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.

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.

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.

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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

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

Total Fat 18.6g 29%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Sodium 717mg 30%

Potassium 499mg 14%

Total Carbohydrates 31.7g 11%

Dietary Fiber 3.5g 14%

Sugars 11.9g

Protein 11.9g 24%

Calcium 21%

Iron 16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.