This Sweet and Sour Tofu is a vegan twist on the classic Chinese takeout dish. It has a tangy, slightly numbing sauce cooked with chunky slices of onion pineapple, bell peppers and extra firm tofu for protein. Serve over steamed white rice with sliced green onion.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tangy and numbing: The sweet and sour sauce has a delightful tang with a slight numbing kick from the optional (but highly recommended) Szechuan pepper.
- Satisfying texture: Chunky slices of onion, pineapple, and bell peppers provide a perfect contrast to the pan fried extra firm tofu.
- Quick takeout alternative: Save your money honey! No need to order take out when you can make this in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Most items for Sweet & Sour Tofu should be widely available, except for the Szechuan pepper which you may need to buy from an Asian grocer or online. It’s essential for that classic tingly, numbing sensation, so don’t skip it!
You can find exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s a shopping list of everything you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Extra firm tofu
- Yellow onion
- Red bell pepper
- Pineapple
- Soy sauce
- Cornstarch
- Vegetable oil
- Rice vinegar
- Ketchup
- Brown sugar
- Water
- Szechuan pepper (ground, optional)
- White rice (to serve)
- Green onion (to serve)
- Sesame seeds (to garnish, optional)
How to Make Sweet & Sour Tofu
Step One: Press the tofu, then slice it into cubes. Coat with soy sauce and cornstarch.
Step Two: Fry the tofu in oil until golden brown, then set aside.
Step Three: Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Step Four: Sauté the onion in the same pan used for the tofu.
Step Five: Add the red bell pepper to the pan and continue to stir for an additional minute.
Step Six: Add the diced pineapple to the pan.
Step Seven: Add the sauce to the pan and let it simmer.
Step Eight: Stir in the cornstarch-water mixture to thicken the sauce. It should cling to the wooden spoon.
Step Nine: Return the tofu to the pan and gently toss to coat with the sauce.
Step Ten: Once the tofu is heated through and coated in the sauce, remove from heat.
Step Eleven: Serve immediately over white rice, garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Re-heat in the microwave or on the stove top. You may need to add a splash of water if re-heating on the stove to loosen the sauce, as it will thicken when cold.
More Easy Asian Dinner Recipes
- Garlic Oil Noodles
- Bang Bang Cauliflower
- Peanut Tofu Noodles
- Thai Inspired Peanut Curry
- Rice Paper Dumplings
I hope you enjoy making your own restaurant style Sweet & Sour Tofu at home. I’d love to know what you thought, so please feel free to leave a review below or tag me on Instagram – I am @glowdiaries___ 🙂
Sweet & Sour Tofu
Ingredients
- 14 oz extra-firm tofu pressed; approx. 400g
- 2 tbsp soy sauce for marinating tofu
- 1 tbsp cornstarch for coating tofu; approx. 8g
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil for pan-frying
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar approx. 45ml
- 3 tbsp ketchup approx. 45g
- 2 tbsp brown sugar packed; approx. 28g
- 1 tbsp soy sauce for sauce
- ½ cup water approx. 120ml
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water to make slurry
- ½ tbsp ground Szechuan pepper optional
- ½ yellow onion diced; approx. 70g
- ½ red bell pepper diced; approx. 70g
- ⅓ cup pineapple diced; fresh or canned; approx. 56g
To Serve
- cooked white rice for serving
- green onions sliced; for garnish
Instructions
- Press the tofu for 10 to 20 minutes to remove excess moisture. Place the tofu between layers of paper towel or a clean kitchen towel. Set a cutting board on top and weigh it down with something heavy, like a cast iron pan or a few cookbooks.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and water. In a separate cup, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water to form a slurry. Stir in the Szechuan pepper, if using.
- Cut the pressed tofu into 1-inch cubes. Toss with 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch until evenly coated.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook for 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the red bell pepper and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until just starting to soften.
- Stir in the pineapple, then pour in the sweet and sour sauce. Simmer for 1 minute. Stir the cornstarch slurry again and add it to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Return the tofu to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce. Cook for another minute until heated through.
- Spoon over cooked white rice and garnish with green onions. Best enjoyed immediately.
Storage Tip:
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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