This quick and easy tofu stir-fry is the weeknight dinner you've been looking for! Packed with flavor, crispy tofu, and tender-crisp veggies, this dish tastes better than takeout and can be on the table in 30 minutes.
Garlic tofu stir-fry is one of those Chinese restaurant items that always amazes me at how tasty it is for being so simple. My homemade version is no exception: it's a plateful of savory, salty, garlicky goodness. It can also be nice and spicy too, if you're down with that, and I always am, especially during the cold days of January.
How to Make an Awesome Tofu Stir-Fry
The most important step in making any stir-fry is prepping everything in advance. With some recipes you can get away with chopping up veggies for part of the recipe while another part cooks. Not so when you're dealing with stir-fries!
Everything comes together super quickly, so you won't have time for that. So chop your veggies and mix up your sauce before doing anything else.
The next step is to pan-fry your tofu. The tofu needs to cook by itself, and it doesn't actually get stir-fried. Tofu cooks differently from vegetables: it needs medium heat and a few minutes of sitting still in a hot pan in order to brown.
But don't I need a wok to stir-fry? I'm sure some purists out there will say yes, but when there's tofu involved, I like to use flat-bottomed skillet — preferably cast iron. The flat surface is perfect for pan-frying tofu in a nice even layer, and while a wok might be best for heat distribution when it comes to cooking the veggies, I find a skillet does the job just fine.
Feel free to use a wok if you prefer though!
If you'd like some tips on how to get that crispy, Chinese restaurant-esque texture to your tofu, check out this guide.
Once your tofu is golden and browned, use a spatula to remove it from the skillet. Turn up the heat, and start stir frying your veggies. Harder veggies go in first, so they get more cook time, followed by softer veggies. I started with carrots, and then added broccoli and shiitake mushrooms.
Only cook the veggies until they're tender-crisp — in other words, once they've begun to tenderize but still have some crunch. They'll also have deepened in color at this point.
Return the tofu to the skillet, then add the sauce. Cook everything for just a minute or two longer, until the sauce thickens up and coats the tofu and veggies.
Scallions and sesame seeds go in at the end.
Dish up your tofu stir-fry with some rice and dig in.
FAQ & Tips for Making the Perfect Tofu Stir-Fry
- Feel free to substitute your favorite veggies. Just keep in mind the rule of thumb that veggies should be added in order of hardness, with the hardest veggies going in first, and the softest going in last. Most will require between 1 and 5 minutes of cook time.
- Can this be made gluten-free? Yes! Just substitute gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce.
- This stir-fry is best served immediately. With any stir-fry you'll find the veggies soften up in storage. You can store the leftovers for 2 or 3 days in the refrigerator, but don't expect the texture to be as good as it was initially.
- If you'd like to save time on the day of serving, I recommend doing all the prep work a day in advance. Chop your veggies, mix up the sauce, and save the actual cooking for when you're ready.
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Tofu Stir-Fry with Garlic Sauce
This quick and easy tofu stir-fry is the weeknight dinner you've been looking for! Packed with flavor, crispy tofu, and tender-crisp veggies, this dish tastes better than takeout and can be on the table in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce or sambal oelek, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Tofu Stir-Fry
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, or high heat oil of choice
- 1 (14 ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 scallions, chopped, white and green parts separated
- 1 medium carrot, sliced on a bias into strips
- 1 medium broccoli crown, broken into florets
- 4 ounces shiitake mushroom caps, cleaned and sliced
For Serving
- Cooked rice
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
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Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
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Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and place it over medium heat.
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Add the tofu cubes in an even layer.
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Cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, flipping once or twice, until browned on multiple sides.
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Remove the tofu from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.
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Raise the heat to high.
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Add the white parts of the scallions and carrots to the skillet. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
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Add the broccoli and mushrooms to the skillet. Stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes more, until the veggies deepen in color and become tender-crisp.
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Return the tofu to the skillet and add the sauce.
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Continue to cook everything for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the tofu and veggies.
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Remove the skillet from heat and add the green parts of the scallions.
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Divide onto plates and top with sesame seeds. Serve with rice.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition information does not include accompaniments.
I miss tofu so much! Looks so delicious, good Chinese food is all you need. And chocolate :)
I looove the look of this! I've really started to enjoy tofu lately, and I love cooking up a quick stir fry with a tasty homemade sauce :) This one sounds yummy!
Did you dessicate the tofu first or just take it straight from the container with water? Which type of tofu did you get?
Extra firm tofu, any brand! And yes, the recipe works best if you press the tofu using a tofu press or the book method explained in this post: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/how-to-cook-crispy-delicious-tofu-a-step-by-step-tutorial/
My husband and I made this for dinner tonight and really enjoyed it. The sauce is delicious: a little sweet, a little smoky, a little spicy. The sauce is also easy to whisk up, and really elevates a simple stir-fry. I made this recipe as written, but added thin strips of baby bok choy just because I wanted to use it up. I added the bok choy at the end of cooking, just before adding the sauce, and that worked fine. I'll definitely make this again. Thanks!
I love bok choy in stir-fries - I'll bet it was excellent in this! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Colleen!!
I made this and amped up the veggies, adding a small chopped up cabbage and a bag of broccoli slaw that had snow peas and shredded carrots. Added scallions too. I cook low sodium so I used a low sodium vegan soy sauce I made from other recipe...it came out delish! I'd share a picture if allowed. This was my first time using avacodo oil with the tofu, yay it didn't stick to the pan how wonderful. Great recipe!
Awesome!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this for the first time tonight, and my husband said, “This is outstanding!” My18-year-old son and I loved it too. I doubled the recipe, and ended up with some leftovers for lunch tomorrow. It was excellent with brown basmati rice and your smoky tofu dumplings. Never had a bad meal using one of your recipes. Thank you!
That's so great to hear! I'm glad it was a hit with you and your family. Thanks so much Melanie!!
I’ve made this twice now and I love it. It’s super simple and tastes so great. I used the link you provided to prepare my tofu and it came out perfect. Thank you. This is now a recipe I will make frequently and I’ve shared it too.
I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks so much Kathy!
I just made this to take for my lunch today and for my daughter to eat either before she goes to work or after she comes home. Of course I had to taste test it and it is DELICIOUS! Followed the recipe exactly as it says and the sauce has just the right amount of salty, sweet, and spicy taste. This is a keeper! Thank you for sharing 😊
Yay! I'm glad you like it! Thanks Cristina!
This was excellent! I love tofu and try to always keep some in the fridge. I was looking for a quick and easy stir fry for a busy weeknight meal and came across your recipe. So glad I did because it was exactly what I wanted! Quick, easy, delicious and I had everything on hand; except I was out of fresh ginger (used up for smoothies) Anyway the sauce is AMAZING! And I served it with Jasmine rice! Thank you!
Yay!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Dolly!
I have never been a stir fry girl but I decided that the time has come to get into them! I saw this recipe on pinterest and I'm so glad I did because it's amazing! I used only half the maple syrup because I like that real asian flavour but otherwise amazing! I also used just the veggies I had leftover in the fridge with some tofu in there too! Love
Awesome!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Lauren!
can't wait to try this. sounds yummy! I have never tried sriracha sauce as I don't like a lot of spice, but I may try just 1 tsp. in this recipe. Hope it won't be too strong. going to pick up some broccoli today & perhaps some Brussel sprouts. anxious to get started. Thanks for this recipe.
I don't think it should be too spicy with just a teaspoon, but if you want to err on the side of caution you could always just add a tiny bit at time when the stir-fry is done cooking. I hope you enjoy it!
Is there anything I could sub for maple syrup?
Granulated sugar or agave should work just fine!
This is way too salty with that much soy sauce. I made it per the recipe and even over rice it's a salt bomb. I love the ingredients but will make a different sauce in the future. This was a miss for me.
Sorry you didn't enjoy it! You could always reduce the amount of soy sauce and/or use a low sodium variety if you give it another try.
I had limited time to make dinner tonight and your recipe was a lifesaver. My husband just had surgery on a broken ankle and he's a type 2 diabetic, so we're really trying to eat healthy...and I'm a rather inexperienced cook. Thankfully I had almost all of the ingredients in your recipe and it was easy to follow. We didn't have maple syrup (and neither of us are crazy about it) so I squeezed cutie juice into the sauce. I used liquid aminos instead of soy sauce and instead of sriracha I used leftover chili sauce packets from Panda Express. I used a 16oz block of extra firm tofu but the sauce was still plentiful enough to cover it all. I used zucchini instead of broccoli and raw, pre-sliced carrots and white mushrooms to save time. Oh, and pre-minced garlic. It was all really tasty, though I'll probably add more orange juice and a little less vinegar (it was a bit much for me). My husband was a happy camper though, so this will definitely make it into our rotation. We're not vegan so we'll mix the leftover stir fry with some leftover chicken. He's excited for his lunch tomorrow! Thanks for a flexible, tasty recipe.
Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! If you can add some other type of sugar in place of the maple syrup, I'd try that - it will help balance out the tartness. Thanks Liz!
I've been working my way toward a vegan lifestyle for about a month now and this is definitely my favorite dish so far. I can't wait to try more recipes on your website.
Awesome! I'm so glad you like it! Thanks Mike!
I read this recipe twice & could not find where the cornstarch is used. Maybe I missed something. Would you please let me know?
It's one of the sauce ingredients - include it when you whisk them all together in step 1. :)
I love every one of your recipes that I make-- and I've made a ton! Chomping this down right now, and I'm definitely gonna do this over takeout in the future-- it's delicious!
This recipe is my favorite! The flavor is outstanding
This was delisc altho I added lots of veggies and served with coconut rice
Thank you