General Tso’s Tofu (Better Than Takeout)
General Tso’s Tofu features crispy caramelized tofu bites with tender broccoli rabe in a tangy savory sweet sticky sauce. Learn how to make extra crispy tofu with the minimum oil and time without deep frying, plus the best General Tso sauce! {vegan, gluten-free}
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 block (16 oz / 450 g) extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup ((or other syrup, or sugar))
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine ((or dry sherry))
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch ((or enough to coat the tofu))
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil ((or vegetable oil))
- 1 batch broccoli rabe (or 1 big head broccoli) (, cut into bite size pieces (yields about 4 cups once cut))
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 4 cloves garlic (, minced)
- 4 green onions (, roughly chopped)
- 2 dried Chinese chili peppers ((Optional))
Instructions
- 1
For the tofu
- 2
Pat tofu dry with paper towels. Cut into 1/2” (1 cm) pieces and transfer into a large ziploc bag. Add soy sauce and maple syrup. Gently flip the bag a few times to coat tofu with the liquid. Marinate for 10 to 15 minutes while preparing other ingredients.
- 3
For the sauce
- 4
Mix all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. If you’re using pre-made General Tso’s Sauce, shake the sauce to make the cornstarch dissolve completely, then pour 1/3 cup of the sauce into a bowl, add 1/3 cup of stock, and mix well.
- 5
To cook the stir fry
- 6
Once the tofu is marinated, open the bag just a little bit without letting the tofu fall out. Drain and discard all the liquid. Add the cornstarch, a tablespoon at a time, then gently toss the bag to coat the tofu. It is OK if the tofu doesn’t get coated evenly.
- 7
If using broccoli, add 1/4 cup water to a large pan and heat over medium-high heat until simmering. Add the broccoli. Cook covered for 1 minute, or until al dente. Transfer the broccoli to a plate. Wipe the pan clean with paper towels.
- 8
Add 2 tablespoons of oil into the pan. Add the tofu with your hand: shake off the extra cornstarch and lay it into the pan without overlapping. Let cook without moving for 2 minutes, or until the bottom turns golden. Flip to brown the other side, 2 minutes or so. If the pan gets too hot, turn to medium or medium-low heat. You can keep browning the other sides of the tofu if you prefer. Transfer the cooked tofu to a plate and set it aside.
- 9
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, ginger, garlic, green onion, and dried red chilies (if using). Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
- 10
If using broccoli rabe, add it to the pan. Cook and stir until wilted. If using broccoli, add the cooked broccoli back into the pan.
- 11
Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Pour it into the pan. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens and coats all the ingredients.
- 12
Add the tofu back into the pan. Gently toss it to coat it with the sauce. Transfer everything to a large serving plate.
- 13
Serve hot as a main dish.