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.
Jump to:
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
Tofu
- 14 oz extra firm tofu (400g)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 /2 yellow onion diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 1/3 cup diced pineapple
Sweet & Sour Sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- ½ tbsp ground Szechuan pepper optional but recommended
To Serve
- Cooked white rice
- Green onions sliced
Instructions
- First, press the tofu for 10-20 minutes. To do this, place the tofu on paper towel or a clean, non-fluffy tea towel and weigh it down with a chopping board and some heavy objects (a heavy cast iron dish or cook books work nicely).
- In a bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients.
- Dice tofu into roughly 2.5cm cubes. Mix the tofu cubes with 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch until evenly coated.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and fry until golden brown on all sides. Set aside on a plate.
- Add onion and sauté for 1 minute, then add red bell pepper. Cook for 1 more minute, until the onion starts to become translucent.
- Add the diced pineapple, then pour the sweet and sour sauce into the pan. Simmer for 1 minute then stir the in the cornstarch-water mixture and add to the pan. Stir well until the sauce thickens.
- Serve immediately with steamed rice. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Leave a Reply