Sticky Tofu

Author: Katie

You can’t go wrong with this totally tasty and umami-laden sticky tofu dish. It’s really simple and quick to put together and there are so many options to pair it with.

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5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian-Inspired

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

Tofu

12 oz firm tofu
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoon corn starch

Sauce

⅔ cup water
5 tablespoon soy sauce
4 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste *or sriracha (if you like it spicy)
2 garlic gloves *minced
1 inch ginger *peeled + minced
2 tsp corn starch
pinch of salt to taste *optional

You can find detailed step-by step-photos above the recipe card.

Instructions

Drain + press the tofu. Remove any excess water by wrapping a clean cloth or paper towel around your tofu and to squeeze out moisture. Then cut into cubes.
12 oz firm tofu
In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, maple syrup and garlic powder. Add the cubed tofu to the sauce and toss until tofu is well coated. Let sit in the sauce for about 5 minutes.
2 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Transfer the tofu to a ziplock bag. Add cornstarch and close the bag. Gently shake so that the tofu gets evenly coated in cornstarch.
3 tablespoon corn starch
Heat some sesame oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the coated tofu cubes and fry on each side until golden brown and crispy.
In the meantime, prepare the sticky sauce. Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
⅔ cup water, 5 tablespoon soy sauce, 4 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 garlic gloves, 1 inch ginger, 2 teaspoon corn starch, pinch of salt to taste
Remove the tofu from the saucepan and set aside. Lower the heat for the saucepan to low.
Pour the sticky sauce into the saucepan while constantly whisking to avoid any clumps. Let sauce simmer on low for about 1-3 minutes or until thickened.
Add the tofu cubes and give them a good stir so that they are evenly coated with sauce.
Top with sesame seeds (optional), green onions and serve with rice.

Video

Notes

Gluten-free: Use tamari instead of soy sauce for a gluten-free option.
Low salt: Use low-sodium soy sauce to reduce the amount of salt in the recipe.
Choose the right type of tofu: Use firm or extra firm tofu as they have a denser texture and can hold up better while cooking.
Press the tofu before frying: Use paper towels or a clean cloth to remove excess water from the tofu. This will help the tofu get crispy when fried.
Fry tofu until golden brown: Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, and add the tofu. Flip with a fork or spatula and fry until golden brown on all sides.
To store: This tofu tastes best when served immediately but can be stored in the fried up to 2 days, store tofu separate from the sauce.
To freeze: not recommended as the tofu will change its texture.

Nutrition

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.

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