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General Tso’s Tofu

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General Tso’s Tofu is a classic Chinese takeout filled with fried tofu tossed with the most amazing sweet and spicy sticky sauce! It is super healthy and high in protein perfect for a regular dinner menu. Perfect as a vegan & a gluten-free main dish!

What is General Tso’s Tofu?

For those unaware of General Tso’s chicken, it is one of the popular Asian take-out chicken dishes. In which chicken pieces are deep-fried and tossed in a spicy, Lil bit sweet sticky sesame sauce. 

So, this popular dish gets a Vegan makeover with crispy air-fried tofu pieces and a highly flavourful sticky sauce. This Instant Pot General Tso’s tofu is healthier and lighter than the classic General Tso’s chicken.

General Tso’s tofu is the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. It is packed with plant-based proteins, and it’s easy to whip up in under 30 minutes!

Air frying tofu is another easy air fryer snack recipe, a mess-free recipe. Now, you do not have to worry about the mess with stir-frying or searing the tofu on the stovetop. Cooking tofu in the air fryer takes nearly 15 minutes or less; you can easily plan and prepare other required dishes while the tofu gets fried.

Ingredients for Instant Pot General Tso’s Tofu

For Air fryer Tofu :

  • Extra-firm tofu: To get a better texture of the tofu, make sure to press the tofu to get rid of excess water from it (refer to the how-to section)
  • Soy sauce or tamari : for a glutenfree version use tamari
  • Corn starch: I have used it for the crispy texture of tofu and to thicken the stick sauce
  • Extra virgin olive oil: or oil of your preference.
  • Seasoning: Generally, I like to use a combination of onion powder, garlic powder, salt, paprika, and black pepper as a seasoning option for air-frying tofu. But if you want some other seasoning options, scroll below for more ideas.

For General Tso’s Tofu Sauce:

  • Soy sauce or tamari or liquid amino 
  • Vegetable broth
  • Sesame oil, or peanut oil 
  • Cornstarch: to thicken the sauce
  • Large garlic cloves ( minced) 
  • Maple syrup or honey
  • Red hot sauce or sriracha

Air Fryer Crispy Tofu (easy, under 15 minutes Snack Recipe!)

Instant Pot General Tso’s Tofu

  • Choosing the right tofu: Choose the correct variety of tofu; the extra-firm tofu gives a crispy texture when air fried.  
  • Pressing the tofu: Before deep-frying or air-frying the tofu, it is very important to press the tofu to get rid of excess water correctly. 
  • Air fry the tofu: To make this General Tso’s Tofu healthier for kids and adults, I have used the air fryer to fry the tofu. It takes very little oil as compared to oven-roast or pan-fried versions. You can find the detailed process to air fry perfectly crispy tofu here. 
  • Make the sauce: I always prefer making this sauce ahead of time, as it is great for other Asian dishes also.
    However, you can also whisk the exact amount of the sauce ingredients as mentioned in the recipe card below.
    Then add the sauce to the instant pot, add the air-fried tofu, and cook until the sauce thickens.
    Serve the instant pot general Tso’s tofu with basmati rice and garnish it with freshly chopped coriander leaves and some roasted sesame seeds on top of it!

Tips to make Best General Tso’s Tofu :

  • I always prefer pressing the tofu before air frying or oven-roasting them. It helps eliminate excess water and makes the tofu extra crisp and crunchy. 
  • You can alter the amount of vinegar and soy sauce per your taste preference. Make sure to add a few tbsp of vinegar and add more if required. 
  • I always use the extra-firm variety of tofu, as it has lower water content as compared to the soft or silken tofu. 
  • If you do not have an air fryer and want oil-free fried tofu, try oven bake them. Simply bake the tofu at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.

How to store leftover General Tso’s tofu?

This Instant Pot General Tso’s tofu tastes excellent when served it immediately. But if you have any leftovers, I recommend storing the sauce and the air-fried/ roasted tofu separately in an airtight container.  The leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for about 5 to 6 days. 

For further use, simp[ly reheat the tofu pieces in an oven or an air fryer until it gets crispy, then toss them with the sticky sauce and serve it hot!

More Tofu Recipes:

General Tso's Tofu

Print
Serves: 4 Prep Time: Cooking Time:
Nutrition facts: 463 calories 20 grams fat
Rating: 4.5/5
( 10 voted )

Ingredients

For Air fryer Tofu : 

  • 10 ounces Extra-firm tofu
  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 tbsp Soy sauce or tamari
  • 6 tbsp Corn starch
  • 1 tbsp Vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Seasoning for Air Fried Tofu

  • ¼ tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • ¼ tbsp Paprika

For General Tso’s Tofu Sauce:

  • 3 tbsp Soy or Tamari
  • 2 tbsp vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp Sesame oil peanut oil 
  • 1½ tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp  garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp Maple syrup or honey
  • 1½ tbsp Red hot sauce or sriracha

Instructions

  1. Start with pressing the tofu for a minimum of 30 minutes, you can use tofu press or you can also press the tofu by placing it under some weight like an iron skillet or heavy pot.
  2. When the tofu is pressed, cut it into even cubes and place it in a mixing bowl. Add the marinade - 2tbsp soy or tamari, 1 tbsp vinegar or apple cider, ¼ tbsp onion powder, ¼ tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp salt. Mix it well and let it sit for at least 10 minutes in the fridge, for best results keep it for 6-7 hours or overnight. 
  3. Gently place the tofu cubes in the air fryer basket, in a single layer (do not overlap the tofu cubes).
  4. Cook at 375 or 400 degrees F (temperature may vary, please refer to notes) for about 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure to shake the basket in a midway (in 5 to 6 minutes mark)  or occasionally for even cooking. Remove the fried tofu from the basket and keep it aside.
  5. Now, mix all the general Tso’s sauce ingredients in a bowl ( tamari, vinegar, vegetable stock or water, sugar or maple syrup, cornstarch, and minced garlic, sesame oil)
  6. Now press the saute button on the instant pot and add oil. Add the minced garlic and saute until golden brown.
  7. Add General Tso’s sauce to the instant pot and simmer for 1 minute, when it starts getting thicken add the air-fried tofu and lock the lid into it. Press the Manual button, and adjust the timer to 4 minutes. When the timer beeps, quick-release pressure until the float valve drops and then unlock the lid. Serve over rice, Enjoy!

Notes

  • I always prefer pressing the tofu before air frying or oven roasting them. It helps to get rid of excess water from it and makes the tofu extra crisp and crunchy. 
  • You can alter the amount of vinegar and soy sauce as per your taste preference. Make sure to add a few tbsp of vinegar and add more if only required. 
  • I always use the extra-firm variety of tofu, as it has lower water content as compared to the soft or silken tofu. 
  • If you do not have an air fryer and you want oil-free fried tofu, then try oven bake them. Simply bake the tofu at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.
  • *Nutritional information does not include rice.
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