Our tasty sauce makes all the difference. It tastes so much better than takeout! Serve this Asian-inspired meal with noodles or rice as a weeknight dinner or lunch idea. It’s similar to sautéing, and although in Asian cooking, a wok is used, you can easily stir fry at home with your standard nonstick pan or cast iron skillet (we strongly recommend nonstick for tofu). While millions of regional variations exist, one should know two main stir-frying techniques: Bao and Chao. Both use high temperatures; the main difference is that Bao stir-frying is essentially done with oil as the only liquid; there is no sauce and little seasoning. Chao stir-frying uses oil at first to create a flavor base and adds a sauce towards the end to flavor the ingredients. For our tofu stir-fry, we use the Chao method and add a quick and tasty sauce to coat the tofu and the veggies, making them delicious. The result is an incredible combination of flavors, textures, and colors and one of the best stir-fried tofu dishes you’ll ever have.
Tofu
For this tofu stir fry recipe, use firm or extra firm tofu. There’s no need to press it. It pan-fries well and turns crisp and golden brown without falling apart. To pan-fry the tofu, you’ll need vegetable oil. We usually use olive oil, but good alternatives are coconut oil, avocado oil, or canola oil. Avoid soft tofu and silken tofu. They would fall apart in the pan.
Vegetables
We stir fry with broccoli, yellow or red bell pepper, and mushrooms. If you prefer, you can use other vegetables. We recommend sticking to 3 – 4 vegetables. Some vegetables that stir fry well are:
Scallions
Green onions, scallions, or spring onions add flavor, freshness, and color to the tofu stir fry. Use the white and light-green part in the stir fry with the other veggies and the darker green part to garnish on top. If you can’t find scallions, replace them with basil or coriander.
Stir fry sauce
Soy sauce: you can use soy sauce, reduced-sodium soy sauce, tamari sauce, and coco aminos for a gluten-free alternative. Vinegar: you can use rice vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. Sugar: white or brown. It also works with maple syrup, honey, or agave syrup. Sesame oil: we use raw sesame oil (not toasted) for stir-frying. If you don’t have that, use vegetable oil such as canola or sunflower. Sesame oil makes the stir-fry taste somewhat authentic, and we love it. You can order it online. Grated ginger. Grated garlic. Red pepper flakes: substitute Chinese dried chilis or fresh chilis. Corn starch: it helps make the sauce thick and sticky. Black pepper. Vegetable broth or water.
Serves well with
Rice: Stir fry tofu goes well with any boiled rice, including white rice, brown rice, and cauliflower rice. Noodles: You can also serve it with your favorite noodles. Cook the noodles per the package instructions and toss them in the stir fry shortly before serving. We tried rice noodles, udon noodles, lo mein noodles, soba noodles, ramen, and vermicelli. Sesame seeds: to garnish. VEGGIES: Cut the mushrooms into quarters, the bell pepper into 2/3-inch (1.7 cm) dice, and the broccoli into small florets. Cut the scallions into thin slices, then separate the white and light-green parts from the darker-green tops. SAUCE: Whisk together soy sauce, vegetable broth, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, grated garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, cornstarch, and black pepper.
2. Stir-fry
Heat half the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the tofu, season it with salt, and fry on medium heat for 10 minutes, flipping it once or twice. When the tofu is golden-brown, transfer it onto a plate and set aside. Wipe the pan clean with a kitchen towel, and add the remaining oil, chopped mushrooms, bell pepper, and broccoli. Stir-fry the veggies on medium-high heat for 3 minutes, moving them around the pan until they brown slightly. Tip: If you like crunchy veggies, cook them less; if you like softer veggies, stir fry them for longer. Add the white parts of the scallions and the tofu. Stir-fry for one minute.
3. Add the sauce
Turn the heat down to medium, add the sauce, and stir fry for 3 more minutes until the sauce thickens. Taste and adjust for salt before serving. Alternatively, boil your favorite noodles per package instructions, add them to the pan with the stir-fried tofu, add 1/2 cup of vegetable broth, and toss on high heat for 1 minute. Freezer: You can freeze leftover stir-fried tofu. However, its texture will change slightly. Thaw in the microwave. Reheat in a pan with some sauce to boost flavor. We hope you enjoy them!
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