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 and Spicy Sriracha Tofu. The crispy tofu, the heat of Sriracha, and the sweet agave sauciness make one fine combination.
- 1 block (350g) extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed (see notes), cubed
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons oil for frying
- cooked rice for serving
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To make the tofu: add the tofu to a medium bowl with the cornstarch. Toss well to coat, and shake off excess.
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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.
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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.
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Toss the sauce with the tofu and serve over a bed of rice.
For pressing instructions check out the Ultimate Guide for Pressing Tofu.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
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Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
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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!
Wonderful!! You're most welcome 🙂
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!
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it so much, Joe 🙂
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!
Haha!! That's amazing, Kim 🙂
Can I bake the tofu instead of frying it? What should I change?
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!
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.
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed, Anne 🙂
This is amazing! I served it with rice and some blanched mushrooms and spinach! wow it's so tasty and delicious!
So happy you enjoyed, Olivia!
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!
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!
can you subsittute honey for agave?
Honey isn't vegan so I don't cook with it or recommend it. 🙂
Hi Sam, if so, any other substitute that you can recommend?
Another great recipe, Sam! These were delicious and everything I hoped for!
Yay!! So happy you loved it, Amber!
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. 😀
Bahahaha! Love it. So happy it's your favourite, Kristi!
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
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 😀
can brown sugar be substituted in for white sugar?
Hi, about to try this recipe but dont have agave. Is it needed? Any substitue?
Maple syrup, corn syrup or brown sugar should work. 🙂
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!
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! 🙂
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!
Haha! That's so awesome, Heather. Thanks for this comment 🙂
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!
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!!! 😀
I just finished making this tofu and took my first bite...YUM! That's all I can really say. Spicy, sweet, sticky, delicious!
Hahaha! Nothing more is needed! That sounds perfect. So happy you loved it, Nora 🙂
This is so good!!! One of the best recipes I've tried.
Woohoo!! So happy you love it Toni 🙂
Do I have use agave? I really don't like agave that is why I am asking.
You could sub with maple syrup or just skip it entirely. 🙂
Delicious. My non-vegan family loved this too. Thanks for another great recipe
Oh and it is definitely a five star recipe
Haha! Yay!!! It's my absolute pleasure, so happy you loved it 🙂
Can't wait for your cookbook to come out. Lol everyone one will get a copy for Christmas ☃
Awww yay!!! 😀
Sam,
Just excellent! I can't thank you enough for this recipe. I've searched online for this recipe, have made it and it never turns out. Your recipe was point on and it was excellent. I did add Fresh ginger also. Adds just that little bit more.
So now I'm wondering, will you in your new cook book add kung pao tofu? I Love that stuff, But the recipes are to hard to follow. lol. I'm Asking cause you simplify my life with your wonderful tasting recipes, that are easy to make and they taste so good!
Thanks again.
Yay! So happy to hear that! Kung Pao isn't in my cookbook, but that's a great idea! I have added it to my list of recipe ideas 😀
Hi, I am new to being a vegan (20 days and counting!!) so i don't quite know what "press the block of tofu for 15 minutes" means. Do I stand there pressing on the tofu with a paper towel for 15 minutes??
Thank you,
Toni
Haha! Sorry! I should write a clear post on that, it's a great idea. All you do is open and drain the tofu. Then wrap it in a clean dish towel, and balance a cutting board on top, with something heavy on top of that (such as a couple can of beans). This will slowly press out excess water, meaning the tofu will be drier and able to suck up more flavour. Hope that helps! And welcome and enjoy! 🙂
This was heaven. I have been wanting something like the tofu I would get in a restaurant. This was it. It is not too spicy and just yum.
Yay!!!! So happy you loved it, Diana! 😀
Yum. Just yum. Added the sauce and some steamed broccoli to the pan with the crispy tofu. Family fell on it including the 13 year old. Had to tone down the heat for the younger set, but wonderful. Should have doubled it so we could lunch left-overs. THANK YOU for helping this mom with vegan meals!
Yay! So happy you and your fam love it, KBF! 😀
PS. Filled the soul--Perfect and much-needed after a long day of marches and rallies in DC. 🙂
Woohoo!! That's two great things to hear 🙂
HI yet another good sounding recipe that we may try tonight could
you please tell me what size block in oz. of tofu you recommend for this recipe... thank you
My block is 350 grams so thats 12.3 oz. I hope you love it!
Delicious! Made this for dinner and it was super easy and so very tasty. I've been making your recipes all week and they've all been so delicious. Can't wait to try more!
Haha love it! Nothing better than spending the week cooking up delicious vegan food 😀
Can't get Agave where I live. Would maple syrup work?
Yes it would! Enjoy 🙂
I LOVE this recipe and so does my family, even the non vegan ones..I add button mushrooms and brocoli to the mix.. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Woot woot! So happy you and your fam love it Lisa 🙂
I LOVE this recipe! I serve it with broccoli and rice 🙂
Sounds like the perfect combination! So happy you love it Allison 🙂
So so good. Recently became vegan and came across this recipe on Pinterest. I did do a little adjusting. I didn't add any white sugar and only added the two tablespoons of agave because I already take in more sugar than I should haha. I also added three tablespoons of sriracha as well as a tablespoon of red pepper flakes (definitely made it extremely spicy which I loved). Thanks so much for the recipe. Super easy and delicious 🙂
Awesome! So happy you loved it Walker, and congrats on your new veganism! Let me know if you ever need any support or have any questions 🙂
I've made this dish countless times already and it's quickly become my husband's favorite meal. It's been a key part of my new successful scheme. We've been vegan at home for half a year now (previously vegetarian), and (thanks to delicious dishes like this) he's only just now realized he's vegan.
Ha!! I love that delicious scheme!! So happy you are loving this recipe and that it helped. Muhahaha!
My boss brought this to work and upon announcing what she had cooked, my co-workers instantly perked up and started salivating (it was very pavlovian)! I'm new to my job so I had never tasted my boss' cooking before but it was so good that I decided to try it out myself. She sent me a link to this recipe I literally just made this now and am eating as I type this and it's delicious!
-Omnivore who enjoys the occasional vegan dish
Yay! Welcome omnivore, haha! So very happy you loved this dish so much, and congrats on your new job 🙂
I got a strict carnivore to eat these. She fell in love and has been begging me to make again.
D e l i c i o u s
Haha!! I love that! Wooing carnivores with tofu, who knew! 🙂
You can make it oil free by coating the tofu prices in corn flour/meal and baking for 20 mins (ish) until it turns crispy. I've tried it both ways and with oil comes out a little crunchier but still good texted with the corn meal 🙂
Great tip! Thanks for sharing Abby 🙂
Hi Sam,
I have never cooked Tofu before but plan to do your recipe this week.
Do you need both the sugar and Agave as it seems a lot to me and I see someone mentioned Sambal Oelek. Is this a good substitute for Sriracha as I have never tried Sriracha before.....
Hi Dolores!
Feel free to reduce the sugar as you like, but keep in mind that most people who claim they don't like tofu, say that it's because t's bland, which it is, so you have to add all the flavour. Feel free to use any hot sauce you like, but make sure to adjust the quantities accordingly so that it suits your spice preference. I hope you love it!
Thanks so much Sam, I will stick to your recipe and let you know the outcome... 🙂
Enjoy!
This was great! Made it tonight! Thanks so much for this recipe 🙂
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it Alexa 😀
This was the best thing I've ever made!!
Wow!! Can't get a much better review than that! So happy you loved it so very much Dwayne 🙂
I made this for my husband who loves sriracha and spiciness, so I decided on 2 Tablespoons of sriracha so I could maybe try some, too. Wow, it was practically too spicy for him! But I loved all the textures, and it was a great recipe. He said it tasted like Orange "Chicken". Maybe 1/2 Tablespoon next time. Lol
I stayed up half the night bookmarking all your delicious looking recipes, so can't wait to try more! 🙂
Haha! I guess I have a pretty high tolerance to spice 🙂
So happy you enjoyed it anyways! If you like the orange style, you might enjoy my Orange Ginger Tofu. A similar recipe, but sweet, not spicy. You could choose to add a bit of Sriracha to that too if you like.
Hope you enjoy many more recipes 🙂
where does the vinager come into play? I am in the middle of making...please help!
Hi carol, there isn't any vinegar in this recipe, so no need to add any. Enjoy!
HAHA wasn't wearing my glasses....white sugar....and it was delish!!!
Hahaha!!! I was wondering... haha. So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Finally tried this the other night and cannot believe I waited so long! Absolutely out of this world deliciousness. I did do a stir fry and we had the best dinner. The tofu came out exactly as you said it would, crispy perfection. I never knew it could be this easy to create something so yummy so quickly. Can't wait to get it in my mouth again and plan to whip up the sauce for dips and other dishes. It is a real keeper.
Thx, Sam. Your recipes are amazing.
Arlene
Aww that's so awesome Arlene! So happy you loved it so much! 😀
Faaaaabulous! I tossed in broccoli and yellow bell peppers and served it over beautiful black rice. Even my 21 year old niece who claims she's "allergic" to tofu had a good sized serving! Thanks for another trick to tempt the "meat-heads" into our yummy plant based world! We will conquer the world one plate at a time! (insert evil laugh here) 😉
Muhahahaha!!!! Yes we will! So happy you loved the recipe Dana 😉
I've had this recipe on my reading list for a while, meaning to make it. Well, I finally made this and darn, Sam, I'm now kicking myself for depriving my family of these amazing tofu morsels! OMG! This recipe is super delicious and super easy. When I do tofu with cornstarch, I more or less deep-fry in a wok (maybe I'll try the fry pan sometime with less oil), but it's just so easy in the wok. Anyway, this came together so quickly and we LOVED it. I'll be making this again, soon.
There are recipes on my site you haven't tried? haha. So happy you love this one as well. Thanks for always coming back and leaving your review 😀
So when you say agave, you mean agave nectar?
Yes I do! Also sometimes called agave syrup. 🙂
Thank you very much. I tinkered a bit, but the recipe base was great. Cheers. Sambol Oelek subbed for siracha, reduced sugar and subbed stock for water.
Yay, so happy it worked out for you Alex. Enjoy!
Ok, I don't even know where to start. I found your pho recipe on pinterest and that was absolutely delicious. I knew I had to come back for another recipe. I bought tofu for the pho and had a lot more left over and decided to whip this up. Let me tell you i've never had tofu before but my goodness the sauce was soooo good. The only thing was I had never ever used cornstarch before and I left a lot on the tofu on accident. otherwise it was so good! Can't wait to try another recipe tomorrow for 'meatless monday'. PS you should get an instagram! I've been posting photos of the food i've made and I want to route them to you (i write your url in the post)
Oh that's great Irene! So happy I was able to introduce you to a tofu recipe that you love! I would love to see your Instagram pics, and I am on Instagram @itdoesnttastelikechicken
You had me at sriracha. This looks delicious!!! I'm a recently new fan of tofu and am looking to add more recipes with it to my collection. Thanks, pinned! 🙂
Haha! Thank you! So glad I could help with your new love of tofu Elizabeth. 🙂
This was so amazing! It reminded me of sweet and sour chicken back in the day. I will most likely be making this weekly!I put mine with some rice in butter lettuce cups. Too good for words.
Oh I love the lettuce cups idea! I want to do that now. Great idea Heather, thanks for sharing. I love that I was able to make one of your new go to recipes 🙂
made this tonight ... It was delicious!! Everyone thought it was like orange chicken only not
; ))
Haha! Thats great! Im so glad you ebjoyed it so much. 🙂
So excited to try this recipe! We are in a bit of a crazy sriracha obsession over here, and actually ventured out into the freezing temps the other night just to re-stock our supply! So now that I have three huge bottles to hold us over through the next few weeks of icy conditions, this recipe is definitely happening. I was always nervous to cook tofu, scared that it would be mushy, but your cornstarch tip sounds perfect. Thanks for another great recipe, Sam!
You're welcome, I hope you are happy with the texture of the tofu, I love it! Ha! I love that your three huge bottles will only hold you over for a few weeks! Now that is Sriracha love!
Yum! I love sweet and spicy combos!
Haha me too! Although, I definitely opt for the spicier side 😉
I just found your site and made this for dinner last night. It is great! I can't wait to look around and see what else I can make this week!
Oh yay! So glad you loved it so much Becky! Thanks for coming back and leaving your review. 🙂
Yep, I think I know what's for dinner tonight! This looks delicious. I've made a variation, but I want to try your recipe.
Haha! I hope you enjoy it Debbie!
The tofu I've had a restaurants has always been so yummy, but I've never tried making it at home myself. I'm definitely going to have to give this a try, though!
Great! I hope you're happy with this restaurant Clairellyn 🙂
I made this last night. When i told my husband and daughter the main ingredient was tofu, they grimaced and sat silent. I told them "Please, i slaved over it for hours 🙂 so please at least try it".
The presentation was beautiful. It looked so yummy. When they reluctantly put the first piece of coated tofu in their mouth, they chewed and then proceeded to put in another piece. And another, and another. No one spoke during our meal which means the food is too good to talk in our house.
I was told that this dinner was amazing and the recipe is a keeper.
I'm so impressed with this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Hahaha!! I think it's so funny when people fear tofu because it's so bland! It's just a great flavour picker-upper. I am so happy you and your family loved this recipe so much! Thanks for coming back and reviewing the recipe Maria 🙂
YUM! I meant to tell you the red pepper cashew dip has a new name: CRACK! I can't wait to make this tofu, either. It doesn't even have to be cold out. Wine is a must, though - come to think of it, it doesn't have to be cold out for that, either. I am never spending another winter up north and I have never tossed my tofu with cornstarch - can't wait to try. Thanks!
Haha! Thank you Kathy!! You're right, it doesn't have to be cold out for wine or delicious food, ever! Oh you are gonna love the crispy crust the cornstarch makes! Enjoy this and crack! haha.
Sounds delicious. I would likely prefer Jamaican hot sauce. Scotch Bonnet Peppers are very hot and really tasty.
Go for it! This is more of an Asian themed recipe, but I don't see why you couldn't make it Jamaican. Be careful with scotch bonnets, they are ridiculously spicy. You definitely don't want to use 3 tablespoons!
With Scotch Bonnet peppers the Jamaican cook books typically recommend using whole peppers, being careful not to puncture them and discarding before serving. That gives you all the required flavour with less heat.
Very cool. The sauce really only takes a couple of minutes to cook, so not sure how much flavour would penetrate. Let me know how it turns out if you try this!