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These Sweet Chili Tofu Balls are so hearty with that bite from the tofu balls and that delicious sweet and spicy glaze. The tofu balls are air-fried before being cooked down with the sauce. Serve this with rice or noodles for a delicious meal.
I made these using my air-fried tofu balls (recipe here) that pair so well with the sauce. You can also cook down these tofu balls in other sauces of your choice!
SWEET CHILI SAUCE
What you’ll need
- 1/4 cup water plus 1-2 tbsp more to adjust consistency
- 1 tbsp Gochujang or Korean chili paste
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar or regular white vinegar
Mix everything and feel free to adjust to your taste! You can also find the full detailed recipe in the recipe card below.
TO MAKE THE SWEET CHILI TOFU BALLS
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the oil. Saute the garlic until aromatic and lightly brown. Add in the sauce and leave to simmer over medium until it boils and slowly thickens. Add the tofu balls. Mix the tofu balls in the sauce.If desired, you can thin out the glaze if you want it a bit runnier by adding 1-2 tbsp more water.
- Leave to cook for 1-2 minutes until the meatballs are completely coated in the sauce.
SERVE AND ENJOY
- Turn off the heat. Top with more green onions and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve and enjoy with rice or noodles.
MORE VEGAN RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE
- “Beef” Bulgogi Bowls
- Spicy “Pork” Stir-Fry
- Maple Hoisin Tofu
- Orange Tofu
- Pan-Fried Tofu Cakes
- Jjajangmyeon
Sweet Chili Tofu Balls
These Sweet Chili Tofu Balls are so hearty with that bite from my homemade air fried tofu balls and that delicious sweet and spicy glaze. The tofu balls are air-fried before being cooked down with the sauce. Serve this with rice or noodles for a delicious meal.
Ingredients
Sweet Chili Sauce
- 1/4 cup water plus 1-2 tbsp more to adjust consistency
- 1 tbsp Gochujang or Korean chili paste
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar or regular white vinegar
Tofu Balls
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 15 pieces air fried tofu balls (see homemade recipe here or use meatballs of your choice)
For Serving
- Chopped green onions or scallions for topping
- Sesame seeds for topping
- Steamed rice
Instructions
- Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Feel free to adjust to your taste.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the oil. Saute the garlic until aromatic and lightly brown. Add in the sauce and leave to simmer over medium until it boils and slowly thickens. Add the tofu balls. Mix the tofu balls in the sauce.If desired, you can thin out the glaze if you want it a bit runnier by adding 1-2 tbsp more water.
- Leave to cook for 1-2 minutes until the meatballs are completely coated in the sauce.
- Turn off the heat. Top with more green onions and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve and enjoy with rice or noodles.
WATCH Video
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 93IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 271mg | Iron: 3mg
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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This Post Has 19 Comments
These look amazing! I’m making them today – just took my tofu out of the freezer to thaw. Can you tell me where to find those chopsticks you use in the video? They look like they’re really good quality.
The chopsticks I used came from the container I had and it was a gift 😅there are probably similar ones online. And i hope you enjoyed your tofu balls!
I baked mine and it was so good especially with the sweet chili sauce.
The sweet chili sauce is also perfect for pasta night. Defo one of my go to meals in the future.
Thanks for making this recipe. It is so simple and good. 😭❤️
Okay wow! This was sooo good.I added pre-fried tofu from the asian store and some soy sauce for a darker color and boom it was amazing! So simple too! Thanks a bunch! 🙂
That’s a great idea!! And glad you liked it! Thanks Keerthana ◡̈
This was so simple to make…and tasty! I’ve been looking for a “not meat” ball recipe and this is it! I’ve tried with lentils and me and lentils do not get along. Thanks for this wonderful recipe. Even my husband who isn’t a fan of tofu really enjoyed this recipe.
Glad you guys enjoyed it ◡̈ thanks so much!!
What’s holding the round shape 🤔? Please do tell thank you
Hi Robert! The tofu balls are made form a mix of tofu and flour. The flour absorbs some of the moisture and helps keep the shape of the balls. H ◡̈
I made the sweet chili tofu balls for a party. Will these be ok if I keep them in a crockpot in the sauce to stay warm?
Hi Sue! These should be good to keep them warm, but do note that they can become very soggy and break apart faster since there’s that extra moisture from the steam that’ll be trapped in the pot. Another good option would be to keep the sauce in the crockpot and keep the balls in a separate container – then your guests can just pour the sauce depending on the number number of tofu balls they get. Hope this helps! ◡̈
The best vegan dish I’ve made so far 😋 thank you for the recipe!
Thank you Marjan! Appreciate this a lot 🙂
Did I miss instructions for making the tofu balls? Is this recipe just for sauce?
Hi Tanya, this recipe is for the sauce. The main air fryer tofu balls recipe is here – https://thefoodietakesflight.com/air-fried-tofu-balls/ 🙂
These look so good and I’ll be making them this week. Can I ask, are they ok to reheat? I’m thinking of taking them to work for lunch. Thank you
Hey Ronny! Yes these store really well! I like to just reheat them in the microwave or in a small oven/air-fryer if you have access to that in your lunch spot 🙂
This is one of my favourite recipes for the vegetarians in my family. It is simple to make and really delicious. Thank you!
Yay, so glad you like it! 🙂