Shredding tofu and baking or air-frying it to draw out excess moisture creates a unique texture that almost resembles ground meat. This shredded tofu bulgogi bowl is cooked down in a 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.
WHAT KIND OF TOFU IS BEST TO USE?
Using extra firm tofu or tokwa is key for this recipe. Firm might work too but can easily crumble. Silken or soft tofu will most definitely not work since it won’t be able to hold up when shredded.
SHREDDED TOFU
I first stumbled upon this shredded tofu technique on Tiktok and don’t recall exactly whose video i saw but was really intrigued and decided to give it a try. I love how the tofu comes out almost like minced meat, texture-wise, since baking or air frying it really draws out extra moisture from the tofu.
I cooked mine until golden brown and crisp on the edges while some pieces are still white and soft so when you add everything together, you get a really nice mix of textures.
The shredded tofu itself is a great vessel for any kind of sauce or marinade you like but I opted for a bulgogi style sauce.
BULGOGI SAUCE
This bulgogi sauce is inspired by Korean bulgogi. I love to use gochujang because of its distinct heat with a nice hint of sweetness and of course it’s umami. It’s also thick so helps bring the sauce together.
I added some grated Asian pear (grated Fuji apple works amazing too) for extra sweetness to the sauce.
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS TOFU RECIPE
You can find the full printable recipe in the card below! 🙂
TOFU
- 17.5 oz extra firm tofu
BULGOGI SAUCE
- 1/2 cup asian pear grated
- 1-2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1.5 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1.5 tsp grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced
TO SERVE
- Chopped green onions
- Sesame seeds
- Steamed rice, I used short grain or Japanese sushi rice
STEPS
FOR THE SHREDDED TOFU
- Remove the tofu from the water and drain from any excess water. Using a cheese grater, carefully grate the tofu into shreds.
- Meanwhile, preheat your air-fryer or oven to 350F/180C.
- On a lined baking tray or air fryer basket (I used parchment paper), place the shredded tofu and try to spread it out as thin as possible.
- For air-frying, air-fry for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown – do not overcook since it can easily burn and become bitter. You can flip the tofu halfway through cooking to get even browning. It’s also okay not to get even browning and even have the tofu still white, since this can add to the different textures of the overall tofu dish.
- If baking, you may need to bake the tofu for 25-30 minutes.
SAUCE AND MARINATING
- While the tofu is cooking, prepare the sauce by mixing everything together. Feel free to adjust to your taste.
- Once the tofu is lightly golden brown and crisp on the edges, transfer it to the sauce. Mix well to coat.
COOKING THE SHREDDED TOFU BULGOGI
- In a medium wok or pan, add in the shredded tofu and sauce. Cook down over medium heat for 7-8 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and absorbed by the tofu. The sauce will also slightly thicken from the sugars in the sauce.
- Taste the tofu and feel free to season more, if desired.
- Turn off the heat. Serve this hot with rice and garnish with some chopped green onions & sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy!
SERVE AND ENJOY!
MORE TOFU RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Kung Pao Tofu
- Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu
- Black Pepper Tofu Steaks
- Tofu “Chicken” Teriyaki
- Korean Spicy Braised Tofu
- Tofu Katsu
- Nori-Wrapped Tofu in Spicy Sauce
- Maple Hoisin Tofu
Shredded Tofu Bulgogi Rice Bowl
Ingredients
Tofu
- 17.5 oz extra firm tofu or tokwa
Sauce
- 1/2 cup grated asian pear or Fuji apple, (I peeled mine before grating)
- 1-2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1.5 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1.5 tsp finely grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced
To Serve
- Chopped green onions
- Sesame seeds
- Steamed rice , I used short grain or Japanese sushi rice
Instructions
SHREDDED TOFU
- Remove the tofu from the water and drain from any excess water. Using a cheese grater, carefully grate the tofu into shreds.
- Meanwhile, preheat your air-fryer or oven to 350F/180C.
- On a lined baking tray or air fryer basket (I used parchment paper), place the shredded tofu and try to spread it out as thin as possible.
- For air-frying, air-fry for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown – do not overcook since it can easily burn and become bitter. You can flip the tofu halfway through cooking to get even browning. It’s also okay not to get even browning and even have the tofu still white, since this can add to the different textures of the overall tofu dish.
- If baking, you may need to bake the tofu for 25-30 minutes.
- While the tofu is cooking, prepare the sauce by mixing everything together. Feel free to adjust to your taste.
- Once the tofu is lightly golden brown and crisp on the edges, transfer it to the sauce. Mix well to coat.
COOKING
- In a medium wok or pan, add in the shredded tofu and sauce. Cook down over medium heat for 7-8 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and absorbed by the tofu. The sauce will also slightly thicken from the sugars in the sauce.
- Taste the tofu and feel free to season more, if desired.
- Turn off the heat. Serve this hot with rice and garnish with some chopped green onions & sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy!
NUTRITIONAL INFO
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This Post Has 14 Comments
Made this tonight and it was delicious!
Yay, thank yo Angela! ◡̈
Had some leftover carrots that we shredded in, too. Delicious!
yay hope you enjoyed it Olivia! Thanks so much! ◡̈
Followed another commenters lead and added grated carrots on top but this is 12/10 im going to be making this weekly i fear… thank you for the recipe!!!
Hope you enjoyed it Momo! Thanks so much for leaving a review too, rly helps!! ◡̈
this is my new FAVORITE way to make tofu!!! shredding and drying out in the oven is genius. plus this sauce is so good! decided to make this style of tofu into a gyoza filling and it turned out amazing!
Omg I can imagine how good this must’ve been as dumpling filling! Need to try soon. Thanks so much for giving it a try and glad you like it ◡̈
Do you pat dry or press the tofu before shredding?
Yes I do! It’s not crucial and you can opt to skip the pressing since the tofu will dehydrate in the air-fryer and the water will evaporate anyway. But pressing water out can speed up the cooking time ◡̈ hope this helps!
Excellent! This was nice, crispy and flavorful.
Thanks Jay, hope you enjoyed it! ◡̈
Thanks for this recipe! This dish was delicious, easy, and quick. I’m sure we’ll make it many more times.
Thanks so much Steven! ◡̈