My home style tofu is loaded with tender-crisp veggies and golden pan-fried tofu, all tossed in a rich, savory sauce with a hint of heat. It delivers big takeout flavor but is easy enough to whip up on a busy weeknight!
Home style tofu is one of my favorite Chinese restaurant dishes, but ironically, I’d never made it at home until recently. Sure, it took me a while to get around to recreating other favorites like General Tso’s tofu, vegan Mongolian beef, and kung pao tofu. But when you’re talking about a dish called home style tofu, having a recipe you can whip up in your own kitchen feels kind of essential!
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It’s funny that so many of us associate home style tofu with takeout, when the dish actually gets its name from the idea that it’s a simple, everyday meal someone might cook for a family dinner. And it really is that simple! Pan-fry some tofu, stir-fry some veggies, toss everything in a flavorful sauce made from just a handful of ingredients, and you’ve got a delicious dinner that’s bound to become a new weeknight favorite.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Tofu. If you want this dish to taste like it came from a restaurant, use extra-firm tofu, which has just the right texture. Firm and super-firm will also work, though!
- Cornstarch.
- Soy sauce. You could also use liquid aminos or tamari.
- Vegan oyster sauce. Many grocery stores carry this in the international aisle. If yours doesn't, try an Asian market or buy it online.
- Shaoxing wine. This is totally optional, but will add some authentic flavor. You can get this at an Asian market, or online. Dry sherry or white wine will work in a pinch.
- Brown sugar. We're using organic brown sugar, to keep the recipe vegan. Conventional brown sugar is often processed using animal bone char.
- Toasted sesame oil. Most grocery stores will have this in the international aisle.
- Doubanjiang. This is a spicy Chinese condiment made from fermented broad beans. It's also a major seasoning in my mapo tofu recipe. It'll add a touch of heat to the dish, and you're welcome to omit it if you don't want that. If you do want the heat but can't get get your hands on it, try gochujang or a mixture of miso paste and sriracha.
- Peanut oil. Feel free to use another high-heat neutral oil, like vegetable or corn oil.
- Broccoli.
- Onion.
- Red bell pepper.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Water chestnuts. These are available in cans, usually in the international section at the grocery store.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Prep your tofu. Take it out of the package, drain, and pat it dry. Cut the block into slabs, then cut each slab into triangles.
Step 2: Make the sauce. First stir the cold water and cornstarch together, then add the soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, sesame oil, and doubanjiang.
Step 3: Cook the tofu. Heat some oil in a wok, then add your tofu triangles. Cook them for a few minutes on each side, until golden and crisp. You can cook them in batches if they won't all fit at once. Remove the tofu from the wok when it's done.
Step 4: Stir-fry the vegetables. Heat another tablespoon of oil in the wok, and raise the heat a bit. Add your broccoli, onion, and bell pepper, and stir-fry the mixture for a few minutes until the vegetables start to soften and char.
Step 5: Cook the aromatics. Push the vegetables to the side, then add minced garlic and grated ginger to the wok. Sauté the aromatics briefly, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Step 6: Bring it all together. Add the water chestnuts, return the tofu to the wok, then pour the sauce over the mixture. Stir it up and cook everything for just another minute or two.
Step 7: Serve. Once the stir-fry is done, take the wok off the heat. Divide the stir-fry onto plates and serve it with rice.
Variations
- Switch up the vegetables. Any of the vegetables in this recipe can be replaced with your favorite stir-fry veggies. Try carrots, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, cauliflower, or cabbage. Keep in mind that softer veggies will need less cook time, and firmer veggies may need more.
- Extra-crispy tofu. Dredge the tofu in some cornstarch and pan-fry it in a few tablespoons of oil, until the outside is golden and crispy.
- Add some garnishes. I kept this one simple, but you could top your home style tofu with chopped peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, or scallions.
- Turn up the heat. Use some extra doubanjiang or season your stir-fry with some chili oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Use gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce, and make sure your doubanjiang is certified gluten-free, or use a mix of miso and sriracha instead.
Nope! Just blot the outside with a kitchen towel to remove any excess surface moisture. This will give you tofu that's moist and tender inside, and crispy outside.
Store your leftover home style tofu in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for about three days.
Just a bit! The doubanjiang adds a touch of heat. Feel free to leave it out for a milder version, or add more to dial up the spice level.
More Chinese Tofu Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Home Style Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 (14 ounce/397 gram) package extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry (no need to press)
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (optional)
- 2 teaspoons organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon doubanjiang (Chinese spicy broad bean paste), or more to taste, see Note 1 for substitutions
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
- 1 small broccoli crown, broken into florets
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 (5 ounce/142 gram) can water chestnuts, drained
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- Cut your block of tofu into ½ inch thick slabs, then cut the slabs into 1- to 2-inch squares. Cut each square on a diagonal to create two triangles.
- To make the sauce, first stir together the cold water and cornstarch until there are no lumps. Stir in the soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, and doubanjiang. Set this aside for now.
- Place a large wok over medium heat, then coat the bottom with one tablespoon of the oil. Add the tofu in an even layer (cook it in batches if needed). Pan-fry the tofu triangles for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Transfer them to a plate when they're done.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok and raise the heat to medium-high. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the broccoli, onion, and bell pepper. Stir-fry the vegetables for about 5 minutes, until they're tender crisp and lightly charred in spots.
- Push the vegetables to the side of the wok, then add the garlic and ginger to the space you just created. Sauté the garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until very fragrant.
- Stir the garlic and ginger in with the vegetables, then add the water chestnuts and return the tofu to the wok. Give the sauce a quick stir, then carefully pour it over the tofu and vegetables. Stir everything up and cook the mixture for one to two minutes more, until the sauce has thickened and clings to the tofu and vegetables.
- Remove the wok from heat, then serve immediately over rice.
Notes
- If you can't get doubanjiang, a mixture of equal parts miso and sriracha sauce will work in a pinch. Korean gochujang will also work, but will give you a slightly sweeter, tangier result.
- Nutrition information does not include rice.
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Made this today and it was great.
Easy to make and delicious to eat.
Baked the tofu to reduce oil.
Subbed zucchini and mushrooms for the onion and red pepper.
Thanks for sharing!