Vegan Tofu General Tso Recipe

Last modified: July 19, 2021. Originally posted: January 25, 2020 By Sophia DeSantis

This post may contain paid links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This vegan tofu General Tso recipe is bursting with flavor, easy to make and a perfect healthier alternative to the traditional restaurant variation.

This post originally published on May 13, 2018.

This is a cookbook review written by me on behalf of Chloe Coscarelli, for which I received a free copy of the book and a kit by Nasoya. All the opinions and text are all mine.

This vegan version of General Tso is awesome. Really easy to make, and super versatile! The sauce is simple but full of flavor, and leftovers can be used with so many things!

Vegan General Tso's Tofu

Going out to Chinese food was always one of my favorite, but as I got healthier, my stomach couldn't take the fried food and loads of salt frequently found in these restaurants. In comes Chloe Flavor, the new cookbook by vegan celebrity chef Chloe Coscarelli.

Can we just start with how cute this book looks on my cookbook shelf? The spine is the perfect yellow, and has a photo of pink, yellow and white donuts. Swoon. I love the mouthwatering colorful photos and all the action shots. It makes me want to jump in and eat with her!

What really drew me in though was the fun titles she uses for the sections. You must have fun titles to really grab my attention. A few of my most favorites are:

but first, breakfast & brunch
oh, the pastabilities
fork it, bowls & plate it dishes
sweet yo' self

And the tagline for the book is: saucy, crispy, spicy, vegan. It's like this book is talking to me. I need Chloe to be my friend.

Now we can all make this delicious, indulgent, but secretly healthy dinner right in our own kitchen! I am including how to alter this recipe in order to satisfy my no-oil crew, and I added a bunch of my current favorite veggies into the mix because extra veggies are awesome.

Is General Tso's tofu vegan?

This version is! Tofu is a great vegan alternative to the traditional chicken. If you buy your General Tso's sauce from the store, you'll want to double-check the ingredients but you will love this variation!

What is General Tso's sauce made of?

The usual General Tso's sauce is made of soy sauce, wine, vinegar, chicken stock, sugar, sesame seed oil, and cornstarch. But in this recipe, the sauce is made up of maple syrup, tamari, sriracha, orange juice, and cornstarch.

What does tofu taste like?

Tofu doesn't have any taste! Which makes it perfect for these kinds of recipes. The tofu really soaks up the flavor of the sauce and tastes delicious! To get the best flavor, pressing your tofu is important. Pressing releases the liquid inside, allowing the tofu to suck up any other liquid.

What does General Tso's taste like?

General Tso's has a nice gingery flavor to it. It also has a nice tart flavor with just a hint of sweetness. It is loaded with yumminess and the sauce could also be used for other things, and even just plain on veggies and/or rice!

Can you prep this ahead of time?

You can definitely make some of the parts ahead of time, but since you want a nice crispy tofu, that part is made fresh. If you want to prep ahead, here is what I would do:

Make the sauce. Put in an air tight container in the fridge until ready to use.
Press tofu and marinade it, place in fridge until ready to bake the next day.
Prep rice.
Day of, bake tofu and veggies. Heat up sauce in a pan and then continue following the recipe by adding the tofu.

How to Make a Vegan Tofu General Tso Recipe

This is fairly simple to make, the newest thing for many of you will be pressing your tofu if you want the ultimate flavor. It is easy to do, and you really just need to get used to it.

Press and marinate tofu.
Make the sauce.
Roast the tofu and extra veggies if you are adding them. Instead of frying the tofu I baked it similar to my recipe for crispy baked tofu. I then added it to the sauce once it was all thickened in the pan. The crispiness maintained perfectly.
Serve!

If you're looking for a delicious soy free Chinese takeout at home recipe, try my Chinese Style Vegan Orange Cauliflower recipe!

Sophia DeSantis

Shared with permission from the amazing new cookbook Chloe Flavor by Chloe Coscarelli.

This vegan tofu General Tso recipe is bursting with flavor, easy to make and a perfect healthier alternative to the traditional restaurant variation.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Shop Ingredients

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Ingredients

Tofu:

16 ounces extra-firm tofu , pressed and cubed (I used Nasoya brand)
2 tablespoons tamari , low sodium if needed
¼ cup cornstarch

Stir-Fry:

¼ cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons tamari , low sodium if needed
1 tablespoon sriracha
Juice of 1 orange
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil , plus more as needed (see note)
4 scallions , cut into ¾-inch pieces
2 large strips orange zest , removed with a vegetable peeler
2 cloves garlic , minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger , minced
Steamed rice , for serving (see note)
Broccoli , for serving (see note)
Sesame seeds , for garnish

Shop Ingredients on Jupiter

Instructions

Make the tofu:

In a large zip-top bag, combine the tofu, tamari, and cornstarch. Toss to coat—the cornstarch will become goopy

Make the stir-fry:

In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, tamari, sriracha, orange juice, and cornstarch until the cornstarch has dissolved
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat
When it shimmers, add the tofu, working in batches as needed, and sear for about 3 minutes on each side, until crispy all over
Return all the tofu to the skillet and add the scallions, orange zest, garlic, and ginger. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the scallions begin to break down
Add the sauce and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 5 minutes more, until the sauce thickens
Serve over rice, garnished with sesame seeds

For oil-free option:

Make the tofu in a zip-top bag as stated. Then spread it out on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 450 F (230 C) for 25 minutes or until crispy. Then skip to the 4th direction under making the stir fry and cook thescallions, orange zest, garlic, and ginger as stated but on their own. Add the sauce, and then once it is thickened add the baked crispy tofu and mix.
I also baked my veggies (see notes) at the same time as the tofu. Bake on a separate parchment lined cookie sheet. You can continue to roast the veggies once the tofu is done if needed.

Notes

Tip CRISPY TOFU: The key to having crispy tofu cubes is to not flip them over too soon. Let each piece get nicely browned before flipping it to the other side

My alterations:

Follow the additional instructions on how to make this oil-free, I did not use the oil mentioned in the ingredients.
I added 4 cups of veggies (I roasted 2 cups broccoli, 1 cup fennel and 1 cup radishes at the same time I baked the tofu when making the oil-free version). This made my recipe come out at 4 servings instead of 2 (as is in the original recipe).
I also added 2 cups of brown rice for serving.
I did not use all the sauce, save extra for future use.
Nutritional info is done for my version of 4 servings (including the veggies and brown rice listed above). Double it if doing the 2 servings of the original recipe.

Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 337kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 14gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0gMonounsaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 668mgPotassium: 548mgFiber: 4gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 490IUVitamin C: 66.4mgCalcium: 117mgIron: 2.5mg

Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.

Never miss a recipe!Sign up here and get a FREE quick and easy meal guide!