Y’all already know I love changing the narrative that tofu is bland. Thanks to these 40 Terrific Tofu Recipes (along with many others), we’ve learned tofu is anything but boring when it’s given a chance to shine. And this Chinese-inspired Braised Tofu recipe further confirms it!
It begins by pan-frying tofu squares until they’re golden brown. From there, the crispy tofu is braised in a deeply savory, slightly sweet, and spicy Chinese sauce until every bite is infused with rich flavor. Scoop the spicy braised tofu over rice and greens, then enjoy!
Seriously, it’s one of my favorite-ever tofu dishes, and I can’t wait for you to try it!
Table of Contents:
1. Why this recipe works
2. Ingredient notes
3. Step-by-step instructions
4. Tips for making this recipe
5. Tofu tips
6. Frequently Asked Questions
7. Recipe card with notes
Why this recipe works
Braising = perfectly cooked tofu.
There are essentially two steps to braising tofu:
Step 1: Pan-fry or deep fry tofu until the pieces are golden brown and crisp. While deep frying produces excellent results, I found that pan-frying tofu first works very well and is more suitable for most home cooks.
Step 2: Simmer the crispy tofu in a flavor-rich sauce.
Just like a sponge, the tofu absorbs all of those rich, wonderful flavors. It’s quickly transformed from a plain soy block to an irresistible, restaurant-quality meal!
Chinese restaurant-style flavors.
You can typically find braised tofu with vegetables (sometimes called hong shao tofu or hongshao dofu) on the menu at many Chinese and Cantonese restaurants. My version encapsulates those same great restaurant-style flavors thanks to a few heavy-hitting ingredients but with its own twists and flavors. Every bite is deeply savory, tangy, sweet, and just a bit spicy.
Big flavor; easy to make.
Despite the gourmet flavors, this is a recipe you can easily whip up on a weeknight. This is especially true when you multitask (head to the Tips section for more info)!
Ingredient notes
While this may not be an authentic Chinese recipe, the close-to-authentic ingredients impart each bite with flavors similar to what you’d find in a Chinese restaurant.
Extra firm tofu
You’ll always find blocks of extra firm tofu in my fridge. It’s the best for pan-frying because it contains very little moisture*, creating crispier bites while still soaking in flavor like a sponge. It also holds its shape well when frying, unlike medium-firm tofu or softer varieties.
Substitute: Firm tofu can be used instead of extra-firm tofu. It’s a little softer, so handle it with care when frying and flipping.
Note: Despite its firmness, it’s always a good idea to still press the tofu first. The less water the tofu has, (1) the quicker it fries and (2) the more it’s able to hold onto the flavor in the braising liquid. Plus, you can prep all your aromatics and sauce while the tofu presses.
Chinese aromatics
Just like in my Coconut Rice with Five Spice Tofu, this recipe uses the Cantonese trio of garlic, ginger, and scallions. All three build layers of mild and delicate flavors in the braising liquid.
Soy sauce
An essential ingredient in any Chinese braised tofu recipe because it gives the sauce its baseline of rich savoriness. I prefer to use Chinese “light” soy sauce when making a Chinese recipe like this (find it at Asian markets or online), but regular grocery store soy sauce (e.g., Kikkoman soy sauce) works just fine.
Substitute: Use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce if gluten free.
Chinese black vinegar
Don’t sleep on this ingredient. It is so unique and gives this dish umami-rich, earthy, tart, and subtly sweet undertones.
Because it’s a fermented product, black vinegar lasts for a very long time in your pantry. You can use it to make this braised tofu, as well as my 15-Minute Vegan Chili Garlic Noodles! If you want to read more about Chinese black vinegar, check out these posts from The Woks of Life and Bon Appetit.
Where to buy: The most common variety of Chinese black vinegar in the states is Chinkiang black vinegar (affiliate link) from Southern China (you might also find it sold as Zhenjiang). It’s very affordable and can be purchased at East Asian grocery stores or line.
Substitute: Can’t find it, or need to avoid even small amounts of gluten? Use rice vinegar or Shaoxing wine (Chinese black vinegar is usually fermented with grains).
Spices
A blend of Chinese five spice powder, white pepper, and Sichuan chile flakes brings incredible warming flavor to the braising liquid.
Substitute: You can omit the chile flakes if this recipe sounds too spicy. And if you don’t have Sichuan chile flakes, you can use standard red pepper flakes instead or gochugaru (Korean chile flakes) if you have them.
Where to buy: Five spice powder and white pepper are available at well-stocked grocery stores, like Whole Foods and Vons, or Asian markets. Sichuan chile flakes (affiliate link) are toasty and aromatic, and available at East Asian markets or online.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch has a magical ability to turn into a thickening slurry when stirred together with water. Here, it transforms the braising liquid into a sticky sauce that clings to the fried tofu.
Substitute: Arrowroot powder should work fine instead of cornstarch.
Step-by-step instructions
Press the tofu to drain as much water as possible. Pressed tofu = crispy tofu! Slice the tofu into squares that are ⅓” to ½” (1 cm) thick.
Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and season the tops of the tofu squares with a little salt while you wait. Once hot, add the oil followed by the seasoned tofu.
Pan-fry the tofu pieces in a single layer until golden brown on the bottom. Flip, then continue cooking until the bottom side is also golden brown.
Meanwhile, make the braising liquid by shaking the ingredients together in a jar or whisking them in a bowl.
Transfer the fried tofu to a paper towel-lined cutting board to drain. Wipe out the excess oil from the pan, then add the Chinese chile oil (or any oil of choice). Heat the chile oil before adding the scallions, garlic, and ginger. Toss until they’re fragrant.
Add the vegetables and briefly stir fry. Pour the braising liquid into the pan. Simmer until it’s thickened a bit.
Once the sauce has thickened, pour the cornstarch slurry into the pan. Whisk until the sauce is thickened, but still pourable.
Add the fried tofu into the sauce and toss to coat. Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer until the liquid has thickened into a sauce that sticks to the tofu. Take it off the heat.
Scoop the sauce-covered tofu over rice and garnish with a drizzle of sesame oil, sesame seeds, and scallion greens. Enjoy!
Tips for making this recipe
Follow these tips to help guide you through this recipe:
Multitask to save time.
You can have braised tofu on the table in about 45 minutes, but you can shave a few minutes off of that time with a few multitasking shortcuts. Here’s how it’s done:
While the tofu is being pressed: Prep all of your aromatics and chop your veggies.
While the tofu is frying: Stir the braising sauce together.
To save even more time, prep the aromatics and vegetables and make the braising sauce the night before. Keep everything in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
Use chile oil if you can.
I LOVE using Chinese chile oil or the oil from a jar of chile crisp in place of regular cooking oil when sautéing the aromatics. It gives the dish a burst of umami, plus a subtle heat.
You can find chile oil or chile crisp in many well-stocked grocery stores, Asian markets, and online. My three favorite brands of chile crisp are FLYBYJING, Lao Gan Ma, and Momofuku (affiliate links).
If you don’t have this ingredient, just use any neutral-flavored cooking oil like grapeseed oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, etc.
Stir the slurry
Remember to give the cornstarch slurry a good stir before you pour it into the sauce. The cornstarch tends to settle at the bottom of the bowl as it sits.
Tofu tips
Because tofu is the star of the show here, we want to prepare it the right way! These tips will help:
How to slice tofu into squares
Cut the tofu block in half vertically. Then flip one slab around and cut crosswise into squares.
Season with salt
Remember to sprinkle a little salt over the tops of the tofu squares before or during the cooking process. This infuses each piece with some extra flavor before they’re simmered in the braising liquid.
Use the right pan
A good-quality nonstick pan is best when pan-frying tofu. This tofu is less likely to stick this way, which means it will have an easier time forming a golden brown crust.
A wok also works well if you know how to use it! Refer to my Tofu Stir Fry recipe for helpful tips.
Stand back!
Frying the tofu in hot oil means there’s potential for splatter. Stand back from the stove and keep a lid handy just in case.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using extra firm tofu. It contains very little water, which means it’ll hold up better when pan-frying.
Some braised tofu recipes are made with even softer varieties, like medium or silken tofu. Once fried, this kind of tofu will be crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside. However, it will fall apart if not handled very carefully. Use at your own risk!
Yes, but the texture will be not as good in my opinion. If you opt for either of these methods, don’t slice the tofu too thin or else it will dry out and become rubbery in the oven/air fryer.
You can learn how to bake tofu in my Marinated Tofu recipe.
My favorite way to serve this is over a bowl of white or brown rice (I cook it in my Instant Pot while the tofu cooks) with a side of simple green veggies, like steamed broccoli tossed with sesame seeds or sautéed bok choy.
For sure! Feel free to double the amount of veggies. If doing that, increase the water to ¾ cup (180 mL).
Let the sauce-coated tofu cool completely before storing it in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
To reheat, place the tofu back in a frying pan over medium-low heat until warmed through.
If you love this Chinese Braised Tofu, please give it a rating and review below! And of course, tag me with your remakes on Instagram!
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Braised Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce/400g) block of extra-firm tofu, drained
- Kosher salt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil of choice
Aromatics
- 1 tablespoon oil from Chinese chile oil or chile crisp (sub neutral-flavored oil) (see Note 1)
- 4 scallions, sliced on a bias in into 1-inch pieces (reserve dark green tops for garnish)
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup (120g) thinly sliced red bell peppers (see Note 2 for more options)
Braising liquid
- 3 tablespoons Chinese “light soy sauce” (or regular store soy sauce) (see Note 3)
- 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar (see Note 4)
- 1 heaping tablespoon Chinese black vinegar (see Note 5 for subs)
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon Sichuan chile flakes (or 1 dried red chile torn in half; optional, omit for mild heat)
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper (optional)
Slurry
- ½ cup (120 mL) water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
For serving
- A few drizzles of toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
- Reserved scallion greens, sliced thinly on a bias
- ~ 3 cups (360g) of cooked white rice or brown rice
Instructions
- Slice the tofu in half vertically. Gently press down on each slab with a towel to remove some water. Flip each slab around and slice crosswise into squares ⅓” to ½” (1 cm) thick. Arrange tofu squares on a cutting board. Cover with a thin dish towel or a few paper towels. Cover with a cookbook to press. Meanwhile, slice the aromatics.
- Remove the towel from the tofu. If the tofu appears still wet, gently dab down on the squares with a dry towel. Sprinkle the top side of each tofu square with a bit of salt to season.
- Heat a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then add the oil and heat for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, line the cutting board from step 1 with a few paper towels.
- Pile the tofu in a slotted spoon or spider tool. Carefully add the tofu to the hot oil, arranging it in a single layer. Move the tofu around in the oil to evenly coat and cook on one side for 5 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Use a thin spatula to flip and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bottom is also golden brown.
- While the tofu cooks, combine the braising liquid ingredients together in a jar; seal and shake it up; or add to a bowl and whisk together.
- When the tofu is golden brown and crisp on both sides, transfer the squares to the towel-lined board to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt.
- Return the frying pan to the stove and wipe out excess oil. Add the 1 tablespoon chile oil or oil from chile crisp (or regular oil) and heat over medium-high. Once hot, add the scallion whites/greens, garlic, and ginger, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing frequently, until fragrant. Add the vegetables and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes, shaking the pan and stir-frying as you go.
- Pour in the braising liquid. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes, or until thickened a bit.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the reserved scallion greens on a hard bias. Stir the cornstarch into the water and whisk well. After the 5 minutes, add the cornstarch slurry into the pan and whisk until it thickens a bit but not too much, 45 to 60 seconds.
- Add the fried tofu into the sauce and use a silicone spatula to coat the tofu in the sauce. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has thickened into a sauce that sticks to the tofu. Take off the heat and cool for a few minutes.
- Serve tofu over rice. Drizzle lightly with toasted sesame oil and garnish with sesame seeds and scallion greens.
Notes
- I LOVE using Chinese chile oil or the oil from a jar of chile crisp in place of regular cooking oil here for a burst of umami and a subtle heat. You can find chile oil or chile crisp in many well-stocked grocery stores, Asian markets, and online. My three favorite brands of chile crisp are FLYBYJING, Lao Gan Ma, and Momofuku (affiliate links). If you don’t have it, just use the neutral-flavored cooking oil you used for frying the tofu.
- You can sub bell peppers with any small chopped quick-cooking veggie. Good options are chopped baby bok choy, shredded Napa cabbage, and snap peas or snow peas.
- If you have Chinese light soy sauce, use that. Otherwise, standard grocery store soy sauce (e.g., Kikkoman, San J, etc.) is totally fine. You can sub the sugar with maple syrup but the sauce will be slightly thinner.
- If you’re strictly gluten-free, you can rice vinegar, as most Chinese black vinegars are fermented with grains. It doesn’t have the same depth of flavor as black vinegar but will still be tasty.
Recipe: Nisha Vora / Rainbow Plant Life | Photography: Megan Morello
Yummy! Made this with zucchini and asparagus as we didn’t have any pepper. A great dish. Took closer to an hour to make – prep time took longer.
Rachel, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
This recipe is divine! I thought I had Sichuan chile flakes, but turns out I only had the peppercorns, so I subbed some gochugaru alongside some crushed Sichuan peppercorns which worked well. I didn’t slice my tofu all that well, and really noticed the thinner pieces soaked up the flavour more than the thicker pieces (but all were still good). I also added some coriander stalks and leaves for a bit more vibrancy. Served with jasmine rice and steamed broccoli. I’ll probably prep the veg/aromatics and the sauce the night before next time for a quicker option. This is a clear winner though, so thanks Nisha for showing us different ways to cook tofu :)
We’re over the moon to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Mel. Thanks for the kind words and lengthy review!
I hadn’t really had tofu since the 90s (hehe) and was ready to try it again and introduce it to my teenager kids and husband. We all loved it. I admit I skipped a few things because I didn’t have on hand and wanted to get it on the table in like 30 minutes, and it was still delicious and felt special. I omitted the chili oil, black vinegar, chile flakes, slurry and sesame seeds. I also sped through the initial tofu pressing. It was wonderful and I wish I had doubled the recipe so I had leftovers. I can’t wait to continue trying all your delicious recipes. Thank you SO much, really appreciated!
Me again. I also added half a bag of spinach. Yummy.
Awesome! Sounds delicious, Carolyn :)
Hi Carolyn, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time!
Just made this, it was Delisha, thank you Nisha. Will try some more of your recipes.
We appreciate your feedback and support, Dan. Thank you for leaving a review!
Question: For the Sichuan chili flakes, do you mean the kind made from Sichuan peppercorns? (the kind that makes your mouth go numb a bit) Or do you mean chili peppers? The recipe looks delicious. Thanks.
Hi Gabe, no Sichuan chile flakes and peppercorns are two different things!
These are Sichuan chile flakes. We hope you get a chance to try this recipe! :)
This was by far the best tofu recipe I have had the pleasure of cooking!! Thank you so much!
That’s so great to hear, Shane! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
This is soooo good. Definitely on my rotation. I have to double this recipe because it’s that good 🥰
Hey John! Wow, I can feel your enthusiasm about the tofu scramble through the screen! Love it!
Can I combine tofu with lentils?
Hi Trupti, are you asking if you can add lentils to the dish?
this is one of my favorite recipes and ever and it’s just perfect – like lick the sauce off the spoon perfect!! thank you so much for making delicious vegan cooking so easy and rewarding :)
Aw, thanks for the wonderful compliment, S! :)
This recipe is the best we’ve had since going vegan at the beginning of 2024. The crust on the tofu was phenomenal and the braising sauce was delicious. I didn’t have all of the ingredients for the sauce but the substitutes I used were still delicious and I think that is the mark of an excellent starting recipe. My wife, who went vegan because I did, said this recipe made her happy to be vegan! That is very high praise!
Thank you, Nisha, for this meal! My wife said it was “bangin’!”
10/10 good 🙌. Might try to dry fry the tofu in a cast iron pan next time and see if that works as well. Added broccoli and snow peas because I needed more green and ate over hashbrowns because rice didn’t sound good to me tonight. Maybe weird, but it was surprisingly awesome. Also, I think I’m frying everything in chili crisp oil from now on. Don’t know why that didn’t occur to me before 🤩
We appreciate the awesome feedback and support, Erica. Thank you for leaving a review!
We agree that this is a restaurant level dish! Very yummy!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Ruth!
This was so good! I went heavy on the veggies (cleaning out the fridge): mushrooms, shredded carrots, cabbage and a quarter of a bag of frozen zucchini. The sauce was so delicious and I love the smooth texture. I did use some chili crisp instead of the flakes (didn’t have the flakes on hand). I will definitely make again and probably do the veggies and sauce prep earlier.
KC, Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the braised tofu.
This recipe is one I’d like to try, but I do not own a Teflon pan for personal and planet health reasons. Do you have a recommendation for a non-stick pan?
Hi Michelle, we hope you can try it too! Nisha actually just put together a blog post regarding all her favorite kitchen equipment, which includes a section on pans. You can check it out here!
I used a cast iron pan. The key to keep foods from sticking is to heat the pan first until just beginning to smoke a tiny bit and then add the oil. Sometimes I turn the heat down a bit or take my pan off the burner before adding the oil so that it’s not too hot. You can turn the heat back up once the oil is in the pan. Let the oil heat up, which won’t take long, and then add the tofu. The more I use my cast iron the more “non-stick” it becomes. Hope this works for you!
Made it yesterday night with edamame, carrots, pepper and served it with rice noodles. It was a delight and so flavourful!!! Thanks so much for the recipe 😍
That sounds like a great combo, Marion! Thanks for trying the recipe… it’s great to hear you found it delicious!
I made this tonight and it was incredible! It is quick and easy to make but next time I think I might prep the vegetables and make the sauce the night before just to make it that much quicker (I take ages to chop vegetables). The clean up from it was really quick as you can tidy up whilst the tofu is cooking. Really lovely and lots of flavour but it was really spicy. I think I used too many chilli flakes so will cut down on that next time. It reminded me of when I was a meat eater and used to love chilli beef but instead it was chilli tofu and better than a Chinese takeaway!!!
Hi Wren, it’s great to hear you had success with the recipe. Thanks for the review!
This recipe is amazing! Introduced me to some new flavors and honestly the only way I like tofu is if it’s fried crispy. Pure perfection and will definitely make again. Thank you!
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Lisa! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review :)
Made this last night and it was delicious. Might I even say phenomenal. I thought it came together quite quickly with 2 people for prep, cook, and clean up. It really felt like a restaurant quality meal with basic staples. I used the recs for regular soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, still tasted amazing to me. Loved the chili oil tip, might even use more next time!
We’re so happy that the braised tofu turned out well for you, JS.
Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!