recipe and blog post updated March 3, 2021
This recipe was inspired by the sesame chicken I would get from New York Chinese takeout restaurants. Overtime this has become one of the most popular recipes on Plantifully Based and I loved it so much (and so did you guys) so I put it in my new cookbook! Tiny little morsels of tofu are pan fried until crispy then tossed in a delicious sweet and savory sauce.
I first published this sesame tofu recipe over 3 years ago. While the process of making it hasn’t changed too much I did just want to give this post a bit of a face lift. It has become one of my most popular recipes on YouTube and one that you all are constantly recreating which makes me so happy. This sesame tofu is just delicious and perfect for a weeknight dinner because it is ready in just a matter of minutes! The sticky pieces of tofu pair great with vegetables like broccoli or bok choy and it is best served over a fluffy bed of rice.
Some differences between the recipe video and the way the recipe is now. The first recipe I made during my minimal oil phase, hence why I cooked the tofu with no oil. You can of course still do that as long as you have a good nonstick pan and cook the tofu on low heat. The second difference is using brown sugar instead of maple syrup, either work completely fine actually but the brown sugar will give it a bit more richness. So if you watch the video the process will be slightly different but mostly the same!
The tofu recipe is very easy. All you do is pan fry the tofu until crispy and then make the sauce. Toss the tofu in the sauce and there you go! The sauce isn’t spicy it is a combination of savory and sweet. I prefer to use low sodium soy sauce for this recipe but if you like regular soy sauce that would be fine too.
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*recipe from my cookbook Plantiful, copyright protected do not post elsewhere!
Sesame Tofu
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 16-ounce/454g block extra- firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ⁄2 teaspoon paprika
- Dash of salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1-inch/2.5cm piece ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 ⁄4 cup 60ml low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 1 ⁄2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 ⁄4 cup 50g packed organic dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 bunch green onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the tofu: Remove the tofu from the package and drain the liquid. Wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel and press with your hands to remove the excess water.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the block of tofu in half lengthwise, then turn your knife 90 degrees to cut the two long pieces in half crosswise, making 4 equal-sized rectangles. Cut each rectangle crosswise into 4 pieces, making a total of 16 pieces. Take one piece and cut it in half lengthwise, then cut the 2 long pieces in half crosswise. Repeat with the remaining 15 pieces to make a total of 64 pieces.
- Put the cornstarch, paprika, and salt in a bowl and mix together. Add the tofu and gently toss to coat. It should absorb the cornstarch and appear wet.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Place the tofu in the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the tofu is golden and a crust has formed. Repeat with the remaining tofu.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: Start by making a slurry. Put the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. It should resemble milk. Place the remaining sauce ingredients along with 1⁄2 cup (120ml) of water in a 1-cup (240ml) liquid measuring cup, then add the slurry and whisk to combine. The sauce will look cloudy and light brown .
- Pour the sauce into a medium-sized saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until it thickens and starts to turn translucent.
- When the tofu is done, reduce the heat under the frying pan to low. Pour the sauce over the tofu and toss to coat. Cook for an additional 2 minutes to allow the tofu to soak up some of the flavorful sauce.
- Serve the tofu and sauce immediately with the rice. Garnish with the green onions and sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
- Original recipe from the video uses no oil to pan fry and can swap the brown sugar for maple syrup
- This recipe has been updated to keep in accordance with recipe from the book.
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I am so glad I have found you ! I am just starting my Vegan life and WordPress life ;p and I couldn’t be happier that your recipes are so easy to follow and I can see if I could make it myself 😀 xx
Fan-TASTIC recipe. Thank you so much for sharing. I added a bunch of chopped ginger to the sauce, and look forward to more experimentation in the future. But this is a truly wonderful base recipe. Thank you thank you.
yay!!! I am so glad to hear that. Ginger would definitely be a great addition in there, love the flavor it gives! thank you for trying the recipe and letting me know how it went!!
How long will leftovers last in the fridge? 3-4 days? Thanks for the recipe!!
Hi Beth, yes I don’t like to let things sit much longer than that!
Looks yummy. For authentic chicken texture and look use Butler Foods Soy Curls. Rehydrate and voila! Can’t tell from chicken — really. Shelf stable pantry item, no refrigeration required!
soy curls are definitely a great option 🙂
SO confused how your tofu turned out to look like that LOL mine was not even close! Just looked like cubes of tofu. And all of the crispy stuff on the outside just came off, the tofu was barely cooked and I sautéed it for around 10 minutes :/
Kind of bummed it didn’t turn out like the picture but it was pretty easy and yummy, I added edamame with it too. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi- new follower and have made a few of your dishes! Thank you
Ok- I was watching the UTube video and then switched over to here. I noticed the maple syrup was not mentioned. Am I right or did I miss something??
Hi Angela,happy to have you here 🙂 as I mentioned in the blog post and the pinned comment on YouTube I have updated the recipe to be the same as the one from my cookbook. Hope that helps!
Wow! Working this amazing recipe into my monthly rotation. I used a little sesame paste I had on hand for the sauce and added a little chili crisp to finish. Divine. Thank you!
yay I am so happy you enjoyed it so much love the idea of adding some sesame paste and chili crisp in there! thank you for leaving a comment!!
Made this with pumfu today–turned out incredible! Fried the pumfu in avocado oil. Major flavor in that sauce from the fresh ginger and garlic. The green onions are a must have finishing element to provide that fresh color and veg flavor. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
so glad you enjoyed it!! thank you so much for trying it and leaving a comment/review!! 🙂
I love this recipe so much! We make it often and every time it turns out so yummy!!!
Hi Sarah!! aww yay I am so so happy you like it, that makes me so glad to hear. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a review it really helps xo
So so good!!! 12/10! I served this over coconut rice with broccoli & snow peas and it was DELICIOUS definitely becoming part of my weekly rotation! The only thing I changed was I used 2 tbsp of coconut sugar instead of 4 tbsp of brown sugar. LOVED IT thanks girl
hehe you the best love you, and make me coconut rice please 🙂
I just made this recipe. It was SO GOOD! I am definitely making it again. Thank you for this, Francesca! 🙂
Hi Kat!! oh yay I am so so happy you enjoyed it thank you so much for trying it out!
Really tasty! Cooks up quickly so get your rice cooking, prep the tofu and sauce, and start your side veggie all before you start cooking your tofu. I tore my tofu into jagged chunks instead of dicing it, for a crispier texture when fried. Also, I think you could sub part or even all of the 1/2 cup water in the sauce for OJ and that would be amazing — I’ll try that next time. Last, next time I’m going to try sautéing shredded carrot before I add the sauce to the pan as I think that would add a bit of crunch and visual interest. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Regan! so glad you enjoyed it! yes definitely love tearing up tofu! thank you for trying it and taking the time to leave a comment/review!