Tofu Stir Fry

5 from 1 vote

This Tofu Stir-Fry recipe is a weeknight staple - crispy pan-fried tofu tossed with colorful veggies and a bold homemade stir fry sauce that's savory, slightly sweet, and just a little spicy. It comes together in about 40 minutes and is one of those meals that genuinely gets better every time you make it!

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: stir fry

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Author: Brita Britnell

Ingredients

For the tofu:

1 block of extra or super-firm tofu
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce or amino acids
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil or other oil, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch (arrowroot powder also works well)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper or to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder

For the Stir Fry Sauce:

1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup water/ broth
1 tablespoon sriracha
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the veggie stir fry:

1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 heaping cup of Snow peas (greens beans also work well)
2 medium carrots thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
1 medium head of broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced
3 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

Prepare the tofu by pressing the liquid out. HERE is my full guide on pressing tofu with AND without a tofu press. Once pressed, tear the tofu into large bite-sized chunks. Mine were all roughly an inch long and varied in size a little. Don’t worry too much about the size and shape. The idea is for it to have rough edges to give the tofu a little more texture and to hold onto flavors a little better.
Cut or tear the tofu into bite-sized pieces and place it into a large bowl. Drizzle with soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and toss to coat the tofu. Sprinkle on the cornstarch, garlic powder, a good pinch of fine sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Toss to combine so that the tofu is mostly covered.
Make the stir fry sauce by whisking together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup, including sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, broth, sriracha, maple syrup, and cornstarch. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the remaining teaspoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in the tofu and cook for about 10 minutes, tossing often so that it gets browned on all sides. Once done, remove tofu from the skillet and set aside.
In the same skillet over medium heat, add in 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Once hot, add in the ginger and garlic and saute, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add in the snow peas, carrots, bell pepper, and broccoli. Cook for 5-7 minutes until crisp-tender.
Pour in the stir-fry sauce and cook for 2 minutes to thicken. Toss in the cooked tofu and cook until heated through, about 2 more minutes. Serve with sesame seeds and rice and ENJOY!

Video

Notes

Short on time? A 10 oz bag of frozen stir fry vegetables works great here and saves both time and money.
To keep this gluten-free, substitute tamari or coconut aminos for the soy sauce in both the tofu marinade and the sauce.
The tofu will soften slightly as it sits in the sauce, but leftovers still taste delicious - great for meal prep.

Storage + Reheating - Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The tofu will soften a bit as it sits in the sauce, but it still tastes great - this is honestly one of the better meal prep recipes for that reason. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat for the best texture, or microwave in 60-second intervals until warmed through.

Nutrition