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Home » Recipes » Vegan Asian Recipes

Published: May 19, 2023 by Jim Mee Sha · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Tofu in Oyster Sauce

Jump to Recipe

This tofu in oyster sauce features crispy pan-fried tofu cubes tossed in a flavorful and rich sauce. An easy, one-pan comfort meal that is ready in 30 minutes. Serve it with rice and steamed veggies for an easy yet balanced dinner! 

We are big fans of tofu in this household and have been making this recipe, tomato sauce tofu, and Thai basil tofu on repeat.

Taking out a piece of tofu from a plate with 2 cups of tea beside.

This oyster sauce tofu is our current go-to tofu dish! Jam-packed with flavors, savory, and delicious, even my meat lover family adores this dish! 

I love serving it with some rice and veggies for a quick meal. However, if I am hosting a Chinese-themed dinner, I will whip up some other Chinese dishes like this ABC soup and some tofu dumplings to go with this dish. 

Jump to:
  • 💚Why you will love this recipe 
  • 🧄What you will need 
  • 📃Ingredient notes and substitutions 
  • 🔪How to make 
  • ✅Helpful tips 
  • ✨Variations and add-ins 
  • 🍚How to serve
  • ❔Commonly asked questions
  • 🍽️More tofu recipes
  • 📖 Recipe

💚Why you will love this recipe 

  • Bold in flavor, saucy, and taste incredible 
  • An easy 30-minute recipe that requires minimal prepping 
  • Highly customizable - give this dish your spin by adding other ingredients/seasonings that sound good! 
  • A versatile dish that goes well with other Asian mains or side dishes 

🧄What you will need 

Ingredients needed like green onion, broth, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, and seasonings.
Ingredients needed like tofu cubes, salt, and cornstarch

📃Ingredient notes and substitutions 

  • Tofu - Use extra-firm or firm tofu that has been drained and pressed beforehand, either using a tofu press or stacking something heavy on top. 
  • Oyster sauce - Opt for a vegan oyster sauce to keep this recipe vegan. I highly recommend using Lee Kum Kee’s stir-fry sauce. (Although it is labeled as a stir-fry sauce, it is a mushroom-flavored sauce imitating oyster sauce)
  • Soy sauce - Feel free to substitute it with tamari or shoyu. 

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🔪How to make 

Coat tofu - Cut your tofu into cubes, and place them in a container with cornstarch and salt. Secure the lid and toss the container until the tofu cubes are well coated. 

Pan-fry tofu - Heat some oil in a cast-iron skillet/non-stick pan, and place tofu in one layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes untouched on each side until most sides are golden brown. Set aside for later use. 

Coated tofu cubes in a bowl with a sauce dish and teaspoon beside.
Pan fried tofu in a cast iron skillet.

Making the sauce - In a bowl, combine broth, cornstarch, oyster sauce, and the rest of the seasonings and mix well. Set aside. 

Cooking the sauce -  Heat more oil in the same pan, then add ginger, garlic, and the white part of the green onions to the pan. Fry until fragrant, then add the broth-seasoning mixture. Simmer until the sauce thickens. 

Green onion, ginger, and garlic in a cast iron skillet with 2 empty sauce dishes beside.
Sauce for tofu in a cast iron pan with 2 empty sauce dishes beside.

Putting everything together - Add pan-fried tofu back to the pan along with the green parts of the green onion. Give everything a toss, and remove from heat. Your oyster sauce tofu is ready to be served! 

Pouring pan fried tofu into the pan with sauce.

✅Helpful tips 

  • Types of tofu - I recommend sticking with extra-firm or firm tofu. Medium and soft tofu is more delicate and breaks apart easily, making them unsuitable to be pan-fried. 
  • Pressing your tofu 
    • This is an essential step to eliminate excess water from your tofu. It helps your tofu better absorb flavors. 
    • You can either do this with a tofu press or by stacking heavy plates and pots on your tofu. I recommend checking out this post, ‘how to press tofu,’ for more information. 
  • Use a good non-stick pan/well-seasoned cast iron skillet - This prevents tofu from sticking at the bottom when pan-frying. 
  • Storing leftovers - Leftover tofu in oyster sauce can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. 

✨Variations and add-ins 

As mentioned above, this oyster sauce tofu is highly customizable, so feel free to give your spin to it! Here are a few ideas to get you started - 

Veggies - To bump up the nutrient content of this dish, add a few cups of vegetables of your choice. Some vegetables that work well in this recipe include blanched broccoli, carrot, or cauliflower, sliced mushrooms, baby corn, or snap peas. You might need to double the recipe for the sauce. 

Seasonings - Play around with the ratio of different seasonings, or add other kinds to enhance the flavor of this dish. I sometimes like adding hoisin sauce, Chinese black bean sauce, or dark soy sauce. 

Make it spicy - Mix in a generous pinch of chili flakes or a drizzle of sriracha into your sauce. 

Extra saucy - If you like your oyster sauce tofu to have more sauce, double the broth, seasonings, and cornstarch! 

Taking a piece of tofu out of a plate of rice, broccoli, and tofu with 2 cups of tea beside.

🍚How to serve

If you are looking to make a Chinese-themed family meal, I recommend pairing oyster sauce tofu with below dishes -

  • Sides - vegan egg rolls, soups like Chinese spinach soup or tofu vegetable soup, cabbage carrot stir-fry
  • Noodle dishes - stir-fry rice vermicelli
  • Rice - white or brown rice, use cauliflower rice for a lower-carb version

❔Commonly asked questions

Does oyster sauce taste fishy?

The oyster sauce does not taste fishy. Instead, it has a rich, savory, umami taste with a hint of sweetness. It is added to tons of Asian recipes to enhance their flavors.

Is oyster sauce vegan?

Most oyster sauces are not vegan. As its name suggests, it is made from oysters. 

However, you can easily find vegetarian oyster sauce, which uses mushrooms to mimic the flavors of oysters. I especially love Lee Kum Kee’s stir fry sauce, which is flavored with mushrooms and perfectly mimics regular oyster sauce.

Can I pan-fry tofu without cornstarch?

Coating tofu cubes with cornstarch before frying gives them a crunchy outer layer. You can pan-fry your tofu without it, but the tofu cubes will turn out to be less crispy.

🍽️More tofu recipes

  • A bowl of pho served with spoon with chopsticks, green onion, and condiments beside.
    Vegan Pho with Tofu
  • A plate of rice and tomato sauce tofu served with a spoon with 2 cups of tea beside.
    Vietnamese Tofu in Tomato Sauce
  • Vegan Tofu Adobo
  • A plate containing rice, gochujang tofu, and broccoli with chopsticks, sesame seeds, and green onion beside.
    Spicy Korean Gochujang Tofu

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📖 Recipe

A plate of rice served with tofu and broccoli with a pair of chopsticks and 2 cups of tea beside.

Tofu in Oyster Sauce

Meesha
This tofu in oyster sauce features crispy pan-fried tofu cubes tossed in a flavorful and rich sauce. An easy, one-pan comfort meal that is ready in 30 minutes. Serve it with rice and steamed veggies for an easy yet balanced dinner! 
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 3 servings
Calories 154 kcal

Equipment

  • cast iron skillet

Ingredients
 
 

Tofu

  • 1 block extra-firm tofu drained, pressed, and cubed*
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Sauce

  • ½ cup vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce vegetarian/regular
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari/shoyu
  • 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil

Rest of the ingredients

  • 1 ½ tablespoon cooking oil
  • 5 slices ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 stalk green onion white and green parts seperated
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions
 

  • Cut your tofu into cubes, and place them in a container with cornstarch and salt. Secure the lid and toss the container until the tofu cubes are well coated.
  • Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a cast-iron skillet/non-stick pan, and place tofu in one layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes untouched on each side until most sides are golden brown. Set aside for later use.
  • In a bowl, combine all ingredients needed for the sauce. Mix well and set aside.
  • Heat another ½ tablespoon of oil in the same pan, then add ginger, garlic, and the white part of the green onions to the pan. Fry until fragrant, around 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the broth-seasoning mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil, and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer until the sauce is thick and glossy.
  • Add pan-fried tofu back to the pan along with the green parts of the green onion. Give everything a toss, and remove from heat. Your oyster sauce tofu is ready to be serve!

Notes

*Pressing tofu - This is an essential step to eliminate excess water from your tofu. It helps your tofu better absorb flavors. 
You can either do this with a tofu press or by stacking heavy plates and pots on your tofu. I recommend checking out this post, ‘how to press tofu,’ for more information. 
 
Helpful tips
  • Use a good non-stick pan/well-seasoned cast iron skillet - This prevents tofu from sticking at the bottom when pan-frying. 
  • Storing leftovers - Leftover tofu in oyster sauce can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. 

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

Calories: 154kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 10gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.02gSodium: 905mgPotassium: 249mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 124IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 2mg

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.

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5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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A headshot of Mee Sha leaning on a handrail.

Hi, nice to meet you! I am Mee Sha, a final-year dietetic student passionate about nutrition, cooking, and food. This blog was created to share my favorite plant-powered recipe!

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