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Skip the takeout and try this General Tso’s cauliflower instead! Crispy, saucy, and downright addictive (peep the dozens of 5-star reviews!), this plant-based twist on the Chinese classic delivers all the flavor without the frying (or the meat). Bonus: it’s ready in under an hour minutes and can be baked or air-fried!
save this recipe!This Is Way Better Than Takeout
Yes, it’s made entirely from cauliflower, and yes, the texture is mind-blowingly tender and meaty. Smothered in a tangy, sweet, and slightly spicy General Tso’s sauce, this dish brings bold, addictive flavors you’ll want to drizzle on everything!
After making this more times than I can count for both weeknight dinners and skeptical meat-eaters, here’s what makes it worth having in the rotation:
- The panko coating gets crispy and holds the sauce without going soggy
- The sauce has the sweet, tangy, garlicky depth of a proper General Tso’s
- Works as a main dish over rice, a side, or a game day appetizer
Reader rating
“This was super tasty, even my meat loving husband rated it highly. And I loved that it was baked not fried.” —Cheryl
Here’s What You’ll Need
It really doesn’t take much to make this General Tso’s cauliflower!
Jump to the recipe card for exact measurements—this is an overview.
- Cauliflower: Cut into evenly sized bite-sized florets so everything cooks at the same rate and fits comfortably in one bite once sauced.
- Panko breadcrumbs: The breading ingredient that makes or breaks the texture. Panko is lighter and crispier than regular breadcrumbs and produces a coating that actually holds up once the sauce is added.
- Rice vinegar: The acid that gives General Tso’s sauce its characteristic tang. Don’t substitute with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar since both have a different acidity profile that changes the flavor significantly.
- Brown sugar: Balances the vinegar and soy sauce with a molasses-forward sweetness that regular white sugar doesn’t provide in the same way.
- Tomato paste: Adds savory depth and a slight umami richness that makes the sauce taste more layered. A little goes a long way here.
- Cornstarch slurry: Thickens the sauce to a glossy, coating consistency. Dissolve it in cold water before adding to prevent lumps. The sauce thickens quickly once the slurry hits the heat.
- Fresh ginger and garlic: Both go in at the start of the sauce in sesame oil to bloom before the liquid is added. Don’t use dried ginger here. The fresh version produces a completely different aromatic quality.
Serve over steamed white rice for the classic presentation, or my cauliflower fried rice for a lower-carb option that keeps the vegetable theme going. For a full takeout-style spread, my General Tso’s tofu alongside doubles the protein options and uses the same sauce. And if you love crispy sauced cauliflower in general, my air fryer buffalo cauliflower is the spicy American counterpart worth making next.
For another takeout-inspired twist on cauliflower, try my bang bang cauliflower (with chickpeas!).
General Tso’s Cauliflower (Air Fryer or Baked)
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- ½ head cauliflower
- ½ cup flour, 60g
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 50 g
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
General Tso's Sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 15 mL
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
- ½ cup vegetable broth, 120 mL
- ¼ cup soy sauce, 60 mL
- ¼ cup rice vinegar, 60 mL
- ¼ cup brown sugar, 50 g
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 30 g
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C)*. Cut ½ head cauliflower into bite-sized florets.Arrange workspace, placing ½ cup flour, 2 large eggs (whisked), and 1 cup panko breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Mix ¼ tsp each salt and pepper into panko.
- Dredge: Working in batches, coat the florets in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Set on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until crispy.
- Sauce: Set a small saucepan over medium heat and add the 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 2 cloves garlic (minced), and 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger. Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.Stir in ½ cup vegetable broth, ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup brown sugar, and 2 Tbsp tomato paste. Whisk to combine and bring to a simmer. While whisking, slowly pour in 2 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp cold water. It should thicken quite quickly; if not, continue simmering until thick.
- Assemble: Drizzle sauce over the baked cauliflower and gently toss to coat.
- Serve cauliflower over warm rice or quinoa.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist, and should be taken as an estimate. For the most accurate nutritional information, calculate it using the actual ingredients in your recipe.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Loved it!!!
Thanks, Susanne! 😀
hi.. wonder if you could use stevia instead of sugar?
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried this substitute but I have a feeling using pure stevia instead would affect the texture. The sugar, when melted, brings a bit of stickiness to the sauce, which I’m not sure you would get with stevia. Perhaps you could try a brown sugar stevia blend? 🙂
Hi!
I really want to try this, any idea what I could use as a substitute for eggs?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Namita! Cream or plain yogurt would work, or for dairy-free you could try flax eggs.
I came here to ask the same question. Maybe a vegan mayo or a vegan yogurt; I don’t think a flax egg would work.
It looks really good.
Sorry, Sarah – but this one just didn’t deliver for us. A week ago we ordered an order of General Tso’s Cauliflower as an appetizer for our table of friends at a local brewpub, and it lasted about 5 minutes. Salty-sweet, crisp, hot and munchable. These were almost certainly deep-fried and probably not vegetarian. Also probably way more sugar than I’m shooting for in my diet. I ate them anyway, with gusto. So I was excited when I saw your post for a home-baked version (we don’t deep-fry anything in this house, ever.) Sadly, the comparison was not favorable. I fear that there’s something essential in the deep-frying process needed to caramelize the sugar in the glaze, for starters. I would love to be proven wrong in this! I may experiment with tweaking your recipe, starting with less tomato paste, more brown sugar, and less vinegar. I saw another recipe for G T ‘s sauce that insisted on using a certain Chinese dark vineger, and thankfully our Asian grocery down the street carries it. Wish me luck.
Sorry to hear, Ken! Thanks for your thoughtful review and I would love to know if you make any changes that put this recipe back in your favor! 😀
This was delicious! It’s sure to become a staple in my house 🙂
Yay! So happy to hear, Liz! 😀
This really is better than the original. Thanks
So happy to hear! Enjoy! 😀
I made this for my daughter and she loved it. She does not like cauliflower, either
I did use store-bought sauce, though…
This was so delicious! Next time I’ll double the sauce though—or maybe my cauliflower head was a lot bigger. It didn’t fully coat them. But still worth it!
Good to know, thanks for the tip Hanna! 😀
I would love to try this, but I would prefer to use my air fryer. How long should I air fry it?
Great question, Teena! I would do 375°F (190°C) for 10 to 15 minutes. Enjoy! 😀
Great recipe! Thank you for sharing. Love how the ginger comes thru!
So happy to hear it, Carmen! 😀
Thank you, this is the first time I have been to your site and tried a recipe (found you on Pinterest). I have to say well done, this was super tasty, even my meat loving husband rated it highly. And I loved that it was baked not fried. Well done!
Ah so happy to hear it, Cheryl! 😀