Put some flavor into your weeknight rotation with this General Tso's Tofu! It's crispy, spicy and sweet with an orange kick! It'll be on your table in 35 minutes and it's SO easy to prepare.
Guys! I have a tasty gem to share with you today from Chloe Coscarelli's new cookbook Chloe Flavor. The tagline on the cover is saucy, crispy, spicy, vegan and this General Tso's Tofu is all that and more.
Chloe is the author of 3 other cookbooks and the owner of Chloe and The Vegan Cafe in Miami Florida. You can also check out her site Chef Chloe for free recipes. Most likely you'll want to buy her cookbooks after making a few. They do not disappoint!
I chose this recipe first because I was in the mood for something easy, sweet and spicy like my Pineapple Fried Rice. It was a total weeknight winner and I've made it three times already. My family is addicted and I've added it to our weekly rotation. No complaints here because it was a breeze to put together. It takes about 35 minutes, too. Easy peasy!
What's inside?
There are 125 flavor-packed recipes to please everyone's taste buds. Here is just a sample of what you'll find:
Sweet Tamale Cakes, No-Huevos Rancheros, Goldfish Crackers, Thai Tofu Satay, Tortilla Soup, Butternut Mac, Hawaiian Teriyaki Sliders, Meatball Parm, Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes and Cookie Dough Truffles. Need I say more?
The recipes are broken down into 8 delicious categories:
Breakfast and Brunch
Snacks and Sides
Soups and Salads
Sandwiches, Burgers, and Tacos
Noodles and Pasta
Bowls and Plated Dishes
Cocktails, Smoothies, and Drinks
Dessert
You'll find something for any day, night and time of the week. Chloe's recipes will bring the omnivores to the table too.
WHAT DO I NEED FOR GENERAL TSO'S TOFU?
(FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW)
Extra-firm tofu
Tamari
Cornstarch
Pure maple syrup
Sriracha
Fresh orange juice and zest
Cooking oil
Scallions
Garlic
Fresh ginger
You can serve this on a bed of rice with a side of steamed broccoli or your favorite veggies. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and fresh green onion and you're good to go
HOW TO MAKE GENERAL TSO'S TOFU?
STEP 1 - After pressing the tofu, combine it In a large zip-top bag with tamari, and cornstarch. Toss to coat (the cornstarch will become goopy).
STEP 2 - In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, tamari, sriracha, orange juice, and cornstarch until the cornstarch has dissolved.
STEP 3 - 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.
STEP 4 - 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
DO I NEED TO PRESS TOFU?
Even though the texture is firm, the tofu still needs to be pressed for optimum results. It will not only improve the texture and help the tofu keep its shape, but it will also increase flavor absorption.
To press, place a block of tofu on a paper towel-lined plate, and wrap tofu in a few paper towels. Add a cast-iron skillet on top (or something equally heavy) and let it drain for 20-30 minutes.
I have a Tofu Press which makes life even easier. I only have one, so I still use my cast iron when I need to press more at a time. I'm ready to get a few more for my tofu pressing madness.
MORE SPICY RECIPES FOR YOU:
And here are 10 more Spicy Vegan Dishes by Veg News!
I’d love to hear from you
If you make this General Tso's Tofu recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
General Tso's Tofu
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 16-ounce package extra-firm tofu , pressed and cubed
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Stir-Fry
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil , plus more as needed
- 4 scallions , cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 2 large strips of orange zest , removed with a vegetable peeler
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- Steamed rice and/or broccoli , for serving
- Sesame seeds , for garnish
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
Notes
Nutrition
Susan
Fantastic recipe, better than my favorite Chinese restaurant!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Susan! We're so happy to hear that you loved it, and what a compliment! Thanks for giving it a try 🙂
Jamie
This was sooo good! We added some vegan egg rolls and fortune cookies and had a restaurant style dinner at home. My whole family loved it and finished two pounds of tofu. My only regret is I didn’t make a double batch to freeze for another night!
Melissa Huggins
Yay! I'm so glad it was a hit with your family. It sounds perfect with the egg rolls and fortune cookies. YUM! Thank you for giving it a try! 🙂
Sarah
Amazing and easy recipe 🙂 We used French bitter orange jam with zests insead of the pure orange zest, because we didn't have it handy. It works perfectly as well! We also added way more sriracha, because we love it spicy and the mix between sweetness and spicyness was great.
Thanks for sharing this :>
Melissa Huggins
Thank you for giving it a try. I'm so glad it worked out with the orange jam.
Linda
This was incredibly delicious. I'm not normally a fan or anything orange but the orange did pair nicely with everything else and has definitely become one of my favourites on here - but it will still be hard to top that carrot dog recipe of yours hehe. Thanks for sharing.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Linda, Yay! I'm so glad you liked it! It's one of our favorites! Thank you so much. 🙂
Brian
Very nice recipe. Just wondering why (under Nutrition) there is only 3g of protein for 16 oz of Tofu?
Lynn
This recipe Is now on my top 10 dishes to make! So flavourful! I added chilli flakes to give a hint of heat. Absolutely delicious!
Lyla
I don’t understand the cornstarch. It says to coat the tofu but also to add it to the sauce. And is the protein only 3G? That seems low for tofu.
Forage
How do you think this would work with less maple syrup? 25g of sugar would be like drinking a soda. I'm more of a savory taste person. Looks delish though. TIA
Melissa Huggins
I think a little less would still taste delicious! It just helps balance out the spiciness of the dish. 🙂
Danielle
This was the best General Tso' Tofu. I have tried one other time to make it and it didn't come out so great. My boyfriend loved this and asked me to make it again this weekend. Keep up with all the great recipes!
Melissa Huggins
This is so great to hear! I'm so glad you guys enjoyed it. Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Anna
OMGOSH, Melissa , this looks so good , thank you .. I will do this soon and let you know how it turned out =) thank you for all your wonderful creations !!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Anna, thank you so much! I'd love to hear how it turns out for you. It's my new favorite! Have a great weekend! 🙂