My super simple Gochujang Tofu is coated in a sticky, sweet-and-spicy sauce made with gochujang paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, and rice vinegar. Torn into craggy pieces for maximum crunch, the tofu can be air-fried or oven-baked for an easy, flavor-packed vegetarian dinner.
This Tofu Has Main-Character Energy
If you have someone in your life who thinks tofu is boring, make them this Gochujang Tofu. It's crispy, it's saucy, it's sticky, it's sweet, and it's spicy. I mean, c'mon. The gang's all here.
Also, it takes like 15 minutes to whip everything together, and then all you need to do is patiently wait for the tofu to crisp up (I'm kind of in love with air frying my tofu (like this crispy seasoned air fryer tofu), but the oven also does a very good job of this (like this crispy oven baked tofu)) and then it's so ready to soak up the sweet and spicy gochujang sauce.
I feel that it's important for you to know that I never, ever press my tofu. Total waste of time. Just pat it dry and get on with your life. Also, not sure why I spent so much time slicing tofu into neat little squares, but trust me when I say tearing it up with your hands is the way to go. That way we get maximum surface area and maximum craggy edges are therefore maximum crunch. Trust me on this one.
I like to pour the sauce over the tofu and then put it back in the air fryer or oven for a little bit to get a little caramelization going on the edges. Then serve it over hot rice with a pile of steamed broc on the side. Yes please.
LEt's make Gochujang Tofu together!
Alright my friend, let's do this thing. You'll find detailed instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the end of this post, but for now let's walk through it together.
Step 1: Prepare the tofu
Slice the block of tofu in half lengthwise, so you have two slabs, each about an inch thick. Using your hands, tear the tofu slabs into bite-sized pieces. We want craggy edges for maximum crunch!
Place the tofu in a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle with avocado oil and stir to coat the tofu. Then sprinkle salt, pepper, and cornstarch over top. Stir to ensure the tofu is evenly coated.
Step 2: Air fry or bake the tofu
Add the coated tofu pieces to an air fryer basket or a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer.
Air fry or bake until golden brown and crispy — usually about 15-20 minutes depending on your oven or air fryer.
Step 3: Make the sauce
While the tofu is cooking, whisk together your sweet and spicy gochujang sauce.
In a small bowl, whisk together gochujang paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic powder, and water.
When the tofu is crisp, place it in a medium bowl and pour the gochujang sauce over top. Stir to combine well. I like to let it sit in the sauce for a couple of minutes and give it another stir.
Step 4: Double-bake the tofu
Return the saucy tofu to the air fryer or oven and bake/air fry for an addtional five minutes.
This step is optional, but highly recommended!
Step 5: Serve!
Serve the tofu over bowls of rice with some steamed broccoli or sliced cucumber on the side. Drizzle with extra sauce; you won't regret it.
I mean, oh yes.
Sweet + Spicy Gochujang Tofu
Ingredients
- 14 ounces firm tofu
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1-2 Tablespoons Gochujang paste*
- 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- Slice the block of tofu in half lengthwise, so you have two slabs, each about an inch thick. Place the halves on a paper towel, top with another paper towel, and press down to remove some moisture.14 ounces firm tofu
- Using your hands, tear the tofu slabs into bite-sized pieces. We want craggy edges for maximum crunch!
- Place the tofu in a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle with avocado oil and stir to coat the tofu. Then sprinkle salt, pepper, and cornstarch over top. Stir to ensure the tofu is evenly coated.2 teaspoons avocado oil, salt and pepper, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- Now you can either air fry or bake your tofu.
To air fry:
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F/200°C. I just let it run for a minute or two.
- Add the coated tofu pieces to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy, shaking and/or turning the tofu halfway through. How long this takes will depend a bit on your air fryer.
To bake:
- Arrange the tofu pieces in a single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and quickly flip the tofu pieces over.
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.
Make the sauce
- While the tofu is cooking, whisk together your sweet and spicy gochujang sauce.
- In a small bowl, whisk together gochujang paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic powder, and water.1-2 Tablespoons Gochujang paste*, 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup, 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 Tablespoons water
To finish:
- When the tofu is crisp, remove from the oven or air fryer and place in a medium bowl. Pour the gochujang sauce over top, and stir to combine well. I like to let it sit in the sauce for a couple of minutes and give it another stir.
- Return the sauce-coated tofu to the oven or air fryer and cook for an additional 5 minutes. This will caramelize the sauce and make it even crispier and more delicious.
- Serve over rice, with veggies on the side.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only
- Handle the heat! Start with 1 Tablespoon of gochujang paste and add more depending on how spicy you like it.
- If you are air frying the tofu (my preferred method) don’t pour all of the sauce into the air fryer along with the tofu. Lift the tofu from the bowl into the air fryer with a slotted spoon, and then drizzle remaining sauce over your tofu bowls if you like. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a bunch of sticky burnt sauce at the bottom of your air fryer, and nobody wants that.
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