This vegetarian sweet and sour tofu is mouthwateringly delicious! It's an kid-friendly weeknight meal that's packed with flavor, easy to make and so tasty you'll want to add it to your dinner rotation.
Easy stir-fry meals are a great way to serve dinner in a hurry. This one is a classic take on American Chinese restaurants' sweet and sour tofu or chicken (sometimes called pineapple tofu or chicken). There is plenty of wiggle room in this recipe to add more vegetables like sugar snap peas, cabbage or carrots. Or you can even leave out the pineapple if you don't like fruit in savory dishes. Read on to see how it all comes together.
Ingredients that Matter
You can find all these ingredients at most grocery stores. Let's dive in to learn a bit more about the important ones.
- Extra-Firm Tofu. It wouldn't be sweet and sour tofu without the, ahem, tofu! Use extra-firm (or firm if extra-firm is not available) as it'll hold its shape better thank silken. This recipe calls for a 14-oz. block of tofu and we recommend wrapping it in a clean kitchen towel and pressing down gently with a plate to absorb as much liquid as possible. Set aside for about 30 minutes. This is not an essential step, but it'll help draw out moisture meaning the flavors of the marinade and sauce will absorb into the tofu.
- Reduced-Sodium Soy Sauce (or tamari). Reach for reduced-sodium soy sauce to better control added sodium in the recipe. You can save some 30 percent sodium when using a low-sodium soy sauce. And if you are gluten intolerant or sensitive, swap in tamari for the soy sauce (you can even find reduced-sodium tamari).
- Rice Vinegar. The sour flavor in this recipe comes from rice vinegar, which is made from fermented rice. Flavor wise, rice vinegar is a fairly sweet, neutral tasting vinegar. If you want a substitute, use apple cider vinegar, just don't use a dark vinegar like balsamic or red wine!
- Sweeteners. The recipe brings in a few ingredients to add sweetness. First, brown sugar adds simple sweetness but also a bit of complex molasses flavor. Next, pineapple juice is a super sweet fruit juice, but it also has a bit of tang that helps with the sour flavor. Ketchup also adds sweetness as well as some thickness and texture to the sauce. And finally, pineapple chunks are, of course, sweet, but they also add little bursts of flavor and texture to the final dish.
- Cornstarch. We use cornstarch in two places. First, it's tossed with the marinated tofu cubes before stir-frying to help create a crust on the tofu. While the final dish won't feature crispy tofu (though you can serve the tofu on top of the sauce if you want to keep the crispy crust), this coating will help the sauce stick to the tofu. And we also use cornstarch to thicken the sauce. You can substitute other starches like arrowroot or tapioca starch.
About the Technique
This recipe is best made in a wok, but you can also use a large non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet.
- Marinate the Tofu. Letting cubed tofu sit in a bit of soy sauce and vinegar will add a lot of flavor to the tofu itself. If you have time to let it sit for 30 minutes or an hour that will work great. Even just 10 minutes will go a long way. And you can use that 10 minutes to prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Toss Tofu with Cornstarch. You can certainly use a large bowl to toss the tofu in cornstarch, but our preferred method is to add the tofu and cornstarch to a large zip-top bag and toss to coat. Just be sure to gently pat the tofu dry with a paper towel before adding to the cornstarch. You'll know it's coated well in cornstarch when the pieces no longer stick together and are dry to the touch.
- Work in Batches. Cook the tofu in 2 batches to avoid overcrowding. Having too much tofu in the pan may lead to soft, steamed tofu. You want a crispy exterior. Then let each batch drain on a plate lined with paper towels while you stir-fry the vegetables and sauce.
- Boil the Sauce. The wok or skillet should be hot enough when adding the sauce that it'll come to a boil right away. If for some reason it's not hot enough (like if you had to walk away from the wok or skillet) be sure it comes to a full boil. This ensures the cornstarch while activate and fully thicken the sauce.
What to Serve with Sweet and Sour Tofu
Top the dish with sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions and serve with white or brown rice.
If you want the keep the tofu crispy, skip the step of stir-frying the tofu in the sauce and instead serve the tofu on top of the sauce.
What about leftovers? Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You may reheat in a microwave, but we prefer eating the tofu cold. Surprisingly, cold sweet and sour tofu is super delicous.
Recipe
Sweet and Sour Tofu
- Total Time: 35
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
Description
This vegetarian sweet and sour tofu is mouthwateringly delicious! It's an kid-friendly weeknight meal that's packed with flavor, easy to make and so tasty you'll want to add it to your dinner rotation.
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz.) block extra-firm tofu
- 4 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce (or tamari), divided
- 4 Tbsp. rice vinegar, divided
- 6 Tbsp. cornstarch, divided
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 2 Tbsp. ketchup
- 2 Tbsp. lightly packed brown sugar
- 4 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil, divded
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 3 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. minced ginger (from 1 [1-inch] piece ginger)
- 1 cup chopped pineapple (canned or fresh)
- sesame seeds and rice, for serving
Instructions
- Dry tofu with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel (see note below about wrapping tofu). Cut tofu into ½-inch thick cubes. Place in a small container and add 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce (or tamari) and 1 tablespoon of the rice vinegar. Toss gently and marinate at least 10 minutes at room temperature, or up to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, whisk together in a medium bowl 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari) and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar. Set aside.
- Pat tofu dry with a paper or kitchen towel and add to a large zip-top bag. Add remaining 4 tablespoons cornstarch and toss well to coat the tofu.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large wok, non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet over medium-high until the oil shimmers. Add half the tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and repeat with remaining tofu, adding remaining 2 tablespoons oil between batches.
- Add red pepper and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, scallion whites, garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pineapple and reserved sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 1 minute, until sauce thickens. Add tofu and toss to coat. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice. Top with scallion greens and sesame seeds.
Notes
- For best results, wrap the tofu block in a clean kitchen towel and place a plate on top to weigh it down. Set aside for about 30 minutes to extract as much moisture as possible. This is not required, but will allow more of the sauce and marinade to soak into the tofu.
- If you want crispy tofu, skip adding the tofu back to the wok with the sauce and instead serve the tofu on top of the sauce.
- Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or serve the tofu cold.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Main
- Method: stir-fry
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Kate says
This has become a family favorite! Restaurant quality, simply prepped at home. Tasty tofu is now a regular part of our diet.