General Tso’s Tofu is a Chinese takeout favorite that’s just the right combination of sweet, tangy, and savory. Serve this over a bowl of rice with veggies on the side, and prepare to be blown away!

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If you’ve followed my other tofu recipes, you know how much of a sucker I am for tofu (the wonders you can do with it!). Here’s another prime example of just how delicious we can make it.

What goes in General Tso’s tofu?

•Extra firm tofu
•2 tbsp potato starch (or cornstarch)
•1 tsp soy sauce
•1/4 tsp white pepper

Sauce:
•3 tbsp soy sauce
•3 tbsp brown sugar
•3 tbsp water
•1 tbsp rice vinegar
•1 tbsp hoisin sauce
•1 tsp chilli flakes
•Cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp cold water)
•1 tsp sesame oil

•Sesame seeds
•Green onions or cilantro

I specifically love going for extra-firm tofu whenever I make fried tofu or any stir-fries involving it.

This is because it has a fairly low moisture content, allowing it to hold up to a lot of manipulation without the risks of squishing and/or falling apart in our sauce.

As you can tell by the picture I included above, it tends to have a much drier texture compared to all other types of tofu. This is perfect in complimenting our General Tso’s sauce because the resulting texture after frying will become incredibly chewy and crispy!

Also note how important it is to rip the tofu apart with your hands…Those jagged/irregular edges are what the seasonings, the starch, and the sauce are going to cling onto, making the tofu tastier and crunchy.

Instructions

Break the tofu apart with your hands into small bite-sized pieces. Coat the tofu with the potato starch, soy sauce, and white pepper. Fry the coated tofu in an oiled pan until they’re golden and crispy. Set aside.
Mix all the ingredients together for the sauce (except the sesame oil). Let the sauce simmer in a pan until the brown sugar just dissolves. Then stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.
Once thickened, add in the crispy tofu and a drizzle of the sesame oil.
Serve with rice and top General Tso’s tofu with sesame seeds or green onions.

What else can I serve this with?

The most common way to serve General Tso’s tofu is over a bed of warm rice with a side of vegetables such as bok choy, green beans, or broccoli.

You could also incorporate it into salads (the texture contrast goes amazingly with this!) or even noodles.