These general tso tofu tacos came to life when we were trying to come up with a creative and colourful taco recipe. We decided to take a chance and try something different! They turned out so delicious and only require a few simple ingredients. We made some crispy pan fried tofu and covered it in a homemade vegan general tso sauce. Then we served it in taco form on a bed of shredded cabbage and carrot. General tso chicken is a very popular dish and almost always seen on the menu at Chinese restaurants. It’s a sweet tangy sauce that has a tiny bit of heat and utilizes the aromatic flavours of garlic and ginger.

Obviously, we won’t ever be having chicken on our menu and so general tso tofu was born. We love combining different cultures foods to create unique dishes for you guys to enjoy! We loved these beautiful little general tso tofu tacos and we hope you and your family do as well. Plant based eating can be so fun and delicious, not to mention better for your health, the animals and the planet we all share. Enjoy!

If you missed it, check out our banana blossom fish tacos!

GENERAL TSO TOFU TACOS

Recipe by plantbasedrelationshipCourse: DinnerCuisine: VeganDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

1 block extra firm tofu
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp grated ginger
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes, this is on the mild side
4 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
Roughly 2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 small – medium sized carrot
1 tsp franks red hot sauce
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp vegan mayo
1 tsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tbsp dry roasted peanuts
6 soft taco shells

Directions

First, we will tackle all of our prep. Pat your tofu dry with a kitchen towel and set aside. If you own a tofu press you can press it but its not essential! slice your cabbage into thin strips and break apart with your hands. Using a potato peeler, slice your carrot into thin strips and then use your knife to cut those thin strips into matchstick thin pieces. Place your shredded cabbage and carrot into a bowl and set aside.
Peel and finely dice your garlic cloves. Peel and grate your fresh ginger using the smallest setting on your grater. Ginger is fairly strong so you want it broken into small pieces! Chop your dry roasted peanuts into small pieces and finely dice your parsley. Preheat a large skillet to medium heat and a small saucepan to medium low heat.
We will get our sauce started first. To your saucepan, add your sesame oil and wait a few moments for it to heat up. Once it’s heated add your garlic, ginger and chilli flakes. Let these ingredients cook just until the garlic starts to show a bit of colour then add all remaining sauce ingredients to your pot. Stir occasionally, the cornstarch will help to thicken your sauce as it cooks. Set heat to low.
To your preheated skillet, add your vegetable oil. While you wait for your oil to heat up, slice your tofu into small triangles (see photo), lightly dust your tofu pieces with your cornstarch then add directly into your hot oil. Fry for roughly 6-7 minutes each side or until a golden colour is achieved.
Remove your tofu from your pan and place into a large mixing bowl. Once your sauce has thickened up you can pour it overtop of your tofu pieces in your mixing bowl. Gently toss to ensure each piece of tofu is fully coated in your sauce. To your bowl of cabbage and carrot add your remaining slaw ingredients and mix to fully coat.
Lay out your taco shells and first top with a generous scoop of your slaw, followed by 3-4 pieces of your general tso tofu. Finally, top with your chopped roasted peanuts and a sprinkle of your parsley for a dash of colour! Enjoy.