General Tso’s Tofu (one-pot, nut-free)

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.

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General Tso’s sauce is a delicious sauce that pairs well with any protein. It’s an easy and delicious sauce which is perfect for stir fry! It comes together quickly and hits all the takeout cravings. I pair it with some crisped up tofu to make this easy general tso tofu!
You can use whatever veggies you like in this 1 pot 30 Min dinner. Just toss tofu in soy sauce and pepper, and crisp it up in the skillet. Then, make the General Tso’s sauce with everyday ingredients and thicken it up, add veggies and add the tofu back, and it’s ready to serve. 

Dish this up with rice, quinoa, other cooked grains, or noodles. Or you can add it to some lettuce leaves for General Tao’s tofu lettuce wraps! It’s so delicious and versatile.

I love cooking with General Tso’s sauce! If you like this recipe, also check out my General Tso’s sandwich, General Tso’s cauliflower, and General Tso’s Soy Curls.

Why You’ll Love General Tso’s Tofu

• easy, one-pot meal
• versatile! Serve over rice, noodles, or as lettuce wraps and feel free to add extra veggies, if you like.
• addictive stick-sweet sauce with a little touch of heat
• nut-free with gluten-free and soy-free options

More Tofu Dinner Recipes

• Matar Tofu – tofu pea curry
• Sesame Crusted Tofu Bowls
• Vegan Honey Chilli Tofu
• Tofu Schnitzel

General Tso’s Tofu

5 from 21 votes

By: Vegan Richa

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

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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.

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Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the Tofu

• ▢ 14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu, pressed for at least 15 minutes, then torn into organic 3/4” shapes
• ▢ 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon oil
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• ▢ 1/4 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
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper, red and green, chopped into 1/2 inch or larger squares
• ▢ 1/4 cup red onion, 1/2 inch petals
• ▢ 2 tablespoons green onion, white parts only, use the greens for garnish
• ▢ 1/4 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
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ▢ 1/2 cup water, mixed with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• ▢ sesame seeds and the green parts of the chopped green onion, for garnish

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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

Calories: 199kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 782mg, Potassium: 160mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 685IU, Vitamin C: 33mg, Calcium: 148mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• tofu – Use firm or extra firm tofu, and make sure to press it for the best results.
• soy sauce – To flavor the tofu and the General Tso’s sauce
• pepper – White pepper and red pepper flakes season the tofu.
• cornstarch – To crisp the tofu and thicken the sauce. You can use other starches, like potato or tapioca starch instead, if needed.
• oil – To crisp up the tofu and make the sauce.
• aromatics – Ginger, garlic, and green onions add so much umami to the sauce!
• bell pepper – A mix of red and green bell pepper adds veggies, color, texture, and flavor! Feel free to add more veggies of choice, if you like.
• brown sugar – To sweeten the sauce.
• rice vinegar – Adds tang to the sauce.
• mirin – adds more depth of flavor.
• sambal oelek – Adds spice and chili garlic flavor to the sauce.
• toasted sesame oil – Gives the sauce a mild, nutty flavor.
• sesame seeds – For garnish and extra protein.

Tips

• You want the tofu well coated in cornstarch and not too wet. Add more cornstarch, if needed.
• Make sure to stir and flip the tofu often so it crisps up nicely on all sides.

How to Make General Tso’s Tofu

First, 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 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: Bake the tofu on parchment lined baking sheet at 400 deg f(205c) for 20-25 mins

Now, make the General Tso’s sauce.

Add the other teaspoon of oil to the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium, then add in the ginger and garlic, and cook for 10 to 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!

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