Sticky, umami, and jam-packed with flavors, this simple hoisin tofu stir-fry will excite your taste buds! It's a quick and easy weeknight dinner that's ready in just 30 minutes.
We especially love pairing it with other Chinese sides such as our tofu lettuce wrap, tofu vegetable soup, and spicy Asian cucumber salad.
Growing up in a Chinese household, hoisin sauce is a staple condiment. We use it in almost anything, from making popiah and tofu lettuce wrap to hoisin peanut dipping sauce for my tofu rice paper rolls.
This hoisin tofu has quickly become our new favorite! Crispy baked tofu is coated in a rich umami-packed sauce, we love serving it with my frozen vegetable fried rice and Chinese vegetable soup for a hearty weeknight dinner.
Jump to:
💚Why you will love this hoisin tofu
- Better than takeout - bold, umami, and packed with flavors
- Tofu is baked (instead of deep fried) to crispy perfection
- Requires minimal prep and is ready in 30 minutes
- A versatile tofu dish that goes well with noodles or rice!
- A great source of plant-based protein
🥕What you will need
- Tofu - Use extra firm or firm tofu that has been drained and pressed beforehand, either using a tofu press or by stacking something heavy on top. Tear them into bite-sized pieces.
- Cornstarch - Is what makes tofu ultra crispy.
- Hoisin sauce - A sweet and savory sauce commonly used in Chinese cooking. You can find it in the condiment aisle of groceries, at Asian markets, or online. I am using the Lee Kum Kee's hoisin sauce.
✨Variations and substitutions
- Make it gluten-free - Use a gluten-free hoisin sauce and soy sauce
- Add vegetables - Turn this into a vegetable tofu stir-fry by tossing in cooked vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, or carrots. Double the sauce to ensure everything gets evenly coated.
- Hoisin noodle stir-fry - You can toss in 2-3 servings of cooked noodles. Again, I would recommend doubling the ingredients for hoisin sauce.
- Make it spicy - Add 1-2 teaspoons of sriracha or chili flakes to the sauce mixture. You could also add some minced ginger to give it some spice and aroma.
🔪How to make hoisin tofu
Step 1: In a large container, add tofu cubes, cornstarch, salt, and oil. Cover with a lid and shake until the mixture is evenly coated.
Step 2: Arrange coated tofu cubes on a baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Step 3: Combine all ingredients needed for the sauce.
Step 4: In a skillet, saute garlic until fragrant.
Step 5: Pour in the sauce mixture and cook until the sauce starts to thicken.
Step 6: Add baked tofu to the pan and stir until the hoisin sauce is evenly distributed. Your hoisin tofu stir-fry is ready to be served.
✅Helpful tips
- Air fryer tofu - Instead of baking, you can also air fry your tofu for 10-15 minutes at 200C(400F) until golden and crispy.
- Adjust seasonings - Before serving hoisin tofu, taste and add more soy sauce for saltiness or a pinch of sugar to enhance sweetness.
- Serve immediately - This dish is best enjoyed fresh while the tofu is still crispy.
❄️Meal prep tip
This recipe can be easily doubled and will keep well in the fridge for 5 days.
Store the tofu and sauce separately to prevent the tofu from becoming soggy.
When ready to eat, reheat tofu in the oven until hot. Warm sauce in a skillet, adding a splash of water if it's too thick. Toss tofu into sauce just before serving.
🍚How to serve
Hoisin tofu is best served with rice, cooked noodles, or stir-fry noodles such as my oyster sauce noodles or my fried rice vermicelli.
For a heartier meal, I like to pair this dish with my vegan egg rolls, snow peas stir-fry, or okra stir-fry.
❔Commonly asked questions
Hoisin sauce are mostly vegetarian and vegan-friendly, as they are free from animal products. Although hoisin translates to seafood (海鲜) in Chinese, they are mainly made from fermented soybean paste, cornstarch, water, sugar, and other seasonings.
Hoisin sauce can be substituted with an equal amount of soy sauce or oyster sauce (vegetarian or regular) with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar.
If your tofu is not turning out crispy, it's likely that you did not press it well. The excess moisture in tofu prevents it from crisping properly.
Coating tofu with flour, such as cornstarch or wheat flour, also helps keep the tofu's surface dry, ensuring the development of crispy outer crust.
📖 Recipe
Hoisin Tofu Stir-fry
Equipment
Ingredients
Tofu
Hoisin stir-fry sauce
- 3 cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup water
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce *see notes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari/shoyu
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Tear tofu into small, bite-sized pieces.
- In a large container, add tofu chunks, cornstarch, oil, and soy sauce. Cover with a lid and shake until the mixture is evenly coated.
- Arrange coated tofu cubes on a baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.
- While tofu is baking, make the sauce. Combine all ingredients needed for the sauce.
- In a skillet, saute garlic until fragrant.
- Pour in the sauce mixture and cook until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Add baked tofu to the pan and stir until the hoisin sauce is evenly distributed. Give it a taste, adding more seasonings if needed.
- Your hoisin sauce tofu is ready to be served.
Notes
- Air fryer tofu - Instead of baking, you can also air fry your tofu for 10-15 minutes at 200C(400F) until golden and crispy.
- Serve immediately - This dish is best enjoyed fresh while the tofu is still crispy.
- Meal prep tip - Refrigerate baked tofu and sauce separately for up to 5 days.
- When ready to enjoy, reheat tofu in the oven, and warm the sauce in a skillet, adding splash of water to thin if needed.
- Toss baked tofu into the sauce, and mix until sauce is well distributed.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
L says
I bookmarked this recipe to use again! I stuck to the exact recipe, using an air fryer for about 12 minutes to bake the tofu. Deliciously umami!
Mike Sullivan says
Love this recipe! Here's some tips from my experience making it about 10 times.
- for the tofu use much more cornstarch, maybe 1/8 c
- for cooking tofu use more oil to have the all browning at same time.
- after adding broccoli add about 1/4 cup water to stream broccoli
- for extra low calorie skip the rice and noodles