Spicy Tofu | Japanese Inspired Spicy Tofu Recipe

Spicy Tofu —this crispy fried tofu tossed in a ginger, garlic spicy sriracha sauce is both protein-packed and is super healthy for days where you want to avoid meat dishes.

Easy Simple Delicious Spicy Tofu

Crispy fried tofu tossed in a ginger, garlic spicy sriracha sauce with a hint of sweetness, makes you wonder why you would ever have tofu any other way. It’s simple, easy and can be made in less than 20 minutes.

When everyone else is out there buying toilet paper (to build a fort in their fight against the virus) during their pandemic panic, I stocked up on tofu and many other proteins. Some of the meat purchased are cut into 2 person portions and frozen while others are turned into delicious beef jerky or pork jerky that will last just as long.

However, I wanted a balanced protein so I stocked up on tofu also. Surprisingly, tofu lasts a pretty long time. The ones I bought had a 3 to 4 months expiration date. But then again, many things can be used past its expiration date if you don’t open it, like milk. Well, the milk here in Canada anyways considering it comes in tightly sealed plastic bags.  Disclaimer: I am NOT condoning anyone to eat expired food. I’m just one of those people that go by experience and instinct when it comes to food past its expiration date.

Anyways, with all the craziness happening outside right now, I actually don’t mind snuggling up in my comfy leggings and an oversized sweater with a big bowl of rice with spicy tofu during my self-quarantine. For now. Until I run out of sriracha, mirin, soy sauce or god forbid …beer (which goes great with this dish!).

Ingredients for Spicy Tofu

Spicy Tofu is a great dish to entertain with. You can either serve it as finger food with toothpicks or as a main dish with plain rice. But best of all, tofu is a plant-based source of protein that is cholesterol-free, high in polyunsaturated fats and low in saturated fat.

Tofu — silken, soft, firm, extra firm —with so many tofu varieties out there, what’s the difference between them, and how do you choose which kind is best for this spicy tofu recipe? Well, the difference in the firmness of the tofu is in how much water is pressed out of the tofu. That’s it. And when it comes to what kind is best, that really depends on a person’s personal preference. So, you can choose any type of tofu you want. However, personally, I prefer the undrained, unpressed silken tofu or soft tofu for this particular recipe. I love the deep-fried crispiness of the outside juxtaposed with the soft custardy texter of silken tofu on the inside.

Hot Sauces — this is another area where you can experiment and play around to your preference. I used a combination of sriracha and chilli in oil with peanuts, but you can replace those with any of your favourite hot sauce. I’m definitely not an absolutist when it comes to food and ingredient. Experiment away! These are a few of my recommendation: Sambal Oelok, Korean Gochujang Sauce, Chilli Garlic Sauce or sprinkle in some spicy pepper flakes to level up the fieriness of this recipe.

Spicy Tofu

This crispy fried tofu tossed in a ginger, garlic spicy sriracha sauce is both protein-packed and is super healthy for days where you want to avoid meat dishes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cambodian, Japanese, Korean, Thai

Servings 2 people

Calories 323 kcal

Ingredients

  

Spicy Tofu Sauce Ingredients

• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp siracha
• 1 tbsp chilli in oil with peanuts
• 1/2 tbsp brown sugar or cane sugar

Other Ingredients

• 1 454g block of tofu
• 4 tbsp oil for frying (or enough to cover the tofu halfway)
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 knob ginger, julienned
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

 

• In a small bowl, combine all the Spicy Tofu Sauce Ingredients.
• Remove the tofu from its container, discarding all water. Wrap the tofu in a cloth and place it on a flat bowl. Put some weight on the tofu to remove excess liquid. Leave for 5 - 10 minutes.
• Uncover the tofu, cut it into cubes and toss it in a large bowl with all-purpose flour and corn starch.
• Heat the oil in a pan. Once hot, fry the tofu cubes until all sides are evenly browned. About 3 - 4 minutes each side. Remove the tofu with a strainer or tongs and drain them on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil.
• Remove the excess oil in the pan, but leave at least 1 tbsp of oil. The oil should still be hot. Toss in the garlic and ginger and fry until the garlic is browned and aromatic. Pour in the Spicy Tofu Sauce and turn off the heat. Toss the crispy fried tofu in the sauce until completely combined.
• Serve with plain rice or as an appetizer with toothpicks. For extra yumminess sprinkle with some Toasted Sesame Seed or Seto Fumi Furikake.

Keyword easy spicy tofu, recipe for spicy tofu, spicy tofu, spicy tofu marinade, spicy tofu recipe

Like this Spicy Tofu Recipe? Save it for later!

Want more Asian food recipes? Try these out!

Thai Spicy Fried Rice with Basil and Shrimp
Cambodian Hot and Sour Coconut Soup with Catfish
Cambodian Sour and Spicy Steamed Fish with Lemongrass and Galangal
Cambodian Stuffed Chicken Wings
Cambodian Noodle: Num Banh Chok
Ginger Fish with Salted Soybean: Trey Chean Choun