Prior to going vegan one of my favorite summer meals was some sort of fish with a fruit salsa and rice. It was delicious but the flavors were light AND LET ME TELL YOU this Sticky Chili Lime Tofu with Coconut Rice beats it. This tofu is a little bit sweet, spicy and tangy combined with a light, fluffy coconut rice and topped off with a fresh cucumber and peach salsa.
This meal is truly summer in a dish. The sticky chili lime tofu with coconut rice pair so wonderfully together. This has become one of the most popular recipes on the blog and for good reason. It is flavorful and all the flavors work so well together. I know you will just absolutely love it. Pair with The Spicy Grapefruit for ultimate summer vibes.
To Freeze the Tofu or Not to Freeze
I had frozen tofu so that is what I used for this but unfrozen tofu is totally fine. In terms of tofu type, I would suggest using extra firm tofu.The result of freezing tofu is amazing because it completely changes the texture of the tofu. It is denser, chewier and in my opinion a bit more meat like.
To freeze the tofu is very easy just put a whole container of tofu in the freezer overnight, let it thaw on the counter the next day, drain the water and that’s it! You will have to press the tofu longer or harder since it will have absorbed more water. If you are soy free I think a great replacement for this could be the breaded cauliflower from my sweet and spicy cauliflower wings or this glaze would go great on big slabs of zucchini. Aside from the tofu (soy) this recipe is extremely allergy friendly as it is nut and gluten free!
Coconut Rice
If I am being honest I don’t know if there is a traditional way of making coconut rice. I looked at a few recipes online and ended up going with my own variation. This coconut rice is subtle. I am thinking it is because I used light coconut milk. You can use light or full fat coconut milk. I also used plain long grain white rice but jasmine or basamati rice would work really well here too.
The Salsa
Finally, let’s talk about this salsa. I am such a big fan of fruity salsas. I think they are fun, refreshing and perfect for summer. You can use any kind of fruit you like: strawberry, peach, mango, nectarine, blueberry – I mean anything. I love peach salsas so that is what I went with, of course use any fruit you have access to.
More Tofu Recipes
Sheet Pan Lemon & Rosemary Tofu
Sesame Tofu
Easy Cashew Tofu
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Sticky Chili Lime Tofu with Coconut Rice
Ingredients
Sticky Chili Lime Tofu
- 1 block firm or extra firm tofu [14 oz]
- 3 tbsp cornstarch [24g]
- 1 tbsp sesame oil [15ml]
- 1 lime juiced
- ¼ cup maple syrup [60ml]
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp water
Coconut Rice
- 1 cup white rice dry [180g]
- 1 cup water [240ml]
- 1 cup canned coconut milk [195g]
- 1 tsp cane sugar [4g]
- ½ tsp salt
Peach Cucumber Salsa
- 1 large peach [170g]
- 1 oz red onion [10g]
- ½ cucumber [80g]
- ¼ jalapeno pepper
- Optional garnish: sesame seeds flat leaf parsley, toasted coconut, lime
Instructions
- Prepare the coconut rice by adding all the ingredients into a pot. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. The liquid will be all absorbed and rice should be fluffy.
- While the rice cooks prepare the tofu by pressing it and cutting the tofu into 6 big rectangles. Cut the tofu into thirds the long way so you have 3 thinner, large squares. Then cut those squares in half.
- Coat the tofu in the cornstarch this helps to make a nice crust. If you can’t have cornstarch it is okay to skip this step.
- In a large pan add half of the sesame oil and 3 rectangles of tofu. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes on a low heat until golden. When those are cooked remove from the pan add the rest of the sesame oil and repeat with the other 3 tofu rectangles.
- To prepare the sticky chili lime sauce add the lime juice, maple syrup, water and seasonings together in a small bowl. Mix well to combine.
- If your pan is big enough to add all 6 tofu rectangles you can do this next step all at once. Add 3 pieces of the tofu in and half the sauce. Cook the tofu in the sauce on a low medium heat and the sugars in the maple syrup will begin to caramelize. It will go from a liquid to a thick glaze. You can flip the tofu while it cooks and rub the glaze over it as it thickens.
- Once the sauce has turned into a completely sticky glaze you can either take the tofu out or let it cook a little longer to blacken.
- While the tofu cooks you can prepare the salsa by chopping all the ingredients very small and adding them to a bowl. Mix well to combine.
- Plate the dish up by adding some of the coconut rice, two pieces of tofu and some of the salsa to a dish. Garnish with lime, sesame seeds, toasted coconut flakes and flat leaf parsley if you like.
Video
SAVE TO PINTEREST
Can’t wait to try this recipe 🙂 looks amazing.
Do you know the calorie intake per serving?
hi Bianca! I do not like to give calorie info because there could be such a wide variety in calorie range. If you have a kitchen scale you can measure your ingredients and use a website like cronometer to help you figure out the calories 🙂
No problem at all 🙂 thanks for getting back to me.
Looking forward to trying some of your recipes.
Have a great day x
This was so good! I’m working on trying to love tofu, and this recipe will definitely be a go-to!
Hi Kelly, yay I am so so glad you enjoyed it thank you so much for making it and leaving a review!
I modified the recipe to suit my little ones; I used pineapple instead of peaches and less jalapeno, and added unsweetened coconut flakes to the rice while it cooked. I marinated the tofu cubes for six hours in the sauce, fried it up before adding the marinade, then added a bit of cornstarch slurry at the end. I have to thank you, this is the VERY FIRST tofu dish I’ve EVER eaten, and I am blown away by it’s flavor and goodness! My 8 year old wasn’t a fan of the sauce, but my super picky 6 year old gobbled it up and asked me to make it again! Thank you so much!
Hi Heather, woo I am so glad you and your family enjoyed it! aw well I am sorry your 8 year old wasn’t a fan of the sauce but glad the 6 year old did and it’s all part of the process of getting them to try new foods! thank you for making it and leaving a comment! xo
This was amazing! I used a mango instead of a peach because that is what I had that was ripe and it was GREAT! My husband and I gobbled it up. Thanks for a delicious recipe.
yay! so happy to hear you it enjoyed it Kelly!! yes mango salsa is soooo yummy. you are so welcome thank you for leaving a review and comment means so much xo
Great idea to use coconut flakes.
thank you!
Hey!
Recipe looks great – can’t wait to try this.
By chance do you know the calories intake per serving?
Thanks, B
Does it also work if I follow the instructions and just make the rice in a rice cooker instead or should I just stick to the stovetop method?
Hi Eva. I don’t own a rice cooker and don’t know enough about them to say if you can or should make this in a rice cooker! I would just say to stick to the stovetop method 🙂
I made mine in a rice cooker and it was fabulous! Just remember to rinse your rice really well. I used jasmine rice.
Thanks for the idea! This recipe was a 10/10. We made the salsa/salad bigger with purple cabbage, sugar peas, scallions, mint, and avocado with a soy, lime, maple dressing. Yum! Also, the tofu steaks caramelized with the maple and it was soooo god.
You are so welcome!! Oh yum that sounds delicious love all the add ons on that. So happy you enjoyed thank you for leaving a comment and review!!!
I made this and my hubby loved it. It’s definitely part of our rotation now! Also I used the instant pot to make the rice and it turned out perfectly.
thank you so much for trying and I am so happy to you and your hubby enjoyed it! also very good to know about the instant pot!
I cannot get enough of this meal. A permanent staple in our rotation – we’ve made it twice in a month and I have thought about it all the times I wasn’t making it 😂
awwww yay! I am so happy you enjoy it so much thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and review!! <3
It was fantastic!!!
yay! so happy you enjoyed it!!
This was so amazing. All the flavors blend so well together. Definitely will make it again. I don’t even miss the meat!
wooo! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed it thank you so much for trying the recipe! 🙂
Amazing combo. Sooo yummy. Will definitely make this again. I used light coconut milk. Next time I want to make twice the amount of peach salsa
Hi Erica! yay i am so happy you enjoyed it! thank you so much for trying it and taking the time to leave a comment and review xo
Thank you for sharing this beautiful recipe! I made the following alterations: added low sodium soy sauce to the tofu preparation in place of water and salt, and mango/red bell pepper/cucumber/shallot for the salsa since that’s the produce I had. If I had cilantro I would have put that in the salsa too. I think this will make it into our regular meal rotation!
Hi Suzi! yay thank you so much for making it and I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it! thank you for taking the time to leave a comment means a lot 🙂 xo
I cook a lot and this recipe has me more excited than anything I have seen in awhile! I just made the salsa and fresh garlic really helped. As did the fresh lime juice. Onward to the rest of the recipe! Thank you!
oh yay! i am so so happy to hear how much you enjoy it Margaret!! thank you for leaving a comment 🙂
This recipe is so good! I’ve made it a few times using different fruit in the salsa & every time it comes out great! So fresh & light & absolutely delicious!
Hi Colleen! wooo I am so happy to hear that!!! thank you for making it, and taking the time to come leave a comment xo
I am usually not big on coconut… But THIS RECIPE!!!
I just love it! First time I made it, I actually ate all the salsa by the spoon before I had a chance to put it on my tofu! (Woops) XD
The flavors just mix so perfectly, there’s a bit of everything, the textures are amazing, even warmed up for a lunch on the next day, and it’s filling enough…
One of my best discoveries, thank you so much for sharing!
hi Sarah!! awwww this means so much and I am so so happy you enjoyed it!!! thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a sweet comment xoxo
Outstanding! Great flavors, perfect balance of spicy and sweet. I do recommend using a non-stick pan to fry up the tofu in the beginning. Delicious, will definitely make again!
hi Naomi! yay I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed it. thank you so much for trying the recipe and taking the time to leave a comment/review xo
This is one of those recipes that converts non-tofu eaters! This is an excellent meal and perfect to serve to guests!
awwww yay!!! that makes me so happy to hear thank you so much Linda!
This was AMAZING!!
yay!I am so happy you enjoyed it Shana!!! thank you so much for making it and taking the time to leave a comment!
Really delicious! We’re going to make twice the amount of chili lime sauce next time, since we like more sauce. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Elle! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it! thank you so much for trying it and taking the time to leave a comment/review xoxo
This dish has been a part of our regular meal rotation for a couple of years now. I love it every time! Thanks from Singapore!
Hi Teresa! oh yay I am so so glad you enjoy it so much!!! you are so welcome thanks for trying it and leaving a review/comment <3
Great recipe… thanks for sharing
you are so welcome so glad you enjoyed!
Hands down my favorite tofu recipe! I always double the sauce ingredients and usually use pineapple mango salsa. It is an often requested dish when family is in town.
Hi Tina! oh yay I am so so glad and happy to hear that!! A pineapple mango salsa sounds so delicious. Thank you for trying it and taking the time to comment and review it means so much!!
My daughter found this recipe and made it for us. We loved it all. Even the little one (10 year old) ate two tofu pieces, although he‘s generally sceptic about tofu and clearly prefers meat. We‘ll definitely make this again!
hi Margarita! oh my goodness that makes me so happy to hear thank you so much for the kind words. I am so glad your daughter decided to make it for you and your family!!
I am always afraid of new online recipes, because you never know. This was my first recipe by this blogger and let me tell you, I’m glad I found it. This was absolutely delicious. I still cannot believe how healthy it is. It also was easy to prepare, and used few ingredients, considering all of the different flavors and sauces it held. I highly recommend this recipe, and I am definitely going to try her lemon/rosemary tofu and also check out what else she has to offer on the blog, because again – it’s tricky to find an excellent online recipe, or cookbook…and this one is a keeper❤️
Hi! Thank you so much for giving it a try. I am so happy you enjoyed it and thank you for the kind words, hope you enjoy some of the other recipes 🙂
I love this recipe! Made it many times now. it is so satisfying and delicious and I like that it gives you you need. A full meal pretty much. Wish there were more recipes like this out there.
Hi Rae I am so glad you like it so much! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and review I really appreciate it!!!
Every year for Christmas I make my kids recipe cards of the favorite new recipes I made that year. This was one of them. Thanks so much for sharing your creative recipes!
Hi Marcel! Oh yay I am so happy to hear that. Such a fun idea. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and review it means a lot!
Delicious and easy to make. It is so good I’m doubling the sauce next time so we can have heaps !!!
This was so delicious, and the fruit salsa just right for the 90-degree heatwave we’ve been having. I couldn’t get the tofu to brown on low so I had to turn it up to medium/medium-high. Also, the cornstarch crust started to pull off the tofu because the sauce is so sticky! Not sure what I was doing wrong but it didn’t detract from the great flavor combinations of the fruit, the lime sauce and the coconut rice!
Hi Debbie, it does sound like maybe turning it up the medium/medium-high is what caused the issue! You do need to be a little patient when cooking the tofu with a cornstarch crust 🙂 glad to hear you overall enjoyed it!
Yum
Amazing!
Thank you!!
Absolutely impressed. I appreciate the video to help along with the instructions. I’ve never made tofu before. The advice to freeze it was brilliant. My wife doesn’t even like tofu, but she was impressed with this meal. I did add a sprinkle of salt to the peach salsa to sweat them a little bit. Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing! I wish I could add a picture of my dish.
Hi Lani, yay I am so happy to hear both of you and enjoyed it! thank you so much for the kind words and taking the time to leave a comment/review. Means a lot!
A solid base, but I ended up adding quite a bit for more flavor. Added honey, lime juice, cumin and chili flakes to the fruit salsa, as well as upped it to two small jalapeños finely minced. Added soy sauce to the glaze, reduced maple syrup by 25%, used fresh minced garlic and sriracha in place of the garlic powder and chili flakes. Really liked this with these tweaks. Family ate it up. Be careful with the glaze, as it burns quite easily.
Hi Sheri, glad to hear you overall enjoyed. I do of course always encourage people to add what they like in their own kitchens 🙂 thanks for trying
This is my new favorite recipe! SO good, and everyone loves it!
yay! I am so glad to hear that!!!