We shared a recipe for General Tso’s tofu stir-fry years ago and it’s become a fan-favorite. We wanted to try our hands at a cauliflower version and — spoiler alert — it worked extremely well!
Cauliflower florets are tossed in a spicy, gingery sauce then baked until crispy in the oven. Perfect for enjoying as a snack or side or serving with grains and veggies for a flavorful meal. Just 10 ingredients required and naturally vegan and gluten-free. Let us show you how it’s done!
Origins of General Tso’s Cauliflower
General Tso’s cauliflower is a plant-based adaptation of General Tso’s chicken, which is believed to have been created around the 1950s by a chef named Peng Chang-kuei. He was born in the Hunan province of China and later moved to Taiwan and cooked there.
Chef Pang claims the dish was inspired by flavors of Hunanese cuisine and named after a Hunanese general. Later, when he moved to New York and opened his first restaurant, he adapted it to cater to his new audience, and the dish quickly spread in popularity.
How to Make General Tso’s Cauliflower
This recipe starts with tossing chopped cauliflower with avocado oil and cornstarch for a crispy coating (the same method we like using for crispy tofu). A generous amount of salt adds flavor and helps draw out some of the moisture for crispy, caramelized edges.
Next, we whisk up the ultra flavorful, gingery, spicy, 6-ingredient sauce. Tamari (or coconut aminos) creates the savory base, chili garlic sauce and optional red pepper flakes provide heat, maple syrup balances and adds sweetness, and garlic and ginger add additional spiciness and zing.
Then we toss the roasted cauliflower in the sauce to coat it with all the goodness. You just may turn cauliflower haters into willing cauliflower eaters with this one!
Then it goes back into the oven to allow the sauce to soak into and become one with the cauliflower. If you couldn’t see it, you might not even know it was cauliflower at this point.
We hope you LOVE this General Tso’s cauliflower! It’s:
Flavorful
Gingery
Lightly crispy
Spicy
& Satisfying!
It’s perfect for enjoying as a snack or side or as a meal served with grains and veggies (steamed broccoli, carrots, and snap peas would be especially delicious). It would also pair well with our Fresh Tofu Salad Rolls with Cashew Dipping Sauce, Quick Pickled Carrots, or Almond Butter Tofu Stir-Fry.
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Green Cauliflower Rice (20 minutes!)
- Cauliflower Banh Mi
- Cashew-Crusted Cauliflower “Steak”
- Spicy Pickled Cauliflower (Escabeche)
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
General Tso’s Cauliflower
Ingredients
CAULIFLOWER
- 8 cups chopped cauliflower, bite-sized florets (1 medium-large head cauliflower as recipe is written)
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil (if avoiding oil, sub in a mix of chili garlic sauce and maple syrup)
- 3/4 tsp sea salt*
- 1/4 cup cornstarch*
SAUCE
- 2-3 tsp chili garlic sauce
- 3 Tbsp tamari (or 1/4 cup or 60 ml coconut aminos)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp minced ginger
- 2 small cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional for more heat)
FOR SERVING optional
- White or brown rice (or quinoa or coconut rice)
- Steamed veggies
- Thinly sliced green onion
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) and get out 2 large baking sheets (use more baking sheets or work in batches if making a larger batch). Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or foil (parchment paper typically isn’t safe at high temperatures). If using foil, lightly grease with additional oil to prevent sticking.
- Wash cauliflower and pat dry. In a large mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower with the oil and salt to coat. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and toss again to coat. Arrange the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet(s) in a single layer, allowing space between the florets to encourage crispiness. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until lightly browned and slightly crispy on the edges. Wipe the bowl clean for later use.
- Prepare the sauce in the same large mixing bowl. Whisk together the chili garlic sauce, tamari, maple syrup, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes (optional). Taste test and adjust as needed, adding more chili garlic sauce or red pepper flakes for heat, maple syrup for sweetness, or garlic or ginger for zing. We used the full amount of chili garlic sauce.
- When the cauliflower is lightly browned, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly. Then transfer it to the mixing bowl of sauce and toss to coat thoroughly.
- Spread the cauliflower out on the baking sheet again and reserve any extra marinade for serving. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until sizzling, golden brown on the edges, and tender (but not mushy).
- Optionally, serve the cauliflower with rice or quinoa and steamed veggies, and garnish with green onion, sesame seeds, and any leftover marinade.
- Best when fresh. Leftovers can be refrigerated in a sealed container up to 3 days and reheated in a 350°F (176 C) oven until warmed through. Not freezer friendly.
Video
Notes
*If avoiding corn, you can omit cornstarch and it will still be flavorful, but it won’t be crispy.
*Adapted from our General Tso’s Tofu and Korean-Style Cauliflower Wings.
Lissa says
Finally purchased my first air fryer & couldn’t wait to make this! Delish and cannot wait to make again! Wish I could post a picture to show how crispy it was!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lissa. Thank you for sharing! We’d love to see a photo! You can tag us on Facebook or Instagram if you’d like.
Alisha says
Love the flavor but it stuck so much on the foil, even with me greasing it with oil first. Any suggestions?
Oh no! Sorry that happened, Alisha. A silicone baking mat works best, or you could try a different brand of foil. We hope that does the trick for next time!
Sonia Hvozdulycz says
I’m looking over your recipe and it sounds as if it would be just great. However, I see we are supposed to add a prepared, purchased Chili Sauce. The ingredient list of your recipe already has: Vinegar, Salt, Garlic.
The Chili Sauce product you link to has: Vinegar, Salt, Garlic + Chili.
In other words, your recipe is only lacking the chili flavour. So, why not just add some prepared chili POWDER to the recipe instead of telling us to add the purchased Chili Sauce product? Yes, some additional moisture would be needed, as in a few tablespoons of water perhaps.
Thanks very much for your consideration of my viewpoint. Perhaps I missed something so I apologize in advance.
Hi Sonia, there are different types of chiles and the flavor from chili powder will not be the same as what the chili garlic sauce provides, but you could experiment with it with a varied result!
Emma says
I’ve made this recipe multiple times, its so good the whole family love it!
Amazing! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy the recipe, Emma. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Ayesha Tauqir-Ahmad says
This was easy and yummy . It’s so good there is less oil . I served with jasmine rice and airfried broccoli.
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Ayesha! Thank you for sharing! xo
Lori says
I thought it tasted fine. But it really didn’t remind me of General Tso’s. It didn’t get crispy although I increased the corn starch. And the sauce was off. I have made better cauliflower General Tso’s.
Sorry you didn’t love this one, Lori. It’s usually a favorite. We hope you have better luck with the next one!
Chris says
Can I give it 7 stars? This recipe was super delicious. I thought it would be good, but it was irresistibly yummy. My changes: I was in a hurry so cooled on the convection roast setting at 425F and it took about half the time. I didn’t have any scallions, but imagine that it would be even more delish with some thinly sliced scallions. Next time!
We ate this with some grilled chicken skewers that have a similar sauce . I abandoned the chicken in favor of the cauli, as did my husband.
We love this and will make it many more times. Easier than chicken, too!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Chris! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
May says
We really liked this cauliflower side dish. I used arrowroot for cornstarch, and substituted honey for maple syrup. I did end up using a tad more honey. Can’t wait to try this recipe with broccoli!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, May!
SM says
I followed recipe almost exactly (swapped in soy as I didn’t have tamari). But it did not crisp up. The edges browned for sure, but definitely no crisp. :(
Hi, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as you were hoping! It’s normal for it to be lightly crispy, just on the outside and edges. It won’t be like deep fried cauliflower, which would be more crispy. You could try air frying for more crispiness!
Danielle says
Really tasty! I ended up adding tofu, which also turned out well. I added the chili garlic sauce separately so our toddler could enjoy it as well. I added it to brown rice and topped with cilantro and sesame seeds. I’ll definitely make this again.
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Danielle!
Emily says
I LOVE this recipe. I’ve made a ton of MB recipes and this one is easily in my top 3 favorites. So easy to make, simple ingredients, and tastes incredible! I added some air fried tofu for a little extra protein and served it with roasted broccoli and quinoa. Perfection. This is definitely going to be on regular rotation for dinner in my house!! Thank you so much!
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear it, Emily. That meal sounds incredible! Thank you for sharing! xo
Jen says
This was so good! Question though, the cauliflower is perfectly crispy before adding the sauce and no matter what i do it seems to get soggy once I bake again with the sauce. Should i just coat in sauce and not bake again?
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jen! Hmm, we aren’t sure how it would turn out without baking again, but it might work. Or maybe try broiling at the end (watching closely to avoid burning)? Hope that helps!
Coby says
Deliciously spicy and garlicky! I love cauliflower in pretty much any form, and I love chili garlic sauce, so this recipe hit the spot. Even my husband, who gives all my veggie and vegan dishes major side-eye, took a bite and said, “This is the best way to eat cauliflower,” and proceeded to eat all the rest of it! This is definitely going in my rotation.
Whoop! That’s SO great to hear, Coby! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Kelly says
I LOVE this recipe!! I’ve made it about 6 times and it’s PERFECTION!! Maybe my fav MB recipe! Thank you!! P.s. I always make it when I’m dating someone I like and it impresses them every time ;) just sayin! Good if you have company over!
Ha, that’s brilliant, Kelly! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe! Thank you for sharing! xo
Margaret says
I substituted arrowroot for the corn starch and it worked perfectly well. I used the three tsps. of chili garlic sauce and double the rest of the sauce ingredients and I found it a bit spicy, but I have become more sensitive to spice. My husband enjoyed it too. Will definitely make again with less garlic chili sauce. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Margaret! We’re glad you both enjoyed it overall! xo
Morgan says
This has become a go-to recipe for our family! We’ve made this at least a dozen times so far without modifications and love it!! Perfectly spicy, nice texture. We tend to double the recipe without issues!
Amazing! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy it, Morgan! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Diane Vigilante says
This was phenomenal and my kids devoured it! Made it with the suggested coconut rice and my garlic lemon green beans. Who says veggie dishes are bland?! It was a crowd pleaser. Be sure to follow directions of spacing out cauliflower or it can get soggy instead of crispy.
Woohoo! We love to hear this. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Diane, we’re so glad you all enjoyed!
Arya says
delicious! i tripled the sauce and poured it all over steamed carrots and greens and a side of rice!
Amazing! Love that idea, Arya! Thank you for the wonderful review! xo
Alex says
So so good!! Put the cauliflower in some fresh spring rolls with other veg, dipped in the spicy “Thai” peanut sauce, would definitely recommend!
Yum – that sounds incredible, Alex! Thank you for sharing! xo
Jeff says
This is the BOMB!!! Do they still say that? Anyway I made this tonight and the whole family loved it. I cook mine in a convection oven. The texture and the flavors are perfect. You should start a recipe blog!!! LOL!!!
Jeff says
I did only use half of the garlic chili sauce and no extra red pepper flakes. Just the right amount of heat for me and my crew.
Ha! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jeff! Thank you for the lovely review!
Isabella says
Hi Minimalist Baker, will this recipe still work without the rice vinegar? Or is there a substitute?
Thanks,
Hi Isabella, it’s pretty key for balance, but perhaps lime juice or another vinegar (such as apple cider vinegar) would work. Let us know if you try it!
DJ says
My carnivore husband liked it so much he went for seconds. We liked the sauce so much that next time I will double it to drizzle over rice. The tofu prepared this way gives it the consistency of meat and the flavors pack a punch.
We love to hear this! Thanks for the great review! xo
Stac says
This is one of the best cauliflower recipes I’ve ever made. Didn’t change a thing. My kid doesn’t ordinarily like cauliflower but if I mince his portion and mix it in with the rice he loves it. Goes great with fresh summer rolls or a simple side of steamed/sauteed kale or broccoli. Highly recommend it.
Woohoo! We’re so glad to hear it! Thank you so much for the lovely review! xo
Valentina says
This recipe was absolutely delicious!! The only thing I did differently was use soy sauce in place of tamari/aminos and it worked great. We ate it with green beans, edamame, and rice. I was impressed by how crispy it came out.
Amazing! We love to hear this. Thanks for the lovely review, Valentina! xo
Danielle says
Absolutely loved this! Made it for dinner tonight and was blown away by the flavour!
Thank you so much, your recipes make eating healthy and plant based so much easier by not missing out on deliciousness.
Woohoo! We’re so glad to hear it, Danielle. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Nicole says
I’ve made this three times already and it’s officially my new favorite way to eat cauliflower. :)
Woohoo! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Nicole. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
sarah says
I’ve made this 3 times and agree – easy and delicious. Using 3 tsp chili garlic sauce is the right heat to sweet ratio for us. Only had leftovers once and they were great cold as an appetizer the next day!
Wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing, Sarah! xo
Patricia says
Made this last night and it was a hit. My non vegetarian partner loved it, so will definitely be another of your go to recipes in our home. So easy and quick, despite having to bake the cauliflower twice. I used soy sauce as had run out of tamari, so it was a little too salty, but I hadn’t read your notes, so my mistake. Thanks again!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Patricia! Thank you as always for sharing! xo
Erin says
Easy and delicious weeknight meal!! Definitely a keeper
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Erin! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Kira says
I am a HUGE fan of the general tso’s tofu recipe on this site – a staple recipe that I have made over and over again. So when I saw this I was excited to try another version. It is delicious but I think I would still turn to the tofu version. This is a great option though for those that don’t like tofu/have allergies.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Kira. We’re happy you enjoy both recipes! xo
Carole says
Made this the other night and wow- loved how simple it was! I didn’t have fresh ginger so I substituted powdered. Once again, another recipe that’ll become a staple in our house!
Woohoo! We’re so glad you enjoyed this one, Carole. Thank you for sharing! xo
KYLEIGH says
I don’t know if my cauliflower pieces were too large or I didn’t use enough salt or something, but baking it for 25 minutes up front made it super soggy/mushy. Normally when I make buffalo cauliflower, I only cook for 15 mintues and then another 8-10 after adding the sauce and it comes out perfect. The flavor was great though.
Hi Kyleigh, sorry to hear the texture didn’t turn out quite right! If they were too large, that could be the issue. Did they look similar to the photos?
Anita says
Fabulous! Simple and delicious, love it…yet again!! Enjoyed this with brown rice and steamed broccoli tonight!
Yay! Thank you so much for the lovely review, Anita! xo
Nikki J Evans says
I’m allergic to avocado. Is it best to sub in olive oil, canola oil or is there a different option? Thank you!
Hi Nikki, a high heat oil is best here. Sunflower oil or grapeseed oil would be our recommended alternatives to avocado oil. Hope you love it!
Sharon says
I brushed on coconut oil and it was delicious with the Thai flavoring!
Yum! Thanks for sharing!
Ana says
Another easy and delicious recipe!! I didn’t have corn starch so I used potato starch and worked perfect! Definitely will be adding this to my favorite dinner recipes!! Thanks!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for sharing, Ana! xoxo
Renee says
This was so delicious! I was pleased by how simple and hands off it was, yet so flavorful and satisfying. My only qualm is that in my personal opinion, with the recipe written as serving four, it’s not quite enough. Not a huge deal, but next time I just might 1.5 the recipe. Thank you for sharing this one!
Thank you for the feedback, Renee! We’re glad you still enjoyed it overall! xo
Ruth says
This looks so delicious! I bought cauliflower tonight so I can make it this weekend. Do you think I can substitute red curry paste for the chili garlic sauce?
That might work! Or an alternative we’d recommend is more garlic and more red pepper flakes. Let us know how you like it!
Ruth says
Well, I don’t know how the taste differs from the original recipe, but substituting red curry paste for the chili garlic sauce is a winner. I thought it tasted great! I served it with coconut rice (your recipe) and steamed broccoli. This is one of my new favorite recipes 👏👍🏼😋
Amazing! Love that coconut rice idea too. Might have to include it in the recipe =) Thank you for sharing, Ruth! xo
Patty says
What setting would you recommend if opting to us an air fryer vs. the oven?
Hi Patty, we don’t have much experience with an air fryer, so we’re not sure! If there’s a convection bake setting, perhaps try that. Let us know how it goes!
Heather says
Has anyone experimented or had ideas about substitutes for corn starch? Arrowroot powder, perhaps?
Hi Heather, we’d suggest omitting it or perhaps potato starch? Let us know if you try it!
Whitney says
This looks delish! Does the cauliflower stay crispy after soaking it in the sauce and then back in the oven? Don’t want to ruin the crisp obtained with the cornstarch! Wondering if it would be better to put the sauce on at the very end.
Hi Whitney, the cornstarch provides just a subtle crispiness (an air fryer might get it more crispy though!), while the sauce provides MEGA flavor and infuses into the cauliflower better with baking. So we wouldn’t recommend only adding at the end. Let us know how you like it!
Ramae says
This recipe looks wonderful, and I would love to try it. The chili garlic sauce in your link contains sodium bisulfite, which I avoid. Do you know of any more natural substitutions? Thank you!
Hi Ramae, you could sub more garlic and red pepper flakes. Let us know how it goes!
Sandy says
Hi, thanks for this great looking recipe. Can’t wait to try it but would arrowroot work instead of cornflour please?
Hi Sandy, We think it would be better to omit it in this one vs. using arrowroot. Hope you love it!
Sandy says
Thanks for your reply. Any chance Tapioca starch would work please. Just love the idea of the crispiness but don’t eat corn.
Hi Sandy, it’s a subtle crispiness, which is why we think leaving it out would be fine. We think both tapioca and arrowroot would be prone to getting slimy because the cauliflower releases moisture. The next best alternative would probably be potato starch? Or using an air fryer or convection setting would help with crispiness too.
Jenny says
This sounds absolutely perfect! Do you think it will work with arrowrot starch instead of corn starch?
Hi Jenny, We think it would be better to omit it in this one vs. using arrowroot.
Kat - the other 1 says
I have used a mix of almond flour and a little rice flour or potato starch (or whatever else was on hand) successfully with the buffalo “wings” , I don’t see why that wouldn’t work here.
Ps.
Instead of just serving with broccoli & pea pods, cook them in the sauce too! I can’t eat this recipe, but I’ve done the same with my version of the buffalo wings and was shocked that the broccoli was even better than the cauliflower! O.O
Heena says
This was an easy and flavorful recipe, I added a pinch of 5 spice powder along with salt with before baking the cauliflower. I love cauliflower and this recipe took it to a whole new flavor level
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Heena! Thank you for the lovely review! xo