Easy Chili Garlic Tofu
Crispy chewy tofu in a delicious thick chili garlic sauce, perfect served over rice or noodles for a satisfying homemade fakeaway.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 288kcal
Ingredients
- 17.5 oz tofu
- 1½ Tablespoons neutral oil see notes, divided
- 1 small red pepper
- 1 small green pepper
- 1 large or two small onions
Sauce
- 1½ Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1½ cups vegetable stock
- 1½ Tablespoons vinegar see notes
- 3 Tablespoons honey or agave/maple syrup for vegans
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2-3 Tablespoons chili garlic sauce see notes
- 1 Tablespoon ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch* see notes
Instructions
- Press the tofu briefly or for up to 30 minutes by wrapping it in a clean towel and pressing firmly with your hands on either side or by placing a weight (e.g. a cast iron pan) on it for up to 30 minutes.
- Chop the tofu into one-inch cubes.
- Add one tablespoon of the oil to a large skillet or large non-stick frying pan and heat on medium-high heat. When hot add the tofu and fry 2-3 minutes on each side until the tofu is browned and crispy (see notes for air frying or baking instructions)
- Chop the onion and peppers.
- Rremove the tofu from the pan and add the remaining half tablespoon of oil, increasing heat to high. Add the chopped vegetables when the oil is very hot and stir fry for three minutes until softened.
- Whisk together all the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch, and add to the pan along with the fried tofu. Mix to combine. When boiling, reduce the heat slightly and leave to cook for five minutes.
- Whisk the cornstarch with two tablespoons of water to make a slurry and add to the pan. Quickly stir to distribute the cornstarch and increase the heat to high. When the mixture is at a lively simmer, reduce the heat slightly and cook for three minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking.
- Done! Taste and adjust salt if needed, and increase the chili garlic sauce if you want it spicier.
Notes
Oil - you can use any neutral-tasting oil, like canola, sunflower, corn, or vegetable oil.
Vinegar - use any mild vinegar like ACV, rice vinegar, red or white wine vinegar, etc.
Chili garlic sauce - use Huy Fong or Lee Kum Kee brands. Two tablespoons is mild-medium spicy; three should be medium-hot spicy.
Cornstarch - I add one tablespoon as I like the sauce a little looser to soak into steamed rice, but you can increase it to one and a half tablespoons if you want the tofu in a very thick, sticky sauce.
Air frying or baking the tofu - Air-fry the tofu for 12 minutes or bake for 30 minutes, in both cases at 400ºF (200ºF), and flip the tofu over halfway.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 834mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g