Sweet and Spicy Tofu (2024)

Home » Cuisine » Asian-Inspired » Sweet and Spicy Tofu

This sweet and spicy Sriracha tofu is crispy, sticky and packed with flavour! Serve this amazing tofu over rice for complete meal or with sesame seeds and green onion for a tasty side dish. Easy to make with just 6 ingredients!

Features

• easy to make with just a few simple ingredients
• ready in less than 30 minutes (aside from tofu pressing time)
• vegan, oil-free and can be gluten-free
• you’ll love the crispy tofu bits coated in the most delicious sweet and spicy sauce
• perfect as a side dish or served over rice for a complete meal

Ingredient Notes

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

• Tofu: I like extra-firm best here but you can use firm too.
• Cornstarch: You’ll need this to both make the tofu crispy and thicken the sauce.
• Sriracha Sauce: Look for the clear bottle with the green lid. It’s commonly found in grocery stores and online. Note that it is quite spicy so if you’re sensitive to spice this may not be the recipe for you, though, you can reduce the amount used if you still want to try it.
• Maple Syrup: The perfect sticky, sweet addition to the sauce. You can substitute agave syrup if needed.
• Rice Wine Vinegar: Helps balance the sweetness. You can use seasoned or unseasoned but note that seasoned rice vinegar has added sugar, salt and sometimes other ingredients. I just use unseasoned as we’re using it for the acidity not the seasoning the recipe.
• Soy Sauce: Any kind works here but I like to use a reduced-sodium version.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Before You Start: Press the tofu. This will give you the best result and it’s easy to do! Either use a tofu press or wrap your block of tofu in a dish towel and place a heavy object on it (like a heavy skillet or some books with a couple cans on top). Let it sit for 20-30 minutes. Find more details here: how to press tofu.

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 400 F and cut the tofu into small cubes. Add to a bowl or ziplock bag with the soy sauce and cornstarch and toss to combine.

Step 2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and add the tofu cubes to the pan in an even layer so each cube has some space around it.

They don’t have to be perfectly spaced, just make sure each pieces has a little breathing room so air can reach all sides.

Bake the cubes for 20 minutes until crispy and golden brown.

Step 3. When the tofu has about 6 minutes left, mix together the sauce in ingredients in a container until all the cornstarch is dissolved.

Add the mixture to a skillet on the stovetop and start heating over low heat, stirring frequently. After a few minutes the sauce will start to thicken substantially.

When the tofu is ready, add it to the pan with the sauce and toss to coat. Enjoy!

Serving

• Serve as a side dish topped with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and finely chopped green onion.
• Serve over rice.
• Try it in a bowl with rice, mango, edamame and radish.
• Cut the tofu into slabs rather than cubes and use them in a bahn mi-style sandwich or any sandwich or wrap.
• Serve with rice and stir fried vegetables.

Storing

• Best enjoyed hot from the pan but will keep up to 4 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
• Enjoy leftovers cold or reheat as needed in a pan or in the microwave.

Print

posted by Deryn Macey on March 25, 2021

10 Comments / Leave a Comment »