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  • Jeeca Jeeca
  • - May 18, 2023
  • - 4:41 am

Garlic Pepper Tofu (Peeler Technique!)

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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 flavors.

Garlic Pepper Tofu Vegan Recipe

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.

Garlic Pepper Tofu Vegan Recipe

WHAT KIND OF TOFU SHOULD I USE?

You need to use extra firm tofu or anything firmer like pressed super firm tofu or even baked tofu. Anything less firm won’t hold up well and easily break apart.

I used extra firm tofu from the brand Nature’s Soy and found it to really be super firm and easy to deal with little to no breakage.

PEELING TOFU

I used a peeler to get thin strips, which makes it so much easier for the tofu to absorb the flavors of the sauce. Plus, it’s also a joy to eat these thin strips of tofu that become somewhat chewy and even crisp on the edges.

Peeled Extra firm or super firm tofu

Using thin strips of peeled tofu is also a great base for other recipes where you want to mimic a certain texture of appearance – like tofu ‘bacon’!

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS GARLIC PEPPER TOFU

You’ll find the full printable recipe in the card below!

Tofu

  • 10 oz extra firm tofu or super firm tofu (see notes)
  • Neutral oil

Sauce

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp veg oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1.5 tbsp maple syrup or other sweetener, adjust to taste
  • 1 tbsp mirin or sake (see notes)
  • 2 tbsp water

Stir fry

  • Neutral oil
  • 6 cloves minced garlic half for crispy garlic
  • 1 green onion chopped (green and white parts separated)
  • Sliced bell peppers or other veggies of choice
  • Roasted sesame oil to finish

For Serving

  • Steamed rice
  • Crispy garlic
  • Chopped green onions green parts
  • Sesame seeds

PREPARE THE EXTRA FIRM TOFU

  • Drain the tofu from water and pat-dry or press. See notes for tips on choosing extra firm tofu.
Extra firm or super firm tofu
Extra firm or super firm tofu

PEEL THE TOFU

  • Thinly slice the tofu using a peeler. Smaller broken pieces are perfectly fine!
Peeling Extra firm or super firm tofu
Peeling Extra firm or super firm tofu
Peeled Extra firm or super firm tofu
Peeled Extra firm or super firm tofu
Peeled Extra firm or super firm tofu

AIR-FRY THE TOFU

  • Place the strips of tofu on your air-fryer basket. I lined mine with parchment paper.
  • Spray or brush some oil on the tofu. Air fry for 6 mins at 350F or until lightly brown and crisp on the edges. 
  • Don’t air fry for too long since this will yield very crispy tofu that can harden when it cools. I like keeping my tofu lightly grown with white parts so they still have that nice chew and absorb sauces better when stir-frying.
  • You may also need to cook the tofu in batches depending on the size of your air-fryer.
Air frying peeled Peeled Extra firm or super firm tofu
Air-fried Peeled Extra firm or super firm tofu
Crispy peeled Extra firm or super firm tofu

DON’T HAVE AN AIRFRYER?

  • If you don’t have an air-fryer, you can opt to quickly pan-fry the tofu on a non-stick pan with some oil until lightly crisp on both sides.

MAKE THE SAUCE/MARINADE

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by mixing everything together. Feel free to adjust to your desired taste. Set aside

Garlic pepper sauce

COOKING THE GARLIC PEPPER TOFU

  • Heat a pan or wok with some oil. Once hot, add half of the minced garlic. Allow too cook until golden brown and crispy. Drain from the oil. Set aside.
  • In the same pan or wok, cook the remaining garlic and white parts of the green onion. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes over medium high heat.
  • Add in the bell peppers or any vegetables of your choice. Cook until tender.
  • Add in the thin tofu strips. Pour over the sauce. Mix well and leave the sauce to come to a boil over medium heat.
  • The sauce will start to thicken from the sugars. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat or until the sauce is reduced.
  • Taste the tofu and feel free to season with more soy sauce or sweetener, if needed.
  • Turn off the heat. Add some sesame oil to finish. Mix well.
Cooking Garlic Pepper Tofu Vegan Recipe
Cooking Garlic Pepper Tofu Vegan Recipe
Garlic Pepper Tofu Vegan Recipe

ENJOY YOUR TOFU

  • You can serve the tofu over rice. Garnish the tofu with the crispy garlic, green onions, and sesame seeds. Enjoy while hot!
  • The tofu is super versatile and you can also enjoy this with noodles or even in wraps.
Garlic Pepper Tofu Vegan Recipe
Garlic Pepper Tofu Vegan Recipe

MORE TOFU RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE:

You can also check out my other vegan tofu recipes here or down below:

Check out my tips on how to store tofu!

  • Cold Silken Tofu with Sweet Chili Sauce
  • Tofu Sisig
  • Shredded Tofu ‘Bulgogi’
  • Maple Hoisin Tofu
  • Baked Peanut and Lime Tofu
  • Kung Pao Tofu
  • Pineapple Cashew Tofu Stir-Fry
  • Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu
  • Black Pepper Tofu Steaks
  • Tofu “Chicken” Teriyaki
Garlic Pepper Tofu Vegan Recipe

Garlic Pepper Tofu (Peeled Tofu Technique!)

5 from 2 votes
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.
Print Recipe Pin this Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Chinese, Fusion
Servings 3 people
Calories 302 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Tofu

  • 10 oz extra firm tofu or super firm tofu (see notes)
  • Neutral oil

Sauce

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp veg oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1.5 tbsp maple syrup or other sweetener, adjust to taste
  • 1 tbsp mirin or sake (see notes)
  • 2 tbsp water

Stir fry

  • Neutral oil
  • 6 cloves minced garlic half for crispy garlic
  • 1 green onion chopped (green and white parts separated)
  • Sliced bell peppers or other veggies of choice
  • Roasted sesame oil to finish

For Serving

  • Steamed rice
  • Crispy garlic
  • Chopped green onions green parts
  • Sesame seeds

Instructions
 

  • Drain the tofu from water and pat-dry or press. See notes for tips on choosing extra firm tofu.
  • Thinly slice the tofu using a peeler. Smaller broken pieces are perfectly fine!

AIR FRYING TOFU

  • Place the strips of tofu on your air-fryer basket. I lined mine with parchment paper.
  • Spray or brush some oil on the tofu. Air fry for 6 mins at 350F or until lightly brown and crisp on the edges.
  • Don’t air fry for too long since this will yield very crispy tofu that can harden when it cools. I like keeping my tofu lightly grown with white parts so they still have that nice chew and absorb sauces better when stir-frying.
  • You may also need to cook the tofu in batches depending on the size of your air-fryer.

DON'T HAVE AN AIRFRYER?

  • If you don't have an air-fryer, you can opt to quickly pan-fry the tofu on a non-stick pan with some oil until lightly crisp on both sides.

PREPARE THE SAUCE

  • Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by mixing everything together. Feel free to adjust to your desired taste. Set aside

COOKING THE GARLIC PEPPER TOFU

  • Heat a pan or wok with some oil. Once hot, add half of the minced garlic. Allow too cook until golden brown and crispy. Drain from the oil. Set aside.
  • In the same pan or wok, cook the remaining garlic and white parts of the green onion. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes over medium high heat.
  • Add in the bell peppers or any vegetables of your choice. Cook until tender.
  • Add in the thin tofu strips. Pour over the sauce. Mix well and leave the sauce to come to a boil over medium heat.
  • The sauce will start to thicken from the sugars. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat or until the sauce is reduced.
  • Taste the tofu and feel free to season with more soy sauce or sweetener, if needed.
  • Turn off the heat. Add some sesame oil to finish. Mix well.
  • Serve over rice. Garnish the tofu with the crispy garlic, green onions, and sesame seeds. Enjoy while hot!

Notes

EXTRA FIRM TOFU

  • You can look for extra firm tofu that’s vacuum sealed in packs and not submerged in water. These can sometimes be called extra firm or super firm tofu as well, and can come pressed so you no longer have to press these. They are very very firm and easy to work with since they’re very compressed and won’t break apart.
  • You can check y0ur local Asian grocery or supermarket for packs such as this one
  • If using extra firm tofu that easily breaks apart when peeling, you can opt to press the tofu well then thinly slice it before air-frying.
  • I used extra firm tofu from the brand Nature’s Soy.
SAKE OR MIRIN
  • You can also use other rice or cooking wines of choice. If using other cooking wines that aren’t as sweet, you can add some more sweetener to taste, if needed.
  • You can also opt to completely leave out the cooking wine if desired. Do note that the flavor will be slightly different.

NUTRITIONAL INFO

Serving: 1serving (tofu) | Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 666mg | Potassium: 307mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1086IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a rating or comment and share a photo on Instagram, and tag me @thefoodietakesflight or use #thefoodietakesflight 🙂

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Garlic Pepper Tofu Vegan Recipe

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Robyn 22 May 2023 Reply

    5 stars
    Made this last night and absolutely loved it! It can be hard finding somthing both my kids love and boy did they love this! Will definitely be making this again.

    1. Jeeca 23 May 2023 Reply

      Hi Robyn, really glad you and your kids liked it! Thanks for giving it a try ◡̈

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Noodles The Foodie Takes Flight

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I’m Jeeca, a food content creator and recipe developer passionate about creating easy yet tasty and flavour-packed vegan recipes. I share a lot of Asian recipes inspired by my travels and those I grew up enjoying.

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