Sticky Tofu is one of our go-to's for a quick, easy, and delicious weeknight recipe. Made with easy-to-find ingredients and done in a flash, it's a vegetarian dinner the whole family will love.
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If you're anything like me, you're always on the hunt for quick, easy, healthy, and tasty weeknight recipes. Bonus points if your kids will wolf them down without complaint, right?
This Sticky Tofu Recipe ticks all the boxes. First of all, it's FAST. It's 10-Minute Ramen fast, but with way less chopping involved.
It's as fast as our Sriracha Tempeh Bowls, but since it's sweet instead of spicy it's something I can serve to the whole family. Let's just say this recipe is a proud member of our archive of Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes, ok?
In addition to being fast, it's also super easy and the taste is delicious. There's minimal chopping involved. The ingredients are easily found in your regular grocery store. You can easily pull it off after a long day.
All you need to do is cook up some rice, steam some broccoli or chop up some raw veggies to go with, and you're good to go. Dinner is served!
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Ingredients
The ingredients list is short and sweet for this Sticky Tofu Recipe! You'll find specific quantities in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, but for now here's a quick overview.
- Tofu --> We're using a nice block of firm tofu for this beauty.
- Cornstarch --> This is the magic ingredient that gets the sauce to cling just so.
- Garlic --> Because, garlic.
- Ginger --> For a l'il bit of zing!
- Hoisin sauce --> This is the base of our sticky sauce.
- Soy sauce --> Bringing some salty flavour.
- Sesame oil --> For that beautiful nutty depth.
- Brown sugar --> Juuuuuust a smidge.
- Chili flakes --> Optional but delicious.
- Sesame seeds --> For garnish.
Tip! Keep your ginger in the freezer and it will grate like a dream - way easier than grating fresh ginger because there are no stringy bits. I use my microplane and just grate it directly from the freezer.
As far as equipment goes, nothing fancy needed to make this recipe, friends. I just use my favourite non-stick frying pan and call it a day.
How to make Sticky Tofu
You'll find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post, but let's take a look at how this comes together.
First up, cubes of tofu get tossed with cornstarch to evenly coat the cubes. Give the bowl a good shake and also gently stir the tofu with a spoon to make sure you get even coverage.
Ginger and garlic go into a hot pan for a minute, just to take the raw edge off.
Tofu goes into the pan and gets stir-fried until it's golden and crispy. This takes about 4-5 minutes. Then your sauce goes in and coats the tofu to glorious, sticky perfection.
I mean just look at this:
Pro tips
This recipe doesn't have a lot of chopping involved, but it will make things way easier if you have the ginger and garlic minced and the sauce stirred together before you start cooking.
You do not need to press the tofu for this recipe, but you do need to pat the cubes dry so the cornstarch will stick. I gently press the cubes between a couple of layers of paper towels and that does the trick.
If your rice is already cooked this dinner will come together in a flash. I like to make big batches of brown rice and other whole grains as part of my weekly batch cooking. Related: Batch Cooking For Beginners.
Storage
Sticky Tofu is one of those recipes that is best served hot from the pan. The good news is that it's so fast to make, I never really mind whipping up a batch.
While leftovers definitely aren't as good as the fresh version, I've taken them for a packed lunch many times and they're still tasty!
Sticky Tofu will last for 3-5 days in your fridge in an airtight container. I use the microwave to reheat the dish together with some rice and veggies.
Sticky Tofu Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 ounces firm tofu
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil or another neutral flavoured oil
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- Sesame seeds for garnish.
Instructions
- Slice the tofu into ½ inch cubes and spread onto a paper towel to dry slightly. Place another paper towel on top and gently press to dry the tofu.14 ounces firm tofu
- Put cornstarch in a medium-sized bowl. Add the dried tofu cubes, and toss to coat in the cornstarch.3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- In a small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired.¼ cup hoisin sauce, 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, pinch red pepper flakes
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic to the oil, and cook, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.2 Tablespoons avocado oil, 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger, 1 clove garlic
- Add the tofu cubes, and fry, stirring often, until they're crisp and golden.
- Reduce the heat to low, and add the sauce. Stir until the tofu is well-coated.
- Serve over rice with vegetables on the side, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.Sesame seeds for garnish.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only
- This recipe is best served fresh - but luckily it's very fast to make!
- You don't need to press the tofu, but you do need to dry the cubes of tofu so that the cornstarch will stick. I pat them dry between a couple of layers of paper towel.
- Make sure all of the chopping and grating is done, and take a minute to stir the sauce together before you start cooking.
Heidi
Hi Katie, I have been following you for a while and love your recipes. I have a question about tofu. Only two in my family like it (me and my daughter), so I never quite get through it. I have read that you can freeze tofu. Do you have any thoughts on this and also how to maximise the shelf life of a block of tofu. Cheers
Katie Trant
Hey Heidi! Yes, you can freeze tofu. One thing to note is that freezing tofu changes its texture a bit, but not in a bad way. Since it's so watery, a lot of ice crystals form when tofu is frozen, and upon defrosting, it has little tunnels through it. I actually like to keep a few packets of tofu in the freezer specifically for this texture. It's great crumbled and cooked into a mince-like dish for tacos or pasta sauce.
If you're just trying to extend the life of a block of tofu in your fridge, keep it in an air-tight container and add water to come up at least halfway. Refresh the water daily, and it'll last you 3-5 days in the fridge. Otherwise, pop the whole thing in the freezer (no added water necessary) and embrace the texture change in whatever you're making!
Heidi
Thanks will try, I have read that many people like the texture of frozen tofu, and that it picks up sauce flavours well
Janet
I am trying to develop a deep love for tofu and so gave this recipe a go. Previously I have marinated it, then stir fried. I absolutely loved how crunchy the tofu was after coating in cornflour, then stir frying in the wok. The sauce over the top was really lovely too. Very tasty. I served mine mixed with onion, mushrooms, brocolli and red capsicum on top of some cooked quinoa. This made for a really nice meal. Thank you Katie! Will definitely be doing this meal again.
Katie Trant
So glad you enjoyed this, Janet! It's one my favourite tofu recipes as well.
Cassie
Yum yum yum! This was so easy and so delicious. Love the little bit of sweetness - it’s perfect!
Katie Trant
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this one as much as we do.