Asian Garlic Tofu

Asian Garlic Tofu cooks up crispy with tons of salty, sweet, and spicy flavor. Serve with broccoli and rice for a fantastically delicious vegetarian meal.

My daughter has been a vegetarian for 2 years. Or maybe it has been 3 years. I can’t even remember. Every now and then I like to share some of her favorite things to eat like Orange Cauliflower and Vegetarian BBQ Nachos.

She doesn’t like beans so tofu is a major source of protein for her. I actually really like to cook with tofu and eat it as well. I love that it has a very neutral flavor that lends itself to being paired with all kinds of seasonings and ingredients.

It’s hard to get tofu crispy but it is possible if you start with super firm tofu and wrap it in paper towels (lots of them) and set something heavy on top. I use a cast iron pan (they are so handy!)

The longer you let it sit, the better. And replace the paper towels a few times. They will get completely wet.

A quick marinade in a mixture of Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a little sugar gives the tofu plenty of flavor.

One more trick to crispy tofu is cooking it in a cast iron pan and heating it well before you add the tofu. Move the tofu around as little as possible. I let it get a nice sear on the bottom and then flip the pieces and let them get a sear on a second side.

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Watch the video below to see how to make Asian Garlic Tofu

Asian Garlic Tofu

4.80 from 124 votes

By Christin Mahrlig

Prep: 1 hour hr

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 2 servings

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Asian Garlic Tofu is a vegetarian meal full of salty, sweet, and spicy flavor.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 package super firm tofu
• ▢ 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic,, minced
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ▢ green onions for garnish
• ▢ rice for serving

Instructions 

• Remove tofu from packaging. Place about 4 paper towels on a plate. Set tofu on top of plate and cover with more paper towels. Place a cast iron pan or something else that is heavy on top. Let sit 30 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, stir together Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
• Cut tofu into bite-sized pieces. Place in bowl with sauce and toss to coat. Let sit 30 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a medium cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Once really hot, add tofu. Once nicely seared on the bottom, flip over. Continue to cook until seared on bottom.
• Drizzle with sesame oil and remove from heat.
• Sprinkle with green onions and serve with rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 352kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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