This 5-ingredient spicy chile-garlic tofu has a slow warming kick of spice, subtle sweetness, and appealing vinegary tang. It's dry pan-fried and then tossed in a sweet and spicy chile sauce.
I'm sorry it's been a bit quiet around here this week. We're currently on vacation in North Carolina with Dan's family, and it's been awesome to unplug and decompress. I'll be back in the full swing of things come Monday, but I wanted to check-in and leave you with this tasty recipe before heading into the weekend.
This spicy chile-garlic tofu is requires just five ingredients—firm tofu, chile-garlic sauce, pure maple syrup, tamari, and rice vinegar—and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. For instance, you can. . .
1| Serve it up with brown rice and steamed vegetables for a protein-packed dinner.
2| Enjoy it on its own as a saucy side.
3| Toss it into salads for a zippy protein boost.
4| Tuck it into spring roll wrappers along with crisp, colorful veggies to create summer rolls.
Stay tuned if that last idea strikes your fancy, because I'll be sharing a recipe for Rainbow Summer Rolls with Chile-Garlic Tofu early next week. They're packed with a vibrant rainbow of veggies and are an ideal way to nosh on this spicy tofu during the steamy summer days of August.
That said, you'd be remiss to let another weekend pass without giving this spicy, sweet, and tangy tofu a try.
To make it, you'll start by pressing a block of firm tofu for 20–30 minutes, or until most of the excess water is released (note: you don't need a fancy tofu press for this, just a heavy pot or pan and some paper towels—see recipe). Meanwhile, you'll whisk together the chile-garlic sauce, maple syrup, tamari, and rice vinegar.
Once the tofu is pressed, you'll thinly slice it into small, rectangular pieces and heat a well-seasoned skillet over high heat until hot. You'll be dry frying the tofu, so it's important that the pan is very hot or the tofu will stick.
Once both sides of the tofu are cooked and richly golden brown, you'll reduce the heat, add the chile-garlic sauce, and simmer for just a few minutes to thicken the sauce like so. . .
And that's it.
This chile-garlic tofu has a slow warming kick of spice, subtle sweetness, and appealing vinegary tang.
📖 Recipe
5-Ingredient Spicy Chile-Garlic Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) block firm tofu, drained
- 3 tablespoons chile-garlic sauce*
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Instructions
- Wrap the tofu in several layers of paper towels, and place it on a dinner plate. Set a very heavy pot or pan (e.g., cast iron skillet) on top of the wrapped tofu and let stand for at least 20 minutes (preferably 30 minutes) to press the excess water from the tofu.
- Meanwhile, in a medium spouted mixing bowl or glass measuring cup, combine the chile-garlic sauce, maple syrup, tamari, and rice vinegar. Whisk together until combined and set within reach of the stove.
- Carefully unwrap the tofu. Slice it widthwise into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Then, lay each piece flat and slice in half lengthwise and then widthwise, yielding four small rectangles from each.
- Heat a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or pan over medium-high heat until hot. The heat will sear the surface of the tofu and prevent it from sticking, which is why it's important that the pan is thoroughly heated.
- Once the pan is hot, add the tofu in a single layer (you'll need to do this in two batches). Use the back of a spatula to lightly press down on the tofu (you should hear it sizzle and steam). Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the pan-facing sides are golden-brown. Flip, and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden-brown.**
- Reduce the heat to low, return all the tofu to the pan, and add the sauce. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly and begins to cling to the tofu, stirring frequently
- Transfer the tofu and sauce to a medium mixing bowl and allow it to rest and marinate until ready to serve. Serve on its own or alongside steamed vegetables and/or brown rice.
- Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
**I learned this awesome, dry-fried tofu technique from the Thug Kitchen cookbook, so the credit for its brilliance goes 100% to them.
Paula says
Sounds wonderful! This will be dinner tonight. Thanks :-)
Ashley says
Thanks, Paula! Hope you enjoyed the recipe!
Celeste Jackson says
Even though I'm not a fan of Tofu I am tempted to try this. Looks delicious.
Ashley says
Thank you!
Sophia says
I served this with Minimalist Baker's Asian Quinoa salad for a DELICIOUS meal. I would highly recommend. http://minimalistbaker.com/asian-quinoa-salad/
Ashley says
So glad you enjoyed it, Sophia! Love the idea to pair it with MB's Asian Quinoa Salad. Thanks for sharing the inspiration and taking the time to come back and comment!
Carrie says
This was so good! Probably the best tofu I have ever had. I didn't have any chile-garlic sauce and not being a fan of Sriracha I looked up a recipe for the sauce and made my own. It was easy and so tasty. Thank you for a new favorite way to eat tofu.
Ashley says
Best tofu you've ever had?! Such an awesome compliment! Thank you for taking the time to come back and share your feedback and adjustments, Carrie. I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipe!
Misty says
Made this and tossed it over steamed broccoli, cauliflower, and basmati rice. So yummy!
Sarah says
Hi, Can I use reduced salt soy sauce instead? It's in the cupboard :) I don't want to ruin the recipe though! Can't wait to try it!!
Ashley says
Hi, Sarah! First of all, I'm so sorry for the delay (on vacation with my family this week). Secondly, reduced sodium soy sauce should work, you'll likely just need to add a bit more to get the proper seasoning. I'd start with the same amount the recipe calls for and add more to taste. Enjoy!
Heather says
I am totally addicted to this tofu recipe! I eat it it throughout the day and it is so easy to make. I added unsalted peanuts as a last step, delicious:)
Ashley says
Happy to hear you're enjoying the recipe, Heather! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your thoughts. :)
Megs says
Just made this and it was awesome! Whenever I made tofu at home before it was soggy and crumbly. The dry frying gave it the perfect texture. Thanks for passing along this great technique.
Ashley says
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Megs! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback—means so much. Happy cooking to you!
Jenny says
Absolutely delicious. I used it as a topping for a rice noodle bowl with fresh spring mix, red cabbage, cucumbers, pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, mint and toasted cashews. I loved the dry fry method-I am thinking about several other recipes this would work for. Thank you!
Ashley says
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Jenny! Your pairing sounds delicious and is a combination I can't wait to try myself. Thanks for taking time out of your day to come back and share—means so much!
Oliver says
This is delicious.... I found it by searching for a way to cook tofu with maple syrup and chili-garlic sauce. Had the other ingredients on hand and dove in. I was unsure about the dry-fry technique with no marinade, but I tried it, and the texture and flavor is great. The thin slice is key and a good trick to have in the bag. Learned the hard way how quickly they can over cook in the dry cast iron when I looked away for a few minutes to watch The Good Place. Only lost about 1/4 of the tofu block overall though- the two batch situation was a godsend! Thanks for the recipe. It's tasty.
Tula says
Hey this looks great! Wondering what type of tofu you used---it looks like it has a great texture but maybe that's just the way it was cooked. Thanks!
Ashley says
Thanks, Tula! I usually use Wildwood Extra-Firm Sprouted Tofu.
Angela says
Will this work with a dry nonstick pan? I don't have any cast iron skillets.
Ashley says
Hi, Angela! It should work okay with a nonstick pan but will have a slightly different texture. Enjoy!
Sarah says
This is my favorite tofu recipe! I always put in with rice and broccoli, top with siracha and a bunch of lemon juice. Going to make this again tonight !! Yummmm
Ashley says
So glad you're enjoying it, Sarah! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your rating and thoughts—mean a lot!
Laura says
Stumbled across this recipe while looking for a different marinade for my tofu. I'm looking forward to trying this but will add a bit of smoked paprika to give it a grilled flavor. Also, I keep all of my drained tofu in the freezer so it takes more moisture out of it when it thaws. Just drain it when you bring it home and rewrap it for freezing. It also gives it a more meatier texture.
Ashley says
Thanks for the tips, Laura! Hope you enjoy the recipe.