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.
If you cube up your extra firm tofu (don’t press out the water) and then freeze it overnight it makes all these little holes in the tofu that soak up your sauce. My Chinese friend says that it makes the tofu better.
Great recipe. It’s identical to the Epicurious recipe. I’m not sure who copied who but I love it! It’s my go-to recipe for an easy, satisfying dinner. I put all of the marinade in a large sealable plastic bag and add tofu to marinate. I also bake the tofu instead of pan fry and find it comes out delicious without using added oil, saving some fat calories. There’s enough oil in the marinade to bake on a sheet pan.
How did you back for and at what temperature? Did you still dry out the tofu prior to putting it in the oven?
Bake at 400°F on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for 25-30 minutes. Flip tofu only if you need to half way through cooking time – it depends on what kind of sauce you use)
Yum!!
Tip from a Chinese person: You can skip the step where you dry out the firm tofu step by buying a package of fried tofu in the refrigerated section of your local Asian or Chinese grocery store. Cube up the tofu and then marinate. Easy!
A great recipe that can be customized to individual taste (eg we added a lot more ginger and spicy sesame oil for a greater kick)
I tried this dinner tonight… Im not a vegetarian but I have found that when cooked the right way ( tofu stir fry from the chinese place) I like tofu. So Im trying to get into cooking it as an occasional substitution for meat. I used this recipe and threw in some stir fried vegetables. I served it with noodles. The sauce is okay. I think the marinating it makes the difference and making sure you get as much liquid as you can out of fhe tofu. I wouldnt make it again but I think the writer made a good effort. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I’m quite accustomed to cooking tofu, being a vegetarian. I usually spend over an hour baking it to dry it out first, but I wanted to give this way a try. It mostly fell apart on me, and was still really soft once done. I do love the flavor, although in the future I would add a tad less red pepper flake, and add a bit more sugar and hoisin sauce. Along with a very short “marinade” time.
Why not? Just tofu isn’t written in stone. Cooking is about imagination & experimentation.
Did you use extra firm tofu? Did you let it dry out completely? Sometimes that happens when I use anything less than extra firm alone with not allowing it to completely & accurately dry out.
This is the recipe that made tofu put a foot in our household. And it’s still there. Thank you !
A
Can I add chicken and can I use whatever frozen veggies I want?
Spare the chicken’s life and just use tofu … just as delicious and no animal harmed 🙂
Why not? Just tofu isn’t written in stone. Cooking is about imagination & experimentation.
Wonderful recipe. I served with stir fry vegtables with a homemade vegan Asian sauce and jasmine rice. My meat eating husband and son said we should have it every week. 😳😊❤️
Like it a lot
My thoughts exactly