One of my very first tofu experiences involved General Tso’s tofu, and I’m sorry to say that it wasn’t very good. Most restaurants that put tofu on the menu know what they’re doing, but sometimes they don’t. Anyway, it was probably one of the few vegetarian things on the menu at this particular place, so I gave it a try, and it was too sweet, kind of soggy, a bit bland. All the things a good tofu dish should not be. I remembered hearing a tofu-hater once describe the flavor and texture of tofu as similar to wet bread, and that’s came to mind. I nicknamed the dish General Tso’s French toast, and that name persisted. Forever. Years and years later, when I’d had so many excellent plates of General Tso’s tofu (it’s now a Chinese vegetarian restaurant favorite), I had to bite my tongue when ordering in order to not request a plate of the General’s French toast. So I have quite a history with this dish. It’s about time I cooked some up in my own kitchen!
How to Make Tofu Taste Good
There are a handful of great ways to cook tofu. It’s awesome marinated and baked. It’s also delicious pan-fried. But for dishes like General Tso’s tofu, where we’re replacing fried chicken, I my go-to method is to dredge the tofu in cornstarch and shallow fry it in some oil. What you end up with is tofu bits that are soft and tender on the inside, with a crispy and delicious exterior coating that stands up to sauce. This method also makes a killer orange ginger tofu and and crispy black pepper tofu.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Water.Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos can also be used.Hoisin sauce. Look for this in the international section of your supermarket.Rice vinegar. You can also find this in the international foods section.Maple syrup. Feel free to substitute another liquid sweetener like agave or coconut nectar.Toasted sesame oil. Once again, we’re looking for this in the international foods section of the store.Garlic.Ginger.Cornstarch.Tofu. Use extra-firm or super-firm tofu. If using extra-firm, be sure to press it first.Canola oil. Feel free to substitute another high-heat oil, such as peanut oil or corn oil.Dried chiles. Leave these out for a milder version of this dish. You can find them in (you guessed it!) the international section of the supermarket.Scallions. Also known as green onions!Fresh broccoli.Toasted sesame seeds.Cooked rice. Use your favorite kind of rice. I like a starchy, sticky variety such as jasmine rice for pairing with this dish.
Tip: Feel free to switch things up by substituting your favorite veggie for the broccoli. Keep in mind that harder veggies will take a bit longer to cook, while softer ones will cook faster.
How to Make General Tso’s Tofu
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
As with any stir-fry, you’ll want to prep all of your ingredients before you start cooking. Chop your veggies and, press and dice your tofu.Next, make your General Tso’s sauce so it’s ready to go when you need it. Do this by whisking together the water, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil minced garlic, grated ginger, and cornstarch. Fill a small bowl with some cornstarch and heat up some oil in a nonstick skillet (I recommend using a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet). We’re going to start by cooking the tofu. Place a few of your tofu cubes into the bowl and dredge them in the cornstarch.
Now transfer those tofu cubes to the hot oil. Add as many as you can fit with a bit of space between them. Be careful not to crowd the skillet too much — the cornstarch will make your tofu pieces stick together if they come into contact with each other.Cook the tofu pieces until they’re browned and crispy on the bottoms, then flip them and cook the other sides. Take them out of the skillet when they’re done, then cook the rest of the tofu in a second (or second and third) batch.
Now it’s time to stir-fry! There should be a thin coating of oil in your skillet. If there’s more than that, wipe it out. If there’s less, add a dash.Crank up the heat and add some scallions and dried chile peppers to the skillet. Just cook them for a minute or so, until the scallions become fragrant and the chiles start to darken.Now add the broccoli and stir-fry it just until it becomes bright green in color.Finally, return the cooked tofu to the skillet and pour in the sauce. Be super careful when adding sauce to a hot pan, as it can easily sputter! Flip everything around with a spatula to get an even coating. The sauce should thicken up quickly. Once it does, take the skillet off of the burner.
Top your General Tso’s tofu with sesame seeds and scallions.
Serve it on a bed of rice.
Leftovers & Storage
I recommend serving your General Tso’s tofu immediately after it’s finished cooking. The coating can become soggy as it sits in the sauce. If you do have leftovers they’ll still taste good. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More Chinese-Inspired Tofu Recipes
Sticky Sesame TofuSweet & Sour TofuKung Pao TofuTofu Stir-FryVegan Lo Mein with Tofu
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