Kung Pao Tofu - Tofu is marinated with spices and seared until crispy and then tossed in a quick Kung pao Sauce that is so flavorful and amazing. Just garnish with roasted peanuts before serving and you'll have an excellent dinner ready in no time. Also, try Kung Pao Chicken Tenders
This is one of the easiest and healthiest Asian recipes that you can ever make. Just like other Asian Chicken recipes - Orange Chicken Recipe, Mongolian Chicken Recipe, Bang Bang Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, Sesame Chicken, Keto Chinese Lemon Chicken, Asian Chilli Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken This recipe is made in a wok over high heat. It's lightly spicy, sweet, and flavorful at the same time.
What is Kung Pao?
Kung Pao Tofu comes from Kung Pao Chicken. As you might know, Kung Pao Chicken is a popular Chinese takeaway that became popular in the Sichuan region of Southwest China. There is a beautiful story behind this dish. Make sure you read my article for Kung Pao Chicken to learn more.
In the past, I have swapped chicken for Tofu and made Orange Tofu. It was delicious.
Besides that you can also try my other popular Tofu recipes such as Instant Pot Black Bean Quinoa Burrito Bowl with Tofu, Crispy Tofu Fajita Tacos {VEGAN}, Vegan Crispy Tofu with Toasted Cashews and Blistered Peas, "Cheesy" Tofu Scramble, Healthy Quinoa Fried "Rice" with Crispy Tofu - Vegan | Low Carb Dinner Recipe
Jump to:
Ingredients you'll need
For Tofu Marination
- Tofu - pressed and cut into cubes
- Salt and black pepper
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- nutritional yeast
- Soy Sauce
- White Cooking Wine
- Cornstarch
For Kung Pao Tofu base
- Ginger
- Garlic
- onions
- Sichuan Peppercorns
- dried red chilies
- roasted peanuts
- salt
For Kung Pao Tofu Sauce
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- sugar
- balsamic vinegar
- dark soy sauce
- cornstarch slurry
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Kung Pao Tofu
Step 1: Marinate or Coat Tofu
Marinate Tofu with Salt, Black Pepper Powder, Soy Sauce (Low Sodium), White Cooking Wine, and Cornstarch. Allow your Tofu to sit for 10-minutes.
Step 2: Make Sauce
In a medium-size mixing bowl combine the ingredients for Kung pao sauce and set aside.
Step 3: Sear tofu in a skillet
Heat some toasted sesame oil in a wok over high heat. Add tofu into the skillet and deep fry it for just 30-seconds to 1-minute. Take it out of the wok.
Step 4: Sear other ingredients
In the same wok add chopped ginger, garlic, onions, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried red chilies. Sear until fragrant.
Step 5: Add Tofu back into the skillet
Once it's fragrant add crispy tofu back into the wok. Toss well.
Step 6: Pour Sauce
Stir the sauce that you made and pour it into the wok. Stir lightly.
Step 7: Add Veggies and Toss well
Add chopped green onions, thinly sliced red or white onions, and thinly sliced red, yellow, and green bell pepper. Toss lightly. You don't want them to be soft. You want them to be crunchy.
Step 8: Toss in Roasted Peanuts
Add roasted peanuts right before serving. Give it a quick stir. Take it off the heat and serve right away.
Hint: Don't wait too long to add the sauce. You want the tofu and the veggies to soak up all the flavors in the sauce.
Substitutions
- Chicken/Pork - As linked above you can easily make Kung Pao Chicken or Kung Pao Pork.
Variations
You can change the recipe to suit your taste palate.
- White Pepper Powder - Traditionally White Pepper Powder is used for Kung Pao Chicken/Tofu Marination. If you have access to white pepper powder you can use it.
- Egg White - If you want you can add Egg white while marination. However, if you are making it vegan you'll have to skip it completely.
- Chinese Black Vinegar - I have replaced Chinese Black Vinegar with Balsamic Vinegar. But, Balsamic vinegar is lightly sweeter than Chinese Black Vinegar.
- Corn oil - If you can find corn oil you can use that. But, I like toasted sesame oil and therefore I have used it for this recipe.
- Shaoxing wine - Shaoxing wine is one of the MOST commonly used wine in Chinese cooking. It's supremely popular in Southwest Asian countries and Taiwan.
Equipment
I might not talk about Equipment in any other recipe. But, I want to talk to you guys about the kind of equipment that you MUST use for this recipe.
It is advisable that you use Wok to make this recipe. Wok distributes heat evenly making sure that the veggies are not overcooked or undercooked.
Therefore whenever I am making any Chinese recipe or Asian recipe than I make sure that I use a wok.
Storage
Storing Kung Pao Tofu is easy. Just allow this to cool down completely. Then place it in an air-tight container. You can store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Or else you can freeze it in the freezer for up to 2-months. Make sure you thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Top tip
- Make sure the oil and the wok are super-hot before you add tofu into it. This will make sure that the tofu doesn't stick to the wok.
- Always use Low Sodium Soy Sauce.
- Make sure you flash fry onions, garlic, dried red chilies, and sichuan peppercorns so that the oil gets flavored.
- Make sure you press tofu appropriately and cut them into cubes.
More Tofu Recipes
- Tofu Tikka Masala
- Honey Mustard Tofu Stir-Fry Recipe
- Chinese Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry
- Grilled Tofu Kabobs
- Crispy Honey Garlic Tofu Topped With Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Vegan Tofu Teriyaki Stir-Fry
If you are making this recipe then please leave a rating below. Snap it and tag me @recipemagik with #recipemagik.
Kung Pao Tofu
INGREDIENTS
- 1 14-oz package Extra-Firm Tofu
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil divided
for Tofu Marination
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon white cooking wine i used dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Other Ingredients Kung Pao Tofu
- 1 inch ginger finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 5-6 large dried red chilies broken in half (REMOVE SEEDS)
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns lightly crushed
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium green, yellow, and red bell pepper diced
- 1 rib green onions chopped
Kung Pao Sauce
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3-4 teaspoons white sugar can be replaced with brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch slurry 2 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cool water
Garnish
- roasted peanuts OPTIONAL
INSTRUCTIONS
- Coat Tofu cubes in salt, black pepper powder, onion powder, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, dark soy sauce, white cooking wine, and cornstarch. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 10-minutes.
- In a mixing bowl combine the ingredients for Kung Pao Sauce. Give it a quick stir and keep it aside.
- Heat a wok with toasted sesame oil. Once the oil gets smoky, add tofu coated in the marination. Sear for 2-3 minutes until lightly crispy and then take them out and keep aside.
- Add some more oil and add ginger and garlic. Sauté ginger and garlic for 30-seconds until fragrant and then add Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chilies. Flash Fry the spices until fragrant.
- Now add the chopped veggies - chopped green onions, red or white onions, red, green, and yellow bell pepper. Toss well for about 2-3 minutes until the veggies get soft but not mushy.
- Garnish toasted peanuts and take them off the heat. Serve with rice.
Leave a Reply