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
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Absolutely delicious 😋 even my tofu hating meat lovers liked this and asked I make it again. Thanks for this yummy recipe. Definitely the newest addition to our home menu. Took the scallions and cut the tops for garnish and sliced the bottoms julienne and added them right at the end for extra flavor.
Looking forward to making this! Thanks for the plant based recipe, I’ll be on the lookout for more. Yummy!
Yum! My husband always loves when I make this, and so do I. It’s not a *quick* weeknight dinner, so plan accordingly, but so delicious. Cast iron pan makes everything better!
Making this with honey garlic instead but following the rest! Can’t wait! Never used tofu before!
Being environmentally friendly, we use cloth napkins to soak the water from tofu and just wash them with the laundry. We’re in the process of purchasing a tofu press, though. It will eliminate any need for towels. A friend recommended the ToFuture press.
Yup, when it comes to the environment, those loads of dirty water and laundry soap — and the electricity used for the dryer — sure beat using a few paper towels.
@ Stephanie
when you throw them in with your other laundry, there really is no extra water, electricity, soap that is used. I suggest you take your negative energy elsewhere, Karen, and let other people do as they please.
I cook with tofu all the time. Just wrap it snuggly in a clean tea towel and put something heavy on it for an hour or so. It is just water that comes out. I cant say I’ve ever heard of a tofu press before but sounds like a waste of money.
Really? This is not the place for arguing over the environment, Karen.
Omitted the soy sauce and it is still so delicious.
So good. I often don’t like hoisin sauce as it can taste too much like molasses to me, but it worked so well in here! I added cornstarch to the mixture before frying and it came out nice and crispy on the outside.
How big is a serving size? And does the calorie nutrition information include the rice?
I am a reluctant meat-eater and since trying tofu this year, I always love finding new recipes for it! I bought extra-firm tofu, pressed it for ~2 hours while I took a soothing bath. I was able to leave it on its own and get a lot of moisture out of it by first wrapping it in napkins, then a kitchen rag. I didn’t want to waste a lot of napkins, but I didn’t want lint on my tofu either. It worked very well! The rag was soaked! I prepared this dish without ginger or rice, and with 2 stalks of green onion, lettuce, and broccoli. I am intuitively not a cook (despite working in a kitchen for 2+ years) but this recipe was so easy even I made it, and deliciously so!
This recipe is so good!! I think I’ve been living under a rock because I’ve never used Hoisin sauce before. It is so delicious. I bake the tofu because I always burn it on the stove. But either way, this sauce is amazing!