail says: September 24, 2018 at 7:40 pm […]

    Reply
  2. Cantonese chicken with mushrooms recipe - Currytrail says:
    November 15, 2018 at 9:19 am

    […] General Tso’s Tofu […]

    Reply
  3. Healthier Instant Pot General Tso Chicken Recipe (with Video) - CurryTrail says:
    October 3, 2018 at 7:20 pm

    […] Saute all ingredients as exactly mentioned in the recipe. You can refer to the recently posted General Tso Tofu recipe to get the […]

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Jyothi - Author of Curry Trail.

Welcome, I'm Jyothi

My food philosophy is simple, fresh and full of flavors! I love ‘spicy’ food. In fact so much so that I can skip dessert for extra spicy savory food!

More About Me

Free Bonus

5 Quick & Healthy Dinners That Are Tasty!

When you subscribe to all the latest recipes!

    Featured Recipes

    • best Thai chicken Panang curry served with steamed rice in white ceramic bowl
      Thai Panang Curry Recipe With Chicken
    • Soft boiled egg placed over a bowl of spicy sriracha ramen noodle soup in white bowl
      Sriracha Spicy Ramen Noodles Soup
    • boom boom sauce in small bowl with potato fries
      5 Minutes Boom Boom Sauce
    • creamy chicken bacon ranch pasta in plate
      Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
    • baked tilapia
      Garlicky Chili Lemon Baked Tilapia Recipe
    • chili butter garlic noodles in white ceramic bowl with chopsticks on side
      15 Minutes Chili Butter Garlic Noodles
    Featured on:
    Yummly Logo.
    Tastewise Logo.
    Plattershare Logo.
    parade Logo.
    Greatist Logo.
    Foodgawker Logo.
    Buzzfeed Logo.
    Free Bonus

    5 Quick & Healthy Dinners That Are Tasty!

      Curry Trail Submark Logo.

      Connect With me

      Categories

      • Starters/Appetizers
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch/Dinner
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dish
      • Desserts

      About

      • About Me
      • Contact Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Latest
      ©2023, Curry Trail. All Rights Reserved. About Privacy Policy
      Back To Top
      Design by Pixel Me Designs
      ×

      Free Bonus

      5 Quick & Healthy Dinners That Are Tasty!

      When you subscribe to all the latest recipes!

        1615 shares
        • 86Facebook
        • Twitter
        • Pinterest
        • Yummly
        • Email