Sticky Tofu Rice Bowl

This Sticky Tofu Rice Bowl is packed with tofu tossed in a saucy, glossy, and tasty hoisin-based sauce. This is perfect for a satisfying meal with rice or noodles and veggies of your choice. The tofu is also hand-broken before being pan-fried or airfried, which creates a unique texture with the uneven pieces and edges.

I wanted to try breaking the tofu apart instead of slicing it into neat cubes because the uneven pieces create so much texture and also helps the sauce stick better! You get crisp ridges, tender centers, and all those little craggy edges that hold onto the sweet, savory, and lightly spicy sauce.

Serve everything over steamed rice for an easy tofu bowl that's simple enough for a weeknight but still SO GOOD. Feel free to adjust the hoisin sauce and chili oil depending on how sweet or spicy you want it.

Why You'll Love This Sticky Tofu Rice Bowl Recipe

• The tofu is packed with sweet, savory, and aromatic flavors from hoisin sauce, soy sauce, Chinese 5 spice, and garlic
• You can pair the tofu with rice, noodles, in salads, wraps, and more 
• The tofu is broken apart by hand for uneven pieces with extra texture
• Air-frying gives the tofu crisp edges without needing much oil!
• Easy to adjust depending on your preferred sweetness, saltiness, and heat

What Is Shaoxing Wine?

Shaoxing wine is a Chinese cooking wine that adds depth, aroma, and a light savory sweetness to sauces and stir-fries. A little goes a long way, and it works really well with soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and garlic.

If you don't cook with Shaoxing wine, you can leave it out or use a splash of vegetable broth. The flavor will be a little different, but the tofu will still really good!

INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED

TOFU

• 1 lb extra firm tofu

SAUCE

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1-2 tbsp hoisin sauce adjust to taste
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce optional for color
• 1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp chili oil adjust to desired heat
• 1 tbsp water

FOR STIR-FRYING

• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 scallion green and white parts separated and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced

TO SERVE

• Steamed rice
• Extra scallions for garnish optional
• Sesame seeds optional
• Chili oil optional

HOW TO PREPARE THIS STICKY TOFU BOWL

PREPARE THE TOFU

• Drain the tofu and pat dry. Break the tofu apart with your hands into uneven bite-sized pieces.

AIR-FRY THE TOFU

• Air-fry the tofu at 180C/350F for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through as needed, until lightly golden and crisp on the edges.

PAN-FRY OPTION

• To pan-fry, heat a thin layer of neutral oil in a pan over medium high heat. Cook the tofu for 6-8 minutes, flipping occasionally, until golden brown on most sides.

MAKE THE SAUCE

• Mix the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, dark soy sauce, Chinese 5 spice, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, chili oil, and water in a bowl. Taste and adjust to your liking.

STIR-FRY AND COAT

• Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a pan or wok over medium heat. Add the white parts of the scallion and garlic, then cook for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic.
• Add the cooked tofu and pour in the sauce. Toss and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and coats the tofu.
• Taste and adjust with more soy sauce, hoisin sauce, or chili oil, if needed. Turn off the heat.

SERVE

• Serve over steamed rice. Garnish with extra scallions or chopped chives, sesame seeds, and chili oil, if desired. Enjoy while hot!

MORE RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE

• 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) 
• Steamed Tofu with Soy Garlic Sauce
• Mapo Tofu

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