General Tso Tofu (Featuring the EZ Tofu Press)

General Tso Tofu is ready in less than 25 minutes. This vegan tofu recipe is an at-home twist on the classic Chinese tofu recipe, and is becoming one of my favorite firm tofu recipes.

This post is sponsored by EZ Tofu Press.

Growing up my family really didn’t eat Chinese food, let alone Chinese tofu recipes when I was younger. We were a strict meat and potatoes family. The kind with pretty limited, neutral flavors!

It wasn’t until high school when I got my own job and started to make my own money that I tried Chinese and Asian food. I spent quite a bit of my money from my little part time job on Chinese take out! Back then I did eat meat, so it still wasn’t the asian tofu recipe that I would probably choose today!

When was the first time that you tried a tofu dish? Was it when you were a child or were you an adult?

Why press your tofu?

For this general tso bean curd recipe, we used the EZ Tofu Press to prep the tofu. The EZ Tofu Press has a pretty important job in this recipe. It’s job is to squeeze out all the water, well at least most of it.

Step one, regardless of which of the above four methods you choose, is to press your tofu block. You’ll want to start with firm or extra firm block tofu, and before adding heat to it you need to remove some of the liquid from it.

If the tofu is too liquidy, you won’t get good browning or any crispiness – and you definitely want both of those things in your final dish! This step takes about 10-15 minutes if you’re using a tofu press. You can press out about a ½ a cup of liquid!

I use an EZ Tofu Press to press my tofu before I cook it. I’ve had mine for years, and it is by far my favorite kitchen tool. This press is unique in that it is made from BPA free plastic and stainless steel so it won’t rust and will keep pressing for years to come.

Reasons WHY I LOVE my EZ Tofu Press:

• It can press virtually all sizes of firm and extra firm tofu.
• The pressing can be achieved in 15 minutes or less. (Talk about a huge time saver!)  
• The press is substantially faster than spring based tofu presses.
• The press is easy to clean!

You can pick up your own on Amazon.(affiliate ad link) I promise you’ll love it! Check them out on Facebook to learn more.

How to make General Tso Tofu

1. Using your EZ Tofu Press, press your tofu for at least 10 minutes. Turning the knobs tighter every few minutes.

2. In a small bowl mix together cornstarch, hoisin sauce, coconut aminos, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame seed oil and lime juice. Whisk together to blend.

3. Pour mixture into a small sauce pan. Continue to stir over low heat until sauce thickens then remove from heat. *Sauce will thicken quickly at the end, be sure to remove quickly when it starts to thicken.*

4. In a frying pan over medium heat, add 1 T oil. While oil is warming up, cut tofu into cubes. Fry tofu over medium heat until crispy.

5. Gently toss cooked tofu with sauce.

6. Divide tofu onto 4 plates. Top with optional diced green onions and sesame seeds. ENJOY!

What to serve with General Tso Tofu

There are so many sides that you can serve with this General Tso Tofu! My all time favorite would be Air Fryer Broccoli. This recipe crisps up the broccoli in no time, just like it would if you spent some time roasting it in the oven!

This general Tso bean curd recipe is also great served with a side of white or brown rice or quinoa.

FAQ, Tips and Tricks for General TSO Tofu

1. Instead of pan frying you can cook your tofu in the air fryer. Simply prep your tofu as started above, then cook at 370 degrees F for 12 minutes.
2. If you want to make the dish even more hearty, you can throw in some cooked mushrooms, onions, eggplant and even some dried chili peppers.
3. You can sub in arrowroot instead of cornstarch for the sauce thickener.

Questions about General Tso Tofu

Is tofu gluten-free?

Yes tofu is naturally gluten-free. You do need to be careful if you are purchasing tofu with a pre-made marinade. Be sure to read all ingredient labels.

Is tofu vegan?

Yes, tofu is naturally vegan. Tofu is made from soy bean curd.

Where do I find tofu at the store?

You find tofu in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Often times, if your store has a “natural” section you can find it there. There are shelf stable (non refrigerated ) tofu blocks, but the refrigerated kind works best for this recipe.

If you are looking for a sweet treat, I would suggest  this Gluten-Free Iced Lemon Pound Cake!

Pin this General Tso Tofu Recipe for later:

More Tofu Recipes to enjoy later:

• Sweet Thai Chili Tofu Bowls (think meal prep!)
• Buffalo Tofu Bites
• Grilled BBQ Tofu Sandwich
• Kid Friendly Tofu Bites (tofu for kids)

General Tso Tofu Recipe:

General Tso Tofu

Alysen Heil

General Tso’s Tofu is ready in less than 25 minutes. This vegan tofu recipe is an at-home twist on the classic Chinese tofu recipe, and is becoming one of my favorite firm tofu recipes.

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 4 people

Calories 345 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1 T oil
• ¼ c cornstarch
• ½ c hoisin sauce
• 4 T Coconut Aminos Or soy sauce
• ½ c brown sugar
• 3 T rice wine vinegar
• 1 T sesame seed oil
• 2 t lime juice
• sesame seeds optional
• diced green onions optional
• cooked rice optional

Instructions

 

• Using your EZ Tofu Press, press your tofu for at least 10 minutes. Turning the knobs tighter every few minutes.
• In a small bowl mix together cornstarch, hoisin sauce, coconut aminos, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame seed oil and lime juice.  Whisk together to blend.
• Pour mixture into a small sauce pan. Continue to stir over low heat until sauce thickens then remove from heat. *Sauce will thicken quickly at the end, be sure to remove quickly when it starts to thicken.*
• In a frying pan over medium heat, add 1 T oil.  While oil is warming up, cut tofu into cubes.  Fry tofu over medium heat until crispy.
• Gently toss cooked tofu with sauce.
• Divide tofu onto 4 plates. Top with optional diced green onions and sesame seeds. ENJOY!

Notes

What to serve with General Tso Tofu

There are so many sides that you can serve with this General Tso Tofu! My all time favorite would be Air Fryer Broccoli. This recipe crisps up the broccoli in no time, just like it would if you spent some time roasting it in the oven!

This general Tso bean curd recipe is also great served with a side of white or brown rice or quinoa. 

FAQ, Tips and Tricks for General TSO Tofu

1. Instead of pan frying you can cook your tofu in the air fryer.  Simply prep your tofu as started above, then cook at 370 degrees F for 12 minutes.
2. If you want to make the dish even more hearty, you can throw in some cooked mushrooms, onions, eggplant and even some dried chili peppers.
3. You can sub in arrowroot instead of cornstarch for the sauce thickener.

Nutrition

Calories: 345kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 9gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 965mgPotassium: 230mgFiber: 1gSugar: 37gVitamin C: 0.7mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 1.7mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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