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    You are here: Home / Entrees / Crispy Bourbon Tofu Stir-Fry

    LAST UPDATED: January 29, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: March 24, 2016

    Crispy Bourbon Tofu Stir-Fry

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Crispy tofu and cauliflower florets are drenched in a sweet and savory bourbon ginger sauce to create this totally inauthentic but undoubtedly delicious vegan stir-fry.

    Crispy Bourbon Tofu Stir-Fry

    I recognize that I've been boozing up the blog like crazy lately. I barely let an entire week pass since my last whiskey-infused recipe, and believe it or not, I didn't make this stir-fry in order to use up the last of that bottle. I actually went out and bought a whole new bottle for this one, and I'm so glad I did, because this was the best thing ever.

    This was also totally misguided, by the way, as lots of my recipes were. There's a Chinese-fusion-ish dish that involves bourbon and chicken, and that's where the inspiration for this comes from, but I can't really say its an adaptation. Once I heard that such a dish existed I immediately assumed I knew what it was all about and threw this recipe together, all stir-fried with crispy cornstarch coated tofu bits. Bourbon chicken, as I now understand, involves marinating and roasting...or something like that? I'm really not concerned with the original anymore though, because my crispy bourbon tofu bits were bliss.

    Crispy Bourbon Tofu Stir-Fry

    I also debated doing this with crispy cauliflower instead of tofu, because everyone seems to dig the whole crispy Chinese cauliflower thing. In the end I decided not to decide, and make a tofu-cauliflower stir-fry.

    Crispy Bourbon Tofu Stir-Fry
    Close Up of a Plate of Bourbon Tofu Stir Fry with a Bunch of Chives in the Background
    5 from 1 vote
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    Crispy Bourbon Tofu Stir-Fry

    Crispy tofu and cauliflower florets are drenched in a sweet and savory bourbon ginger sauce to create this totally inauthentic but undoubtedly delicious vegan stir-fry.
    Course Entree
    Cuisine American, Asian-Inspired
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 377 kcal
    Author Alissa

    Ingredients

    For the Bourbon Sauce

    • ⅓ cup vegan bourbon whiskey
    • 3 tbsp. soy sauce
    • 3 tbsp. maple syrup
    • 1 ½ tbsp. rice vinegar
    • 1 ½ tsp. freshly grated ginger
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 3 tbsp. cold water
    • 1 ½ tsp. cornstarch

    For the Tofu Stir-Fry

    • vegetable oil, any high smoke point oil will work
    • 1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into 1 inch cubes
    • about ⅓ cup cornstarch
    • 3 scallions, white and green parts separated and chopped
    • 3 cups cauliflower florets, 1 small crown

    For Serving

    • cooked rice or quinoa
    • roasted peanuts, optional
    • red pepper flakes, optional

    Instructions

    Make the Bourbon Sauce

    1. Place stir bourbon, soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic into a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir everything to incorporate and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the alcohol has cooked off (taste test), about 10 minutes. Stir cornstarch and water together in a small cup or bowl and add to whiskey mixture. Allow to simmer 1 minute more, until sauce thickens a bit. Remove from heat.

    Make the Tofu Stir-Fry

    1. Coat the bottom of a large skillet generously with oil and place over medium heat. Working in batches if needed, roll tofu cubes in cornstarch mixture and transfer to skillet in a single layer. Cook until crispy on bottoms, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking on each side until crispy (it's okay if you miss a side or two on some of the cubes). Add oil to skillet as needed between batches and continue until all tofu cubes are cooked, transferring each batch to a paper towel-lined plate when done.
    2. Coat skillet with another tablespoon of oil and raise heat to high. Add cauliflower and white parts of scallions. Stir-fry until cauliflower is tender-crisp and browned in spots, about 5 minutes.
    3. Lower heat and add tofu back to skillet, along with whiskey sauce. Cook just until sauce becomes bubbly and coats cauliflower and tofu, about 1 minute.

    Serve

    1. Divide rice or quinoa onto plates and top with stir-fry. Sprinkle with green parts of scallions, peanuts and red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve.

    Recipe Notes

    Nutrition information does not include accompaniments.

    Nutrition Facts
    Crispy Bourbon Tofu Stir-Fry
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 377 Calories from Fat 167
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 18.6g29%
    Saturated Fat 2g10%
    Sodium 717mg30%
    Potassium 499mg14%
    Carbohydrates 31.7g11%
    Fiber 3.5g14%
    Sugar 11.9g13%
    Protein 11.9g24%
    Calcium 210mg21%
    Iron 2.9mg16%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas
    Vegan Mango Muffins »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lydia says

      March 26, 2016 at 9:26 am

      hi alissa, how do you keep your tofu crispy under all that sauce? whenever i have stir fry my tofu is amazingly crisp for the first couple bites and then the rest gets all soggy because of the sauce it's lying under. do you have any tips? thank you!!!

      Reply
    2. nicole (thespicetrain.com) says

      April 16, 2016 at 2:25 pm

      What an absolutely awesome blog name you came up with, I LOVE it! And Bourbon with tofu? Sounds like a winner, such an original and delicious idea! I am intrigued with the vegan Bourbon, are there any animal products used to make "regular" Bourbon? Hope you're having a wonderful weekend! :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 19, 2016 at 9:51 am

        Hi Nicole! Thank you!! I *think* most liquor is vegan safe, but I'm not totally sure, and knowing that lots of wine and beer isn't, I try to be on the safe side and always check before buying (or listing as an ingredient).

        Reply
        • nicole (thespicetrain.com) says

          April 19, 2016 at 11:53 am

          Oh wow, that is so interesting about wine, I never knew that! Always fun to learn something new. :)

          Reply
    3. Erin says

      July 03, 2016 at 12:05 pm

      Made this for the fam last night, Alissa, and everyone loved it! Thanks for that delicious dinner!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 05, 2016 at 9:49 pm

        Awesome! Glad to hear it! Thanks Erin!!

        Reply
    4. Dee says

      February 27, 2017 at 11:02 am

      This was soooooooooooooooo yummy!!! I LOVED it!!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 01, 2017 at 8:52 am

        I'm glad to hear it! Thanks Dee!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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