Hoisin Tofu

What to expect?

Hoisin sauce is an aromatic, dark, thick, rich, salty, and sweet sauce. While its ingredients vary, many Hoisin sauces include sugar, water, salt, wheat flour, soybeans, cornstarch, sesame seeds, garlic, and chili pepper. Although its flavor is quite unique, it is sometimes compared to an American BBQ sauce.

In this easy vegan Hoisin Tofu recipe, we take torn tofu, pan-fry it until nice and crispy, and toss it in a delicious Hoisin sauce. Because we hand-tear the tofu versus cutting it into cubes (one of the ten alternatives to preparing tofu), the texture ends up being super crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. The process takes just 10 minutes of cooking and 15 minutes of prep time, making it an easy go-to for lunch or weeknight dinner!

Ingredients

The ingredients for making Hoisin tofu are simple and easy to find in your home pantry or any grocery store. We have also provided a few simple ingredient alternatives in case you need to make a substitution:

• Firm tofu – You can also use extra firm tofu with less liquid.
• Soy sauce – For a gluten-free alternative, use tamari sauce.
• Vegetable oil
• Corn starch – You can use tapioca or arrowroot starch as an alternative.
• Hoisin sauce 
• Sriracha – Any other chili paste works just as well.
• Cane sugar 
• Ginger (minced)
• Garlic cloves
• Sesame oil
• Scallions (chopped) – Optional, to top the tofu. You can also use green onions.
• Sesame seeds – Optional, to top the tofu.

? You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Making hoisin tofu

1. Using your fingers, slowly and gently tear apart the tofu. You can do so by tearing them in half or by tearing off large pieces and then tearing them into bite-size tofu pieces.
2. Peel and mince the garlic cloves and ginger.
3. Pour two tablespoons of the soy sauce over the tofu pieces and stir gently, taking care not to break the tofu. Let rest for a couple of minutes, then drain any excess sauce.

4. Add two tablespoons of cornstarch and mix until evenly coated. Stir gently, taking care not to break the tofu.

5. In a pan, heat three tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, gently add the tofu pieces and fry each side for 2-3 minutes. Once fried, move the tofu to a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

6. Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and ginger and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes, ensuring it does not burn.

7. Add the hoisin sauce, sriracha, sugar, two tablespoons of soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir the mixture well and bring it to a boil.

8. Add the fried tofu pieces to the sauce and coat them evenly.

Cooking tips

• Do not overcrowd the pan – Adding too much tofu to the hot oil at one time will lower the oil’s temperature, requiring more cooking time. The breaded tofu will continue to soak up the oil as you wait for it to return to the right temperature. If you notice that the intensity of the sizzling slows down or stops altogether, you have likely added too much to the pan.
• Coat the tofu in batches – If the pan is not large enough to evenly coat all the fried pieces with the sauce, it is best to do so on a per-serving basis. We recommend adding one serving of sauce to a warm skillet or pan, then tossing it well with one serving of the fried tofu.
• Coat the tofu while the sauce is still hot – The sauce will stick to the breading more evenly when it is hot versus cold. If the sauce cools, reheat it in a pot over medium heat. Avoid high heat; it can alter the cornstarch and thin out the sauce.

Variations

In this recipe, we use hand-shredded, pan-fried, crispy tofu. However, there are many different ways to prepare and cook your tofu. Here are a few variations to try:

• Different preparation methods – Instead of hand-shredding your tofu, you can make tofu steak, thin-sliced tofu, or cut your tofu into cubes or triangles. Find more techniques in our list of 10 ways to prepare tofu.
• Different cooking methods – There are a few alternative ways to make crispy tofu, including air-fried, baked, and deep-fried. See our guide on making crispy tofu for the pros and cons of each method. For even more cooking methods, refer to our guide with 11 ways to cook tofu. 
• Different marinated tofu recipes – There are countless ways to marinate your tofu. Our marinated tofu favorites include Mongolian and harissa. You can find even more ideas in our list of tofu marinade recipes.

Serving ideas

Hoisin tofu is excellent as a main course but is even better with an equally delicious side dish! Here are a few different ways to serve it:

• With vegetables – ​​​​Broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, and mushrooms all pair wonderfully with it.
• In a stir-fry – Stir-fried veggies such as broccoli, yellow or red bell peppers, yellow onion, or green beans are great complements to it.
• With grains – Serve it alongside steamed or fried rice, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, or cauliflower rice.
• With noodles – It is an excellent complement to long noodles such as ramen, rice, or peanut noodles.
• With a salad – A fresh and crisp Asian-style green salad makes a nutritious side.
• With heat – If you like heat, sprinkle on some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. 

Equipment

• Tofu Press – We use a TofuBud* for this recipe, but you can choose any tofu press or DIY method.
• Cast iron skillet or non-stick frying pan

Storing tips

Because of its crispy texture, hoisin tofu is best when served on the same day, preferably as soon as it finishes cooking. However, here is the best way to store them if you have leftovers:

In the refrigerator: Once cooled, store the leftover tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. For the crunchiest texture, use it within 24 hours, as it will become dry and soggy over time.

In the freezer: Although it is okay to freeze tofu before cooking it to achieve a “meaty” texture, we do not recommend freezing it after cooking it.

Reheating: To maintain a crispy texture, reheat marinated tofu on a baking sheet in the oven or a toaster oven. We do not recommend reheating it in a microwave.

FAQs

More marinated tofu recipes

Looking for more tofu marinade recipes? Here are our favorite ones. See also our list of 35 tofu recipes for even more tasty variations!