Dear Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Tofu,
Please get in my mouth immediately.
Love,
Sam.
The crispy tofu, the heat of Sriracha, and the sweet agave sauciness, make one fiiine combination. Delivery has nothing on this, and with the freezing temperatures we've been having, I'm pretty sure the delivery guy is A-ok with avoiding the running about in the cold. And I am A-ok with snuggling up in my stretchy pants and over-sized sweater and never leaving the house again... Until I run out of tofu, or Sriracha, or wine, then I will reconsider.
In the meantime, how about cuddling up with a plate of this amazingness? Yes, I don't mind if I do.
To make Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Tofu: Toss the pressed and cubed tofu with cornstarch. Coating the tofu in cornstarch will help it crisp up... oh delicious crispy tofu, you had me at hello.
Fry the tofu until golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 4 minutes per side, then drain on paper towel.
In the meantime, make the sauce by combining the water, soy sauce, sugar, Sriracha, agave, and garlic in a pan. Bring to a boil. If you don't have Sriracha you could use a different hot sauce. Hot sauces range in spice quite a bit, so add to your own taste preference.
Then whisk in the cornstarch mixture into sauce, and stir until thickened. Toss with tofu and serve over rice. Yum!
Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Tofu
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 1 block (350g) extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed (see notes), cubed
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons oil for frying
- cooked rice for serving
For the sweet & spicy sauce:
Instructions
- To make the tofu: add the tofu to a medium bowl with the cornstarch. Toss well to coat, and shake off excess.
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the tofu cubes until all sides are browned. About 4 minutes each side. Drain tofu on paper towel to get rid of excess oil.
- To make the Sriracha sauce: in a small saucepan, 1 cup water, soy sauce, sugar, sriracha, agave, and garlic, then bring to a boil. In a small bowl or glass, mix the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water together. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and whisk well. Continue to cook another minute or two until the sauce thickens.
- Toss the sauce with the tofu and serve over a bed of rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
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Michale Verrelli says
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Ann Marshall says
Just made this for the first time tonight, and my carnivore hubby who doesn’t like tofu actually liked this! The sauce is super yummy and can be used with lots of other dishes. Thanks, Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!! You're most welcome 🙂
Joe says
I was searching online for a vegan dinner to make with what I had on hand. One of the search results was your Orange Ginger Tofu recipe and that led me here. I’m so glad!
First I sautéd an onion and a bell pepper with some garlic. When they were about done I sprinkled on a bit of five spice powder. I’m guessing you’re thinking ‘competing flavors’ but hey, I’m a rube.
I made the rest of your recipe pretty much as you wrote it. (I had a bit of a challenge reviving the previous night’s rice but that’s a whole other post.) It turned out awesome! I figured it was going to be good but this one hit it out of the ballpark. Definitely putting in my rotation and I’m already thinking of adding soy curls marinated in some interesting sauce the next time I prepare this. Hmm...
Thanks Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it so much, Joe 🙂
Kim W says
So I have to make this at least once a week for my daughter who cant get enough of this tofu ever! I make a double batch of the sauce because we use it on everything. From veggies to vegan chicken nuggets, on veggies burgers and even just spread on toast for breakfast! Thank goodness it is so easy! Thank you for this delicious recipe Sam. It's amazing!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha!! That's amazing, Kim 🙂
Jennifer says
Can I bake the tofu instead of frying it? What should I change?
Sam Turnbull says
You can but it won't have the fried crispy coating. I would try baking it like I do in my coconut fried rice recipe and then tossing it with the sauce. Enjoy!
Anne says
Yum! The tofu came out nice and crispy, and the sauce is da bomb. I wasn't sure my husband would like it, but he did. I cut back on the sugar, and subbed in maple syrup for the agave.
I took the idea of a previous comment, and served it with sauteed spinach, mushrooms and onions.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed, Anne 🙂
Olivia says
This is amazing! I served it with rice and some blanched mushrooms and spinach! wow it's so tasty and delicious!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed, Olivia!
Suzy says
The flavor is awesome! But Sam, what did I do wrong? My tofu stuck together like a couple of hot newlyweds! I couldn't get them apart for anything. I, too, served with steam broccoli over rice. It was great! And The Mister ate every bite! Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Make sure to toss them well in the cornstarch, adding more if needed, and keep them separated in the pan. That should stop them from sticking. Enjoy!
Trisha Mae says
can you subsittute honey for agave?
Sam Turnbull says
Honey isn't vegan so I don't cook with it or recommend it. 🙂
Maricar says
Hi Sam, if so, any other substitute that you can recommend?
Amber says
Another great recipe, Sam! These were delicious and everything I hoped for!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! So happy you loved it, Amber!
Kristi says
This is my favorite way to have tofu. I'm getting ready to make it again. I'm eating half of it for lunch and half for dinner. I'm just pretending I don't know the part of the recipe that says it makes four servings. 😀
Sam Turnbull says
Bahahaha! Love it. So happy it's your favourite, Kristi!
Leigh says
I made this Wednesday night for lunch for me and my hubs Thursday and Friday. My 6 year old loved it and I only had enough lunch for 1 day lol. I always wondered how to make it crunchy.
I LOVE your recipes and share your blog to my friends, which clearly they all love now too!!
Thank you for all the goodies 🙂
p.s. miss you on snapchat
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!! Thrilled you love them so much, Leigh! Thanks for sharing. I'm on Instagram @itdoesnttastelikechicken and often post stories there so you don't have to miss me too much 😀
chelsea says
can brown sugar be substituted in for white sugar?
Louise says
Hi, about to try this recipe but dont have agave. Is it needed? Any substitue?
Sam Turnbull says
Maple syrup, corn syrup or brown sugar should work. 🙂
Counselorchick says
Hubby loves this. Thanks for the great recipe.
Couple of quick questions: are you cooking the tofu for 8 minutes? And at what temperature? I did about 12 minutes at medium high but I think that may be too long. Should the tofu look like your pic or more browned than that. Or could I be (as usual) over thinking this?
Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
It totally depends on your stove and pan. Stoves can vary greatly in temperature and pans can transfer the heat differently. They should look lightly golden all over, like in my pictures. Of course, if you prefer them darker, that's your taste preference and there is nothing wrong with that. Hope that helps! 🙂
heather says
Just wanted to tell you, my husband and I eat this at least twice a week. It is a go-to favorite. Not a "could eat" but a "must eat craving." THANK YOU FOR THIS!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! That's so awesome, Heather. Thanks for this comment 🙂
Scott says
OMG! Sam, I just made this and the deliciousness is inexplicable! Fearing not so crunchy baked tofu as was reported in other reviews, I sprayed it with oil first, baked it at 350 for 10 minutes. I flipped it, sprayed it again and baked for another 10. Then I cranked the broiler to high and broiled it for 3 minutes per side. Meaning top and bottom of the cubes...6 minutes total.
I don't know how you keep cranking out top notch recipies, but I am sure glad you do. I *can not* wait for your cookbook!
Sam Turnbull says
Awww shucks, thanks so much, Scott! So happy you found a way to bake it to perfection, and I can't wait for my cookbook either!!! 😀