This Chinese-inspired Takeout-Style Tofu and Broccoli is so flavorful and so easy to make thanks to the Instant Pot! It features sticky tofu and broccoli packed with the sweet, sour and spicy flavors you love from Chinese restaurants!
Watch: How to Make Take-Out Style Tofu and Broccoli
And I made a cute little video showing you exactly how to make this recipe! And if you want more than 90 incredible vegan Instant Pot recipes, be sure to order my cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook!
If you’re new to the Instant Pot, the book contains a comprehensive primer to the machine and all its functions, so you can become an instant pot ninja!
Tips for making this recipe
And just a few notes to help you nail this takeout-style tofu and broccoli recipe.
As with many tofu recipes, it helps to press the tofu. Since we are essentially searing tofu in hot oil, you want to make sure you’ve thoroughly pressed all of the water out of the tofu. I explain how to do this in the instructions. It takes a little time to press the tofu, but you can prep the rest of the ingredients in the mean time.
And please don’t try to skip the oil! The oil is necessary to sauté the tofu. Without oil, the tofu will just stick to the bottom of the inner pot and not only will you ruin the dish, you’ll also have a very difficult time scrubbing your pot.
And finally, if you are sensitive to spicy food, go easy on the amount of Sriracha called for in the recipe! This dish is quite spicy!
More East-Asian Inspired Recipes
- Baked Peanut Tofu
- 15-Minute Vegan Noodles with Chili Garlic Sauce
- Restaurant-Style Tofu Stir Fry
- Marinated Tofu
- Chinese Braised Tofu
Big Vegan Flavor
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Chinese Takeout-Style Tofu and Broccoli (recipe from The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook)
Ingredients
MARINATED TOFU
- 1 (14-ounce) block extra-firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha or similar chili-garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar (also known as rice wine vinegar)
GINGER-CHILI SAUCE
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1⁄4 cup agave nectar or coconut nectar (or maple syrup, but that will have a more robust, less neutral flavor)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons Sriracha or similar chili-garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 1⁄2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
FOR FINISHING
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or other neutral, high-heat cooking oil
- 2 medium heads broccoli, cut into florets (about 4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- White rice or brown rice (for serving)
Instructions
- Marinate the tofu: Drain the tofu and cut into 4 slabs. Place the tofu on a cutting board lined with paper towels. Place more paper towels on top of the tofu and weight them down with a few heavy cookbooks or a heavy skillet filled with a few cans of beans. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or ideally 1 hour, changing the paper towels in between to drain all of the moisture. Cut the tofu into 3⁄4-inch cubes.
- Place the tofu in a gallon-size zip-top bag and add the tamari, Sriracha, sesame oil, and vinegar. Toss to combine and let the tofu rest in the marinade for 5 minutes, massaging occasionally.
- Meanwhile, make the ginger-chili sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the tamari, agave nectar, water, the Sriracha, sesame oil, vinegar, and ginger until well combined.
- Finish the dish: Select the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot and let the pot heat up for a few minutes before adding the grapeseed oil. Once the display reads “HOT,” use a slotted spoon or fork to carefully transfer the marinated tofu to the pot. Cook the tofu for 1 1⁄2 minutes undisturbed. Use a spatula to flip and cook the tofu until it starts to brown on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Add the ginger-chili sauce and stir to combine. Select the Cancel setting.
- Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Select the Pressure Cook setting at high pressure and set the cook time to 3 minutes.
- Once the 3-minute timer has completed and beeps, perform a quick pressure release by carefully switching the Pressure Release knob from Sealing to Venting.
- Open the pot. Add the broccoli florets to the tofu and stir with the sauce to combine. Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Select the Pressure Cook setting to LOW PRESSURE and set the cook time to 1 minute. Once the 1-minute timer has completed and beeps, carefully perform another quick pressure release.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch with 1⁄4 cup water, whisking until combined without any lumps. Select the Sauté setting and press the Sauté button again until you reach Less heat. Add the cornstarch slurry to the Instant Pot and gently stir to combine. Cook, stirring gently, until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the tofu and broccoli over rice.
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Please be more specific about cutting the tofu. I went parallel to the face & got thin slices. I suppose I should have cut from the top down going long-wise? Would have gone much better with cubes.
I made this recipe today for the first time. It is very delicious and so quick to make. It could be an option for dinner if you don’t have too much time. I added some courgette to the dish. It was a good decision. We had it for dinner and we will have it for lunch tomorrow.
Thank you so much for this great recipe.
Thanks for sharing, Judit! You’re so welcome for the recipe!
Nisha, you have hit this one out of the park. It is by far the best Asian food I have ever eaten, even in restaurants. I skipped the instant pot and did it on the stove. Used thawed frozen tofu which makes the marinade really soak in, then air fried it, added matchstick cut carrots, broccoli, and green onion tops and sauteed it quickly on the stove. Absolutely fantastic! Just the right amount of hot and sweet. One of the things that has been hard about going plant based is what do you serve guests? I would proudly serve this. Thank you thank you, I always look forward to your new recipes.
Hi Andi, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! :) 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!
Nisha, you have hit this one out of the park. It is by far the best Asian food I have ever eaten, even in restaurants. I skipped the instant pot and did it on the stove. Used thawed frozen tofu which makes the marinade really soak in, then air fried it, added matchstick cut carrots, broccoli, and green onion tops and sauteed it quickly on the stove. Absolutely fantastic! Just the right amount of hot and sweet. One of the things that has been hard about going plant based is what do you serve guests? I would proudly serve this. Thank you thank you, I always look forward to your new recipes.
Can this be made stove top?
Hi there Carol, yes. You will do everything the same but sauté the aromatics first, then the tofu. You may want to oven roast, steam or pan fry the broccoli separately then add them together at the end. Enjoy!
Definitely yummy! I will make this again!
Awesome, Rachel. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
So easy and delicious!! The first time I made this, I chopped the broccoli into regular sized florets (just bigger than bite size when raw) and found they came out of the instant pot too soft (still delicious). The second time around, I just jumbo-sized the florets and found that they held up a bit better. Thanks for this recipe Nisha!
Thanks for sharing, Theresa!
Hi Nisha! I made this recipe yesterday for dinner and my whole family absolutely loved it (even the ones that don’t like tofu very much)! I cut the sriracha in half and one of my family members (who has baby mouth) commented that it was still a little too spicy.
Thank you so much for creating this recipe. I will def make this recipe again!
Thanks for sharing, Samantha! We are thrilled the recipe was a hit with the whole family!
Obsessed! I used white wine vinegar bc I was out of rice wine and it was delicious!!
Thanks for sharing, Cailin!
So much better than takeout! Thanks Nisha for a great recipe!
I adjusted the agave down and the flavor was really delicious.
The first time I made this dish according to the recipe, was in the Instapot. Everything came out great, but it felt cumbersome to open the lid and deal with the Quick Release method when we were setting the cooking times for such short periods of time.
The second time I made this dish in a large non-stick pan and the process was much smoother and easier. The taste was equally delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Carly. So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Ooooh, just made this and it’s “going in the rotation” says my hubby. Love how POW the sauce is even though I used half of the recommended Sriracha. OMG, baby broccoli was perfectly cooked because I followed your instructions to a T. Love that I can just pop the IP pot in my dishwasher so cleanup is easy. Thanks!
Awesome, Sara. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Made this for dinner along with some brown rice. Sooooo good. Better than take out. I’ll definitely make this again. Thank you!
Hi Sal, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! 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!
I really love the taste, but my broccoli turned to mush and looks nothing like the pictures. So the ingredients are great, but next time I won’t stick to the instructions.
Hi Anne, did you use low pressure when adding the broccoli, as directed in the recipe? Sometimes, people forget to use the low pressure setting when adding the broccoli at the second stage and/or forget to release the pressure as soon as the timer is done. Both of those things would cause the broccoli to turn mushy.
I got your Cookbook for my bday last year and this was the first recipe I tried. I loved it so much I made a bid batch for myself and had it on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s, lunch and dinner. I think it’s gonna become a tradition. Rock solid 10/10
Awesome, Paula. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
This turned out great!! I made your sauce and tofu with peppers and green beans instead of broccoli – my wife and I were both going back for more. This will be my new go-to recipe for stir fries!
Kevin, So glad to hear you two loved this recipe!
Fantastic! I just got my Instant pot yesterday and chanced upon your site looking for tofu and broccoli. It was easy to follow. I might have made my florets too small or will reduce the time to 0 when I make this again since they were soft. So yummy!
We are so glad you love the recipe, Meredith! We hope it turns out even better next time you try it!
As per usual, Nisha doesn’t disappoint. This is another winning recipe and will become another regular in my rotation as all the ingredients are staples. So far, since becoming plant based and initially being overwhelmed by it all, I have come to rely on Rainbow Plant Life for inspiration at mealtime. Thank you
Ellie, So glad to hear you’ve been loving the recipes!
I hoped this would be tasty, and the finished recipe was even more delicious than I expected! I will be adding this to my list of easy weeknight dinners recipes.
Thanks for sharing, Julie! So happy you loved the recipe!
Excellent recipe. Had tofu and broccoli and looking to make something with it for dinner that was quick and simple. Loved the flavors of the dish.
My son loved it even more and he’s quite reserved in his comments about my attempts to make Asian food like these. But this was one he just finished it off even though he had other dinner options.
Awesome, Dinesh. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
That’s so great to hear, Dinesh! 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!
My husband and I LOVE this recipe. (He frequently requests that I make it for dinner.) We use half the amount of sriracha because I have “baby mouth” and can’t handle too much heat, but I love the flavor. And the instant pot makes this recipe so easy to make.
Moriah, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
I made this recipe and it was my first time cooking tofu in my pressure cooker. It turned out delicious! So much flavor and comes together so quickly. I used maple syrup for the sweetener and I don’t think it came out tasting obviously maple-y. I loved it, but I’ll have to see if agave nectar is even better.
Great, Brianna! We love using maple syrup as a sweetener over here in the Rainbow Plant Life kitchen as well! Thanks for trying the dish :)