This 5 Minute Silken Tofu with a soy, garlic and sesame sauce is a delicious Chinese inspired appetizer. Served cold, it’s the perfect recipe when it’s too hot to turn the stove on, or you need a quick light meal. It looks elegant topped with sliced green onion and fresh red chili, making it perfect for easy entertaining. Make it into a full meal by serving it with steamed rice or vegetables.
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5 Minute Silken Tofu Recipe
I have seen this recipe so many times on TikTok. It went completely viral, being recreated by many different creators (and now me)! I think it went viral mostly because it is so simple to make. Anything that can be prepared from start to finish in 5 minutes is a win. Plus, it looks so pretty topped with a mix of sesame seeds, soy sauce and colorful sliced green onion and red chili. This would be perfect as a quick appetizer if you’re hosting, or you can pad it out with some steamed vegetables and rice for a balanced dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It only takes 5 minutes – yes really! You make a quick sauce and pour it over silken tofu straight from the packet. It couldn’t be easier.
- It has a visual “wow” factor and looks like it came from a restaurant kitchen. Perfect for impressing dinner guests.
- It’s served cold – no cooking, no dishes, no oven or stove needed. Perfect in summer.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll find the specific quantities for each ingredient listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but for your convenience, here’s a shopping list of everything you’ll need:
- Silken tofu
- Soy sauce
- Maple syrup
- Roasted sesame oil
- White sesame seeds
- Black sesame seeds
- Red cayenne chili
- Garlic
- Green onion
Instructions
Making this silken tofu recipe is so simple – check out the photos below for a step-by-step guide, or jump to the recipe card for specific instructions and ingredient measurements.
Step One: Make the sauce by adding maple syrup, roasted sesame oil, soy sauce and minced garlic in a small bowl.
Step Two: Whisk to combine.
Step Three: Remove the plastic seal from your silken tofu packaging, and very gently press it with a clean kitchen towel to remove any excess water. Place it directly onto your serving plate.
Step Four: Gently pierce the tofu with a chopstick about 2cm apart in a neat grid.
Step Five: Pour the sauce over the top of the tofu.
Step Six: Garnish with green onion, sliced cayenne chili and sesame seeds.
Step Seven: Serve immediately.
Substitutions & Variations
- Soy sauce – I recommend using a low-sodium version, but you can use any variety you prefer. You can swap the soy sauce for tamari for a gluten free alternative.
- Red cayenne chili can be omitted and truthfully, I only added it for presentation. It looks so vibrant and pretty! If you are also sensitive to chili but also want to use it as a garnish, my pro-tip is to slice it in large enough pieces that it’s easy to eat-around 😉
- Roasted sesame oil can be replaced with regular sesame oil. Roasted has a richer flavor but either will work.
- Sesame seeds – I like to use both white and black sesame seeds for contrasting colors, but you can also just use one or the other.
Storage
This recipe is best fresh, and I mean very fresh. I recommend only making it immediately before you intend to eat it for the best texture and presentation. However, if you do have any leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. It will still be safe to eat, but will be a little sloppy. No need to heat or thaw leftovers – this recipe is always served cold.
Expert Tips
I like to pierce my tofu with a chopstick all the way to the bottom to create little gaps for the sauce to drizzle into. This makes every bite tasty, even if you miss out on some of the garnishes and sauce on top.
Also, if you have an extra few minutes to spare and can be bothered turning on the stove; try dry toasting the sesame seeds. To do this, add the seeds to a small fry pan without oil, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes until the white seeds are lightly golden. This will make them more fragrant and even tastier.
FAQ
No, silken tofu is essential for its delicious smooth and creamy consistency. Firm or extra firm tofu is too dense to eat raw like this.
You can substitute maple syrup with agave or brown rice syrup, honey (if not vegan) or even sugar.
This dish is typically served cold or at room temperature, making it a refreshing appetizer in summer. It also means there are no pots or extra dishes to clean up, huzzah!
Video – Watch Me Make This Recipe
I hope you are as thrilled with this 5 Minute Silken Tofu recipe as I am. It is a quick (and delicious) win. It’s definitely one of the best TikTok food trends I’ve tried recently (and as a foodie influencer, trust me, I’ve tried a LOT). If you enjoy this recipe, I would be super grateful if you could leave a star rating and review—it really helps the algorithm send my recipes to more people. You can also tag me in your photos on Instagram @glowdiaries___ and I will reshare your posts to stories 🙂
5 Minute Silken Tofu (Viral TikTok Recipe)
Ingredients
- 300 g silken tofu (1 block)
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 green onion thinly sliced, white end removed
- 1/2 red cayenne chili thinly sliced
Instructions
- Make sauce by combining soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Prepare the tofu by removing the plastic peel from the package. Carefully press the base with clean kitchen towel to absorb any excess water. Tilt the package from side to side carefully to remove any trapped water.
- Place your serving plate over the top of the open tofu package, and invert it. Remove the hard plastic packaging. Pierce the tofu with a chopstick in a grid pattern, roughly 1 inch (2.5cm) apart.
- Pour the sauce over the tofu. Garnish with sliced green onion, red chili and sesame seeds.
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