This stir-fried sweet chili tofu dish is a simple yet super taste way to cook your tofu. I used extra firm tofu and coated it in some corn starch before cooking it to a crisp then coating it with the delicious sauce. This was the result of a spontaneous cooking session. I enjoyed with some steamed short grain rice for a super hearty meal.
I decided to take a break from all the studying and school work to write this down because food has been my escape. There’s something about cooking that is so relaxing. It’s my way of unwinding and recharging. Not only is it rewarding to have a good meal after hours and hours of school and work, but it also leaves me with this much lighter feeling—even just for a while.
EXTRA FIRM TOFU
I used extra firm tofu for this recipe for the best texture (see the blocks of tofu below!)
Be sure to press your tofu! I like to wrap mine in a towel and place a weighted surface on top to release excess water.
I’m really really happy that I finally found a (possibly) new go-to recipe for tofu after months of having the same flavours for my tofu.
FOR THE SWEET CHILI SAUCE
Mix together:
- minced garlic
- room temperature water
- coconut sugar or other sugar or choice
- maple syrup , other liquid sweetener, or sugar
- chili sauce , I used sriracha–feel free to adjust according to desired spice
- soy sauce or tamari (if GF)
- sesame oil
- corn starch
Feel free to adjust to your taste!
Full recipe is in the card below.
PAN-FRYING THE TOFU
I coated the tofu in some cornstarch before pan frying them to create a crisp outside that goes well with the sauce when mixed afterwards.
I then set the tofu aside while I prepared the sauce.
Afterwards, I basically cooked the tofu down in the sweet chili sauce. Served it over some steamed short grain rice for a delicious vegan meal!
I’m so excited to be sharing this Sweet Chili Tofu recipe with you all! It reminds me of those stir-fried dishes I’d have in asian restaurants.
It’s a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. If you prefer things less spicy, go ahead and lessen or complete omit the sriracha! Hope you guys like this one. Kind of really scared to hear feedback for this recipe because I really love it.
You can also check out my other vegan tofu recipes here or down below:
Check out my tips on how to store tofu!
- Black Pepper Tofu Steaks
- Tofu “Chicken” Teriyaki
- Korean Spicy Braised Tofu
- Fried ‘Chicken’ and Gravy
- Tofu Katsu
- Nori-Wrapped Tofu in Spicy Sauce
- Maple Hoisin Tofu
- Orange Tofu
- Pan-Fried Tofu Cakes
- Tofu ‘McNuggets’
Are you looking for more delicious, vegan recipes?
You can get a copy of my cookbook, Vegan Asian!
If you crave vegan-friendly versions of classic Asian dishes, this cookbook is packed with Southeast and East Asian dishes inspired by those I grew up enjoying at home and those I’ve tried from my travels. From iconic Thai dishes to piping-hot Japanese fare and everything in between, the recipes in this will take your palate on a delicious food trip across Asia, and hopefully keep you coming back for more!
Stir-Fried Sweet Chili Tofu
Ingredients
- 450 g extra firm tofu (1 lb)
- 2 tbsp corn starch or potato starch, to coat tofu
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sesame oil or other oil, for frying
- 1/2 cup bell pepper sliced into squares
- 2 scallions or green onions sliced
Sweet Chili Sauce
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup room temperature water
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar or other sugar or choice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup , other liquid sweetener, or sugar
- 1 to 2 tbsp chili sauce , I used sriracha–feel free to adjust according to desired spice
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari (for GF), adjust according to desired taste
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp corn starch
To Serve
- Steamed rice for serving
- Scallions and cilantro for garnishing
- Sesame seeds for garnishing
Instructions
- Press the tofu. I wrap the tofu in towels and place a plate on top of it until excess liquid is absorbed by the towels. You can also opt to use a tofu press.
- Slice the tofu into 1” (2.5 cm) cubes or your shape of choice.
- Sprinkle the salt on the tofu cubes. Add the cornstarch. Coat the tofu well in the cornstarch.
- In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the sauce. Feel free to adjust the soy sauce, chili sauce, and maple syrup/sugar according to your desired taste.If you want this extra saucy or if you plan to add other vegetables, feel free to double the sauce.
- In a pan, heat the sesame oil over medium high heat and then fry the tofu cubes until crisp and golden. You will need to turn around the tofu cubes to get them crisp on all sides.
- Take out the tofu and saute the scallions and bell peppers in a little sesame oil.
- Give the sauce a good mix again to make sure the starch doesn’t stick to the bottom. Over medium high heat, add in the sauce and then leave to simmer over medium until it boils. Mix in the tofu and leave to cook for a few more minutes until the sauce thickens and the tofu has absorbed some of the sauce. The sauce will thicken from the corn starch. Turn off the heat.
- Serve with a bowl of rice and garnish with some chopped scallions, cilantro, and sesame seeds if desired. Enjoy while hot!
WATCH Video
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Pin these Images:
This Post Has 26 Comments
This was absolutely amazing!!! Thank you for sharing this great recipe
Delicious and easy to fix. Thank you for sharing
Thank you Lynn! Hope you enjoyed your tofu!! 🙂
We were trying to decide what takeout we wanted to get… and then decided to make this instead. Definitely a great idea! This was so good!
Thank you Rachel ◡̈ happy you enjoyed these!
Sooooo delicious!! I made this for my boyfriend the other night, it was our first time cooking with tofu! Super easy to follow, will definitely be making again!
Super easy and quick to make, and the flavour was amazing!
This looks so good! And seeing the comments about it being easy to make as well are super encouraging because easy and tasty is the best combination! Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Tried this last night and it was a hit! First time to cook tofu, and had to make my own hoisin sauce since I didn’t have any. Fed 3 people who had never eaten tofu and all cleaned their plates. Will save this recipe and try other tofu recipes.
Oh wow you made hoisin sauce for this, that’s amazing! And glad they liked it haha. ◡̈
This turned out amazing. I added some chopped carrots. Will make again.
Thanks Lori, hope you enjoyed it! ◡̈
Loved this recipe. I’ve never left a review for a recipe before but I enjoyednthis so much I just had to say thanks!
Thanks so much Kate, really appreciate this!! ◡̈
After being vegan for 9 months now I’ve found it so useful to look at these easy and tasty vegan recipes!! I love it so so much thank you<3
Thanks for such a simple yet flavourful recipe. It was really delicious!!
Thank you Chahat, glad you liked it!! ◡̈
This was delicious and really simple to make, served with jasmine rice and steamed bok choy. Thanks, will definitely make again
Thank you Pauline! ◡̈
Fantastic. Perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy. Perfect amount of sauce for 1 tofu container. Saving this recipe and coming back for others!! 😀
Hey Miyako, so happy you liked it! The sauce works great for other stir-fries too! ◡̈
No meat Mondays can be a struggle with my husband but he humors me. He actually really like this recipe. I enjoyed it too! I really love sweet and spicy sauces. I will definitely be making this again.
Yay happy you guys like it 🙂 thanks Lanelle!
It was ok. A little too thick
Added a 1/4 cup of orange juice and reduced the sauce a little more and this was delicious! Used the Super Firm tofu from Trader Joe’s and tried the ‘boil in salt water’ method.
Hey Liz, glad you liked it!! And I love the super firm tofu from Trader Joe’s! It holds up really well. Thanks for giving this a try 🙂