Sweet Chili Tofu

If you love sweet and savory, this recipe is for you! Crispy pan-fried tofu tossed in a sweet chili sauce mixed with soy sauce, sriracha, green onion, and sesame seeds served over rice. Perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Crispy pan-fried tofu served with a sweet chili sauce mixture that is sweet but has a bit of heat and so much flavor! This Vegan Sweet Chili Tofu is perfect when you want a delicious meal but don’t have much time to spend in the kitchen. Add veggies and rice to bulk it up and make it even more satisfying!

This Sweet Chili Tofu is my comfort meal. It has been for a while so I thought it was time to post it here. It’s very simple. It almost doesn’t even feel like a recipe to be honest, it’s THAT easy. But since I make it so much and it’s so dang good, I just have to share! If you have friends and family who think they hate tofu, make this for them. It’s so hard not to love something that’s covered in the most delicious sweet and spicy sauce.

Need more dinner ideas? Check out these 25 Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes!

What You Will Need For This Pan-Fried Sweet Chili Tofu

Kitchen Essentials:

This sweet chili tofu is incredibly simple and doesn’t require any special equipment. I do recommend pressing the water out of the tofu and a tofu press is helpful but not required.

Main Ingredients: 

• Extra Firm Tofu
• Sweet Chili Sauce
• Sriracha
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce

Substitutions:

1. Extra Firm Tofu: Chicken-Style Seitan would also be delicious paired with this sauce as well as tempeh or soy curls.
2. Sweet Chili Sauce: I opted to use store-bought sweet chili sauce (make sure it’s vegan!) but you could easily make your own.
3. Sriracha: Can be substituted with Sambal Oelek or Original Tabasco.

How to Make Sweet Chili Tofu:

How To Make The Best Sweet Chili Tofu

I prefer the texture and taste of tofu that has been pressed. I’m pretty lazy when it comes to pressing tofu so I like to use my tofu press and add a block of tofu the night before I plan to use it and let it press all night in the fridge. That way when I’m ready to use it, I don’t have to wait!

Coating the tofu in cornstarch is key to getting the best crispy tofu. When combined with a little moisture it creates a coating that gets perfectly crisp and golden brown every time. 

Be patient when pan-frying tofu. If it doesn’t easily flip over when in the frying pan, leave it longer. It should easily flip once the side is golden brown.

Be sure not to over crowd the pan when frying. Over crowding will cause the tofu to steam and it will never get crispy. I recommend frying in batches with lots of room in between each piece and remove the crispy pieces to a wire rack while you continue to fry the rest. Placing them on a paper towel or a plate will cause one side to become soggy.

FAQ:

More Easy Tofu Recipes You Might Like:

• Baked Sesame Garlic Tofu
• Crispy Tofu Rice Bowl with Peanut Sauce
• Vegan Orange Tofu
• Sticky Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry

If You Make This Recipe:

I would greatly appreciate if you share your review in the comments below and leave a star rating. Don’t forget to add if you made any fun substitutions. Thank you!

Sweet Chili Tofu

If you love sweet and savory, this Sweet Chili Tofu recipe is for you! Crispy pan-fried tofu tossed in a sweet chili sauce mixed with soy sauce, sriracha, green onion, and sesame seeds served over rice. 

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 2

Author: Liv King

Ingredients

 

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Crispy Tofu:

• 1 Block Extra-Firm Tofu pressed
• 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• Pinch of Salt & Black Pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil for pan-frying

Sweet Chili Sauce:

• 1/4 cup Vegan Friendly Sweet Chili Sauce
• 2 tablespoon Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1/2-1 teaspoon Vegan Friendly Sriracha
• 2 teaspoons Rice Vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Green Onions finely chopped
• 1 teaspoons Sesame Seeds

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Instructions

• Press the block of tofu for at least 20 minutes to remove excess water. See above for the importance of pressing tofu.
• Cut the tofu in to 16 large cubes or rectangles.
• Toss the tofu in soy sauce until coated and then add the cornstarch, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Toss carefully to coat.
• Heat a large pan on medium-high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil or enough to coat the base of the pan and pan fry each side until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes each side.
• Whisk together the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, and rice vinegar in a small bowl.
• Thinly chop green onions and add to the sauce along with sesame seeds.
• Toss the tofu in to the sauce and serve with jasmine rice, vegetables of choice and top with extra green onions and more sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Pressing improves the texture of the tofu and will also help the tofu crisp up in the pan. I have a tofu press and highly recommend it but you can make a diy tofu press easily by putting the tofu in between two plates and stacking heavy items on top. I almost always have pre- pressed tofu in my fridge so it’s ready to use any time! Simply press tofu and then store in an airtight container and use within 2-3 days.

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