General Tso’s Tofu (Better Than Takeout)
User Reviews
4.9
33 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
15 mins
-
Cook Time
15 mins
-
Total Time
30 mins
-
Servings
4 servings
-
Calories
344 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
Chinese
General Tso’s Tofu (Better Than Takeout)
Report
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}
Share:
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 block (16 oz / 450 g) extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or other syrup, or sugar)
Sauce
- 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
Stir fry
- 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
For the tofu
- 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.
For the sauce
- 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.
To cook the stir fry
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the tofu back into the pan. Gently toss it to coat it with the sauce. Transfer everything to a large serving plate.
- Serve hot as a main dish.
Notes
- To make the dish gluten-free, use tamari to replace the soy sauce, dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine, and balsamic vinegar to replace Chinkiang vinegar.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1serving
Calories
344kcal
(17%)
Carbohydrates
42.4g
(14%)
Protein
13.3g
(27%)
Fat
15.3g
(24%)
Saturated Fat
2.7g
(14%)
Sodium
903mg
(38%)
Potassium
569mg
(16%)
Fiber
4.2g
(17%)
Sugar
20.4g
(41%)
Calcium
295mg
(30%)
Iron
3mg
(17%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 344 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 344kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 42.4g | 14% |
| Protein | 13.3g | 27% |
| Fat | 15.3g | 24% |
| Saturated Fat | 2.7g | 14% |
| Sodium | 903mg | 38% |
| Potassium | 569mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 4.2g | 17% |
| Sugar | 20.4g | 41% |
| Calcium | 295mg | 30% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
33 reviews
Excellent
Other Recipes
You'll Also Love
Better than Takeout Chicken Fried Rice
Asian, Chinese, Chinese-American Fussion, Asian-American Fusion
4.8
(147 reviews)
