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I shared this recipe for Vegan Sweet Chili Tofu on instagram recently and wanted to give it a home here on the blog with the rest of my recipes. I figured it would be easier for you to find here too. This recipe is so simple and so good. It’s been in the weeknight meal rotation since I posted it. The tofu is extra crispy thanks to a light coating of cornstarch, and then gets smothered in a delicious sweet spicy sauce that takes only 5 minutes to prep. The cornstarch also acts as a thickener as the sauce cooks in the pan so you end up with a thick luscious sauce. So, if you’re looking for a quick meal tonight I’ve got you covered. I like to serve this vegan sweet chili tofu over sticky rice or noodles and is great the next day for packed lunches as well.
Enjoy!
xx Kaity
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Vegan Sweet Chili Tofu
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Delicious crispy pan-fried tofu in a sweet-chili sauce is a quick and easy and vegan dinner you can make in under 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz block of pressed extra firm tofu
- 1/4 cup cornstarch/cornflour (organic non-GMO
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 small clove garlic minced
- 1 red chile pepper such as cayenne, with most of seeds removed
- 1/2 of a sweet red pepper, seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons low sodium tamari/soy sauce/aminos
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon siracha or ketchup
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 scallions
Instructions
- Cut tofu into 1” cubes and dredge with cornstarch.
- Puree everything else except for olive oil in a blender until smooth. Sauce will be very runny at this point.
- Heat a non-stick or cast iron skillet on medium high heat. When pan is hot add olive oil and pan fry the tofu for about 10 minutes until evenly browned, turning with a spatula every so often.
- At this point pour sauce over tofu and stir until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Chop scallions and add to tofu. Serve hot over sticky rice. You can also add sesame seeds with the scallions. Leftovers will keep in airtight container refrigerated for up to 1 week. Reheat to serve.
Prop Love: Spatula by Four Leaf Woodshop. Cheese board by Sweet Gum Co. Napkin by Coyuchi. Bowl and chopsticks by Facture Goods.
Hi! Can’t wait to try this. When you say add a sweet red pepper, do you mean a bell pepper or a sweet chilli? Raw or cooked? Thank you!!
Hi Imogen! I meant sweet red bell pepper, but you could use a chile pepper if you want more heat too. Thanks! xx Kaity