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.
This is my absolute fave tofu dish! Everyone loves it.
Served it over stir fried vegetables and chow mein noodles. Everyone loved it!
Excellent taste and so easy to make
I needed to double the batch which gave me extra marinade. I sauteed broccoli and a red and orange pepper pulling out 2 tbsp of the marinade. Very good! I do not have a cast iron pan so I actually tried to crisp up the tofu in the oven on 425 but ended up using my frying pan to do the crisping. The tofu was very tasty. I also used Udon noodles instead of rice. The sesame seeds and green onions added another layer of flavor. I thought this was a great recipe for using tofu, which i try to include in our monthly dinner rotation. Very good dish!
The picture you use shows broccoli in the dish, but broccoli isn’t even listed in the ingredients… I made the sauce, which tastes fine, but wish you would use your own photography instead of stealing other creator’s work. Makes me wonder if you even made this dish yourself, or used someone else’s recipe too. I haven’t taken a look at your other recipes, but I hope you at least have some original work on this blog.
Every single photo on this blog is one I have taken myself Tina. The broccoli is a side and not included in the recipe because it is simple steamed broccoli.
Absolutely Yummy!
Great recipe, I serve it with some stir fry veggies and noodles, and you don’t need the sugar I’ve made this recipe both ways, hoisin sauce has enough sugar in it. This country has become too sugar endowed. Great recipe, enjoy. 😁
Wowwwww! This is so scrumptious! I just made it, and it didn’t make it out of the pan! I ate the whole thing standing at the stove. The tofu was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside without having lost any texture. The marinade was perfect. I didn’t adjust a thing. This recipe is going into my weekly rotation. Now I need to check out your other recipes!
Looking for tofu recipes! Will try some of yours!
Delicious dish,placed over forbidden rice with Mediterranean zucchini salad on the side. Heavenly! Family visiting and all want the recipe ❤