General Tso’s Tofu combines crispy baked tofu with a sticky and spicy sauce. Serve the sauce-covered tofu over rice with broccoli on the side. This popular takeout dish has never been better!
This General Tso’s Tofu is easy and delicious. Golden brown and crispy baked tofu is coated in a sticky, savory, and spicy sauce to create this better-than-takeout meal. Say goodbye to intimidating fryers because baking tofu is way easier and clean up-friendly!
Here’s why I think you should make your General Tso’s at home:
- The flavors are fresh, bold, and just a little spicy.
- Golden brown baked tofu comes out perfect every time thanks to 1 special ingredient.
- It’s ready to eat in less time than it takes for your order to arrive at your door!
I love a big scoop of this saucy vegan General Tso’s Tofu over freshly cooked Basmati Rice and steamed broccoli on the side. Complete the meal with more copycat takeout favorites, like Vegan Beef and Broccoli and Tempeh Stir Fry!
What is General Tso’s?
General Tso’s chicken is a popular choice at most North American Chinese food restaurants. The original dish is made with chicken and sweet and spicy sauce, but I have veganized the dish with tofu.
General Tso sauce is made with soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, red chili flakes, and sugar. The sweet and savory flavors balance nicely when coated over the protein of your choice. I used tofu but you can swap it for cauliflower, tempeh, or chickpeas!
How to make General Tso’s Tofu
Start by pressing the tofu to remove any excess liquid. Slice the brick, then rip those slices into medium-large pieces (these will act as the General Tso’s “chicken” pieces).
Place them in a ziplock bag (or a large bowl) along with the oil, cornstarch, and salt. Shake to coat, then place the tofu pieces on the prepared baking pan. Bake until golden and crispy.
Make the General Tso sauce while the tofu bakes. Sauté garlic and ginger in a pan with oil over medium-high heat. Next, stir in the rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, water, sugar, and red chili flakes.
Stir the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Pour it into the sauce and stir until it has a thick consistentcy.
Toss the baked tofu in the sauce. Serve over bowls of rice with sesame seeds and green onions on top.
How to press tofu
Tofu is packed in water, which needs to be drained before it’s baked. The less water in your tofu, the crispier it will be!
I like using a tofu press to press my tofu. If you don’t have one, wrap the block of tofu in paper towels and place a plate or pan on top of the wrapped tofu. Put a couple of heavy books on top of that.
If you’re in a rush, leave the tofu to press for at least 20 minutes. Otherwise, it can be left to drain for a few hours or overnight!
Serving suggestions
It isn’t traditional General Tso’s without the rice! Scoop the saucy tofu over basmati rice or cauliflower rice and top it with sesame seeds and green onions. Steamed veggies, like broccoli, bok choy, green beans, or carrots, are delicious on the side.
With its Asian-influenced flavors, General Tso’s tofu is best served alongside your favorite takeout recreations. Make some to serve alongside Teriyaki Noodles, Spring Rolls, and Vegan Fried Rice for a better-than-takeout family meal!
Variations
- Instead of tofu – Use cauliflower florets, soy curls, chickpeas, tempeh, or vegan “chicken”.
- Gluten free – Use gluten free tamari instead of soy sauce and make sure the hoisin sauce is certified gluten free.
- Tofu – You must use extra firm or firm tofu. Medium and soft tofu is much too delicate and will fall apart.
More copycat vegan take-out recipes
General Tso’s Tofu
Ingredients
For the tofu
- 2 (16-oz) blocks firm or extra-firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger *may use 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger if needed
- 1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce *tamari for gluten free
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 1/4 cup water
For serving
- 4 cups cooked rice, white or brown
- chopped green onions
- sesame seeds
- Optional: steamed broccoli
Instructions
- Press the tofu: Wrap the block of tofu in paper towels. Place a plate or pan on top of the wrapped tofu, and put a couple of heavy books on top of that. Let the tofu press for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease a large baking sheet with oil (or line with parchment paper).
- Slice the tofu into 6 slices. Now, rip each slice into medium-large pieces. You can also simply cut them into cubes, if you prefer, but ripping gives the tofu a great jagged texture.
- Add the tofu pieces to a large ziplock bag (or large bowl), along with the olive oil, cornstarch and salt. Close the bag, and shake gently to coat. Arrange the tofu evenly on the prepared pan, and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
- While the tofu bakes, cook your rice and make the sauce. In a large pan, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Next, add the rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, water, sugar and red chili flakes. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
- In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch and water together, then pour into the pan with the sauce. Stir constantly, until the sauce thickens.
- When the tofu is done baking, add it to the sauce and stir to coat the pieces. Serve with rice, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, chopped green onions and perhaps a side of steamed broccoli. Enjoy!
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include rice.
- Could substitute cauliflower for the tofu, or even soy curls, chickpeas or vegan “chicken”.
- Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The dish does not freeze very well.
Nutrition
This post has been updated with updated photos and instructions. The recipe was originally published May 2020.
I made this tonight and it was so delish! I love how crispy the tofu was. Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Hey Nora!
I stumbled onto your blog a few weeks back and have since tried about 6 different recipes and I must say, my family and I have LOVED them all! I do my best to stay away from too much of the plant based processed foods and enjoy cooking with fresh ingredients for my family. Being plant based for over 3 years has led to a bit of boredom in the kitchen, until I found you. This recipe, like the others, is so flavorful and so delicious! Thank you for sharing these mouth watering and easy to follow creations. I can’t wait to make another recipe of yours soon.
Hi Nerissa, and welcome to Nora Cooks! I am thrilled that you are loving my recipes! I love creating easy, delicious recipes and sharing them! I hope you enjoy your journey through all of my recipes! Let me know how they go for you, and reach out if you have questions. Thank you for sharing your review and comments, and happy cooking!
Wow. I will never order this take out again! Despite over baking the tofu (darn meetings) it turned out great, just a bit too chewy due to keeping in oven too long.
But soooo delicious and easy and I can’t wait to make again. Thanks Nora!
Thanks for sharing your review and comments! I’m glad you loved the tofu!
I love this recipe, the prep is so easy, simple and perfect for a quick lunch/dinner. The jagged texture tofu is truly the best option for this delicious dish. *I baked the tofu in my toaster oven and came out golden and crunchy ?. Thank you Nora from Vancouver Canada ??
Hello in Canada! You are welcome, and I’m thrilled you love the tofu! Thanks for taking your time to share your wonderful review and comments!
Nora, this was absolutely delicious! I’m a new General Tso’s fan and this easy recipe is one I’ll make again and again. I love your torn baked tofu technique and it’s one I’ll keep as well. You have really great recipes, and I love your site. Thanks for an amazing dinner.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you! I appreciate your kind words. 🙂
This recipe looks simply wonderful, but what’s the “1 special ingredient”?
I wish I had better luck with your olive oil, cornstarch, and salt baking mixture. It has never worked for me. So I just use a cast iron skillet to get my tofu nicely browned and crispy.
Cornstarch. 🙂 I wish you had better luck, too, it’s my go to method for cooking tofu because it makes crispy tofu without having to fry it in a pan. But that’s fine if you prefer frying it, of course. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Thanks for the great and tasty recipes! I am tempted to try potato starch instead of corn starch as I have a lot of that and it works well with oven home fries. Have you ever used potato starch?
I’ve never used it in tofu or sauce recipes, it might not work the same way but you could try it. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
What’s the best way to reheat this
I just use a microwave myself. But you could warm it on the stovetop if you want.
Made this tonight and it was SO delicious!! Way better than takeout, I will definitely be making this again in the future!
Thank you for sharing your review, Audrey! I’m glad you found the tofu recipe delicious!
Pretty fantastic recipe! It was my first time working with tofu but this recipe made things easy peasy. I added 2 tbsp of sriracha sauce to add more heat to the sauce. This will be a bee staple in my home!
Thanks Ageha! I’m glad you love the tofu recipe and that it will be a regular meal in your home!
I have never had General Tso flavoured anything, is it spicy?
It’s a little bit spicy, but if you want it less spicy just use less chili flakes. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Nora,
Thank you for this new technique of baking tofu, its the only I way I make it now. I did find I needed to add more oil and cornstarch to coat 2 blocks of tofu, also used pure maple syrup instead or refined sugar to make it more healthy, and toasted sesame oil for extra flavor.
I’ve never had General Tso’s anything until I made this and it is SO good! It’s such a great option when you just don’t feel like committing to extensive prep work like chopping a million veggies. Nora is always a solid choice in our home because I’ve never met a Nora recipe I didn’t enjoy!
Made this for dinner and the chocolate chip cookies for dessert. A whole day of really good eating. Tofu was super crispy! I let it bake a bit longer than 25 minutes, but it was golden brown and almost as crisp as deep fried. I was impressed. The sauce tastes just like the restaurants. I’m a big fan of the peanut tofu with coconut rice, but this might be better.
Thanks so much!
OMG So good, Nora!!!!! Easy and soooooo amazing. Ripping the tofu makes such a difference! You are a hero in our home. Never ever have been disappointed when using a recipe of yours- and I’ve used a LOT!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!
Thank you SO much! That means a lot to me!
This was amazing!!
This has caused a family argument. Some say your butter chicken is the best thing they have ever eaten. Some say it’s the General Tso’s tofu. I say they are both super easy to make and delicious! Nora, you are awesome!!! Thank you!!!
Wow, what a great argument and great comment!! Thanks so much!!
This is absolutely delicious! Every recipe from Nora I have made is just fantastic. I am not vegan, but so enjoy all of her recipes.
Thanks!!
Can I use flour instead of corn starch?
It should work quite well, but I haven’t tested it.
This was delicious. I did it without oil – using soy sauce instead, as suggested. Thank you for giving options for those who don’t use oil or sugar.
You’re welcome!! Glad you enjoyed it!
My son’s new favorite. Another hit!
That’s so great to hear!! Thanks for the comment!
I have yet to meet a Nora recipe I didn’t like, but this one earns ten stars! I omitted hoisin sauce and skipped the sugar (my daughter refuses to eat anything with added sugar, which means she missed out on the Nora brownies I made the other day) and the family inhaled the General Tso’s. I’ve had versions of this dish at vegan Chinese restaurants — can’t even compare. This is sublime.
No worries about leftovers keeping for a few days — I wish! — there aren’t any.
Wow, thanks so much for the wonderful comment!! I really appreciate it.
Another home run. Thank you so much for giving me something to do with that Tofu in my fridge.
You’re welcome! Thanks for the comment!!
I tried this recipe and OMG! My husband almost licked the plate off! It was my first time making tofu this way. The recipe was easy to follow, and the instructions as well. I am your fan! I did not have rice vinegar or hoisin sauce, so I used white distilled vinegar and liquid aminos. My husband disliked tofu (because it wasn’t properly prepped and cooked well in the past) but now he is a tofu lover! Thank you!
You’re so welcome!! Thanks for the great comment! I’m so glad it came out great!
First try at baking tofu! It’s so simple.
This is a great recipe!
Thanks so much! I’m so glad it worked well!