Garlic Pepper Tofu (Peeler 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 flavors.

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.

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.

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.

PEEL THE TOFU

Thinly slice the tofu using a peeler. Smaller broken pieces are perfectly fine!

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

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

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.

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.

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!

Garlic Pepper Tofu (Peeled Tofu Technique!)

5 from 7 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.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese, Fusion

Servings people

Calories 302 kcal