Sweet + Spicy Gochujang Tofu

Sweet and spicy Gochujang tofu in a black bowl with rice and broccoli

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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword Gochujang tofu, Tofu

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 436kcal

Author Katie Trant

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

Nutrition