15 Delicious Tofu Recipes You Need To Try!

Here are 15+ delicious tofu recipes you need to try! Tofu is one of the main ingredients I work with for my Vegan Asian recipes. Tofu is such a versatile ingredient that can be used in many different ways.

It’s become the perfect vessel to carry flavor, or in some cases create an enjoyable silky texture, which is also a great source of plant-based protein.

TYPES OF TOFU

For my recipes, I use mostly extra firm tofu (or tokwa), and silken or soft tofu.

USES FOR EXTRA FIRM TOFU

I use extra firm tofu mostly for recipes where I want a heartier and meatier consistency. This type of tofu contains less water so it’s a lot firmer and holds up a lot better to stir-frying, sautéing, baking, etc. For recipes such as my Shredded Tofu Bulgogi, I use extra firm tofu that I press and grate before air-frying to remove excess water and yield a texture almost similar to minced meat. I also use extra firm tofu in recipes to create tofu balls (check out my Soy Garlic Tofu Balls recipe) since it holds up better and can be shaped in different ways.

USES FOR SILKEN OR SOFT TOFU

For silken or soft tofu, I don’t stir-fry, bake, or sauté this. I mix it in thick sauces or pour a good sauce over it, and it’s so silky and enjoyably texture-wise.

Silken tofu can also come in a tube - this is Korean sundubu or soft tofu.

For other kinds, you'll also find silken or soft tofu in a regular plastic container so they come in blocks as well.

Check out my recipes such as Mapo Tofu, where I create deliciously spicy and rich sauce with plant-based ground meat (or mushrooms) and fold in silken tofu simmering the sauce. This is perfect with rice!

If you’re looking to switch up your tofu game, then take a look at the 15 delicious tofu recipes you need to try below! 

Here’s a quick rundown of the recipes you’ll find in this round-up! 

USING EXTRA FIRM (OR FIRM TOFU)

• Shredded Tofu Bulgogi
• Garlic Pepper Tofu
• Pan-Fried Tofu with Ginger Scallion Sauce
• Chili Lime Basil Tofu
• Easy Air-Fryer Sweet Chili Tofu
• Three Cup Tofu
• Hot Maple Tofu Bites
• Soy Garlic Tofu Balls
• Tofu and Chive Wontons in Chili Broth
• Tofu with Marsala Mushrooms & Shallots
• Sweet Chili Tofu with Curry Leaves
• Filipino Sausages (Longganisa) 
• Salt and Pepper Tofu
• Filipino Style Tofu Steak
• Kung Pao Tofu
• Tofu Cashew Stir-Fry
• Teriyaki Tofu Katsu
• Black Pepper Tofu Steaks
• Tofu Adobo (Adobong Tokwa)
• Minced Tofu in Spicy Black Bean Sauce
• Easy Tofu Stir-Fry with Veg Oyster Sauce

USING SILKEN/SOFT TOFU

• Steamed Tofu with Soy Garlic Sauce
• Mapo Tofu
• Garlic Chili Oil Tofu

You'll find all the recipes down below. Click on the 'get the recipe' button for each one! Happy cooking!

1

Shredded Tofu Bulgogi Rice Bowl

Shredding tofu and baking or air-frying it to draw out excess creates a unique texture that almost resembles ground meat. This shredded tofu is cooked down in a bulgogi-style sauce that’s spicy, savoury, a little sweet, and oh-so flavourful. It’s a delicious tofu recipe you can prepare to serve over rice.

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2

Garlic Pepper Tofu (Peeled Tofu Technique!)

Garlic Pepper Tofu - thin strips of tofu cooked down in a savoury sauce packed with all the garlicky and peppery goodness. I used a peeler to get thin strips of extra firm tofu that I air-fry to draw out any excess moisture and cook down in the sauce to soak up all the flavours. Adding other vegetables to the stir-fry is a great way to use up any extra produce and add in those veggies. Serve this over rice to make a delicious bowl for lunch or dinner.

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3

Pan-Fried Tofu with Ginger Scallion Sauce

Slices of tofu pan-fried in an aromatic ginger-scallion oil and cooked down in a sweet-savory sauce. Once cooked, the tofu is finished with more of the tasty and earthy ginger scallion sauce. Enjoy this served with rice or noodles for a delicious meal.

The ginger scallion sauce is also very versatile and can be used in many ways - wether as a base for stir-fries, mixed in noodles, a base for sauces, and more. Ginger scallion sauce is one of those condiments that I can never get enough of.

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4

Chili Lime Basil Tofu

Chili Lime Basil Tofu - shredded tofu cooked down in a sweet, spicy, savory, and tangy sauce with fresh aromatic basil leaves make a tasty tofu recipe you’re sure to enjoy over rice. I used the shredded tofu technique to create a meaty texture for this recipe. Shredding tofu and baking or air-frying it to draw out excess moisture creates a unique texture that almost resembles ground meat.

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5

Air Fryer Sweet Chili Tofu

This Air Fryer Sweet Chili Tofu is an easy hands-off way to cook and prepare tofu. The tofu is sliced halfway through in a criss-cross pattern to allow the sauces to seep through the cuts. The tofu is best left to marinate overnight to absorb the flavors from a sweet and spicy sauce that will thicken into an almost glaze-like consistency that’ll coat the tofu after cooking. You can enjoy this tofu with rice, noodles, in wraps, or even with salads!

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6

Three Cup Tofu (San Bei, 三杯豆腐)

This Taiwanese Three Cup Tofu is packed with fragrant ginger, garlic, and fresh basil leaves in a savoury, sticky, and somewhat sweet sauce. Three Cup or San Bei (三杯) is composed of three key ingredients: sesame oil, soy sauce, and cooking wine. It doesn’t require 3 cups of each but usually equal parts of each are used.

The sauce is delicious savoury and slightly sweet that pairs perfect with rice. The sauce goes so well in a variety of different dishes and for this version, it’s cooked with pieces of tofu. The fresh Thai basil gives this dish even more flavour and texture.

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7

Hot Maple Tofu Bites (Vegan Recipe)

These hot maple tofu bites are addictive and perfect to snack on! The hot maple glaze (or sauce) is a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory. The pieces of tofu are dipped in a batter then coated in a bread crumb mix before being cooked to a golden brown crisp. You can then opt to serve the glaze by pouring it over the tofu and mixing well to coat each piece when ready to enjoy or have it as a dipping sauce.

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8

Soy Garlic Tofu Balls

These are my favourite air-fried tofu balls cooked down in a deliciously sweet, savoury, and garlicky Soy Garlic Sauce. This is best enjoyed with rice or noodles and you can also use this sauce for tofu, veggies, and even store-bought plant based meat balls!

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9

Tofu and Chive Wontons in Chili Broth

Homemade Tofu and Chive Wontons filled with homegrown garlic chives from my garden! I used frozen tofu that creates this much meatier texture. I boiled my wontons but you can also steam or even deep fry yours. I served my wontons with an aromatic chili broth.

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10

Tofu with Marsala Mushrooms and Shallots

This pan-fried tofu with marsala mushrooms and shallots pack all the flavor and aroma from a mix of shallots, fresh mushrooms, thyme, vegan butter, and of course the marsala wine, that adds a rice aroma and caramelized flavor to this dish. I used tofu as my protein to pair with the very tasty mushrooms but you’re free to use other protein of choice to pair with this.

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11

Sweet Chili Tofu with Curry Leaves

A tasty, saucy, and aromatic Sweet Chili Tofu with Curry Leaves. Stir-frying freshly picked curry leaves with green onions and garlic releases and adds so much flavor and aroma to this tofu recipe. The sauce is a balance of sweet, spicy, and savory that perfect compliments the aromatics. Serve this with steamed rice for a really satisfying meal.

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12

Vegan Longganisa (Filipino Sausages)

Longganisa is a type of Filipino sausage distinct for its sweet and garlicky flavors. It’s a very popular breakfast food in the Philippines, but can be enjoy any time of the day. I grew up eating what we'd call 'Longsilong' which was basically Longganisa (for the 'long'), garlic fried rice or 'sinangag' (for 'si'), and an egg (itlog, for 'log').

It's very popular and is easily one of my favorite comfort foods. This vegan version of longganisa uses a mix of extra firm tofu or tokwa and minced mushrooms that I seasoned and shaped into small links before pan-frying to create a plant-based version of a Filipino classic.

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13

Steamed Silken Tofu with Soy Garlic Sauce

This Steamed Silken Tofu with Soy Garlic Sauce is simple but packed full of flavour from the delicious aromatic sauce. Steaming tofu is one of our go-to ways to prepare tofu at home whenever we’re having congee or just want a hearty side to enjoy with rice and other viands. The sauce is easily customisable and you can of course adjust everything depending on your preferred taste.

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14

Vegan Mapo Tofu

This is my vegan take on the classic Chinese Sichuan dish, Mapo Tofu. It’s distinct for its spicy, red numbing sauce made with chili oil, doubanjiang or fermented broad bean paste, and aromatic numbing Sichuan peppercorns. This is traditionally made with soft tofu and minced beef or pork so for this vegan version I opted to use plant-based ground meat to mimic that texture. Pair this with a bowl of steamed rice for a comforting and satisfying flavor-packed meal.

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15

Garlic Chili Oil Cold Tofu

A refreshing yet really hearty garlic chili oil cold tofu that you can enjoy as a starter, a side dish, or as a main with a bowl of noodles or steamed rice. This is a super easy and delicious meal that’s ready in no time. It’s also great for summer months or those days when you want something easy yet delicious to make. A generous amount of minced garlic takes this garlic chilli oil to the next level, along with a delicate balance of sweet, savoury, and sour notes from the sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar.

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+ 9 MORE TOFU RECIPES

16

Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu

Try this Chinese restaurant-style Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu! 
These are coated pieces of tofu cubes cooked to a crisp before being sautéed with an aromatic blend of salt, white pepper, Chinese five spices, garlic, onions, and some chilies for extra spice! This is perfect if you're craving take-out too and is great for sharing.

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17

Teriyaki Tofu Katsu

This Teriyaki Tofu Katsu are slabs of tofu coated in breadcrumbs and cooked until golden brown and crisp. Served over steamed short grain rice then topped off with homemade teriyaki sauce. Finished off with some togarashi or Japanese seven spice blend.

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18

Filipino Style Tofu Steak (Tokwa Bistek)

If Japanese Style Crispy Tofu or Agedashi Tofu and Filipino Bistek Tagalog had a vegan baby — this Filipino Style Tofu Steak is it! These Filipino Style Tofu Steaks or Tokwa Bistek are fried slabs of tofu with a thick savoury and tangy sauce drizzled over and topped with sautéed white onions for that extra texture and sweetness. This is delicious with a bowl of steamed rice or Filipino garlic rice (singangag!)

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19

Kung Pao Tofu (宫爆豆腐)


A delicious and better-than-takeout Chinese Kung Pao Tofu or Gōng bào dòufu! These are crisp pieces of tofu in a deliciously savoury, sticky, sweet, sour sauce with a kick of numbing spice from Szechuan peppercorns and that extra crunch from the peanuts.This is a vegan and vegetarian friendly recipe perfect paired this with rice for a super tasty and satisfying meal!

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20

Black Pepper Tofu “Chicken” Steaks

Really “meaty” tofu coated in a peppery, slightly sweet, and really savoury sauce served over rice and a side of sautéed vegetables. These pieces of tofu really go well over salads, in wraps, sandwiches, or even as is!

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21

Filipino Tofu Adobo (Adobong Tokwa)

This Vegan Tofu Adobo or Adobong Tokwa is a vegan take on the classic Filipino dish, that’s commonly cooked using chicken or pork. This version uses tokwa, which is tofu in Filipino that I sliced into cubes and pan-fried to crisp before cooking down adobo-style. It’s packed full of flavour with the tofu acting like sponges and absorbing all the flavour. You can’t pass off on rice with this dish!

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22

Minced Tofu with Spicy Black Bean Sauce

I love a good rice bowl and this Minced Tofu with Spicy Black Bean Sauce used extra firm tofu that I crumble and cook until it resembles a minced meat texture before cooking it down in an umami-packed spicy black bean sauce with Chinese fermented black beans as a base. This is an easy chinese vegan recipe!

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23

Cashew Tofu Stir-Fry

This cashew tofu stir-fry is inspired by my favourite Chinese take-out. Packed with roasted cashews, aromatic scallions, ginger, garlic, bell pepper, and of course the tofu, everything is cooked down in a sweet, savoury, and spicy sauce that brings everything together. You’re sure to love the different textures and want to scoop over the pieces of cashews and scallions coated in the sauce over your rice!

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24

Quick Tofu Stir-Fry with Oyster Sauce (Vegan)

This Filipino-style quick tofu stir-fry with vegan oyster sauce is inspired by the saucy, savory tofu dishes you’ll often find in Filipino restaurants. It’s loaded with onions, bell peppers, and a bit of chili for heat. It’s simple, comforting, and best enjoyed with garlic rice (sinangag)!

It comes together fast, making it perfect for weeknights or anytime you’re craving something flavorful with less effort.

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