This tofu and pineapple stir-fry is packed with sweet and spicy flavor and comes together lightning fast! Easy, delicious, and perfect for a weeknight dinner.
As much as I love winter and all the comfort food that comes with it, things can start to get a bit blah by the time we reach late February. Do you agree?
For the record, I will never get sick of my cozy soups and stews. I just find myself starting to crave lighter meals and fresher flavors around this time of year.
That’s where stir-fries like this one come in! With juicy pineapple, pan-fried tofu, spicy jalapeño peppers, and (totally optional) kumquats, it’s perfect for getting me out of my boring winter food rut.
Green Plate Club
This recipe comes from Kiersten over at Green Plate Club. Last month I tested (and loved) and shared her Lentil Cincinnati Chili.
Green Plate Club is a meal planning service offering nutritionist-approved vegan meal plans. I’ve tried a number of Green Plate Club’s recipes, and they’ve all been delicious.
I also love that the plans are designed for efficiency and minimizing waste! As someone who cooks all the time, one of my pet peeves is getting stuck with a half an onion or a bunch of rotten cilantro at the end of the week. Green Plate Club’s plans are designed to help you use those ingredients, but you still get a nice variety of meals and flavors throughout the week!
Green Plate Club’s meal plans are also super affordable, at just $6 a month, $15 a quarter or $50 a year.
Click here to check out Green Plate Club. Full disclosure: these are affiliate links, meaning I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Cooking with Kumquats
Kumquats (or their relatives, mandarinquats) are actually an optional ingredient in this recipe. I love snacking on kumquats, so I used the stir-fry recipe as an excuse to hunt some down.
If you can’t find kumquats, I wouldn’t hesitate to simply leave them out of your stir-fry. Kiersten suggests adding some extra pineapple if you do this. I think a few thin orange slices might also work well.
If you do want to include some kumquats, but can’t find them in your area, here is where I bought mine. And if kumquats are totally new to you and you’re not sure, here’s some answers that might help.
What are kumquats? Kumquats are cute little citrus fruits. They’re oval-shaped, and about the size of large grapes.
How do you eat kumquats? You eat them whole, peel and all! Kumquats usually contain seeds though, so watch out for them.
What do kumquats taste like? They’re quite sour on the inside, but the peel is sweet. I find the flavor contrast to be delicious!
How to Make Spicy Tofu & Pineapple Stir-Fry
As with any stir-fry, prep everything before you start cooking. This means pressing and cutting your tofu into little triangles, chopping up all of your produce, and mixing up your sauce.
Once everything is ready, you can start cooking! Heat up some oil in a large skillet. Once the oil is hot, add your tofu in an even layer. Cook it for a few minutes on each side, until the pieces are browned and crispy. Now remove the tofu from the skillet.
You can add some more oil to the skillet if needed at this point. Once it’s hot, add some ginger and scallions (white parts only). Cook your aromatics for a minute or two.
Now it’s time to add the sauce. Give it a quick whisk before adding it, to redistribute the sugar, and then add it to the skillet, along with your pineapple, jalapeño pepper, and kumquats, if you’re using them.
Let the sauce simmer for a minute or two, until it thickens up a bit, then return the tofu to the skillet. Give everything a quick stir before removing it from the burner.
Serve your stir-fry with rice or quinoa, and top it with cashews, cilantro, and/or sesame seeds. The recipe calls for black sesame seeds, but I used white because that’s what I had on hand!
Spicy Tofu & Pineapple Stir-Fry Tips & FAQ
- Always prep your ingredients in advance when making a stir-fry! Stir-fries cook quickly, so you won’t have time to do prep work once you start cooking.
- Leftovers of this stir-fry keep well. They should be good in a sealed container in the fridge for at least 2 or 3 days.
- Is this stir-fry gluten-free? It is if you use gluten-free tamari.
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Spicy Tofu & Pineapple Stir-Fry
This tofu and pineapple stir-fry is packed with sweet and spicy flavor and comes together lightning fast! Easy, delicious, and perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
For the stir-fry:
- 1 15 ounce package extra-firm tofu, pressed for 30 minutes and drained
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or a neutral-flavored cooking oil, divided
- Salt to taste
- 3 green onions sliced, white parts separated from green parts
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 cups diced fresh pineapple
- 1 jalapeño pepper sliced (remove seeds and ribs for a milder stir-fry)
- 5 kumquats or mandarinquats sliced and seeded (optional)
For serving:
- 3-4 cups cooked rice quinoa or other cooked grain for serving
- Chopped roasted cashews cilantro, and/or black sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Make the sauce:
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Start the stir-fry:
- Cut the tofu into 8 slices. Cut each slice into 2 rectangles, then cut each rectangle into 2 triangles. Line a large plate with a paper towel.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook on both sides until it’s lightly browned and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the tofu from the skillet and transfer it to the paper towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil. Sprinkle with salt.
- Return the skillet to medium-high heat; there should still be some oil left, but if not, drizzle about a tablespoon more into the skillet. Have all of the stir-fry ingredients at your side, ready to go, because you need to work quickly.
- Add the white parts of the green onion and the ginger to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, 1-2 minutes, or until the onion starts to soften. Quickly whisk the sauce again and pour it into the skillet, along with the pineapple, jalapeño, and kumquats (if using). Cook for about 2 minutes more, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the tofu to coat it in the sauce and remove from heat.
- Divide the stir-fry onto 4 plates or bowls with the rice or quinoa. Garnish with the reserved green onions and roasted cashews, cilantro, and/or sesame seeds.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition information does not include rice or toppings.
I just made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic. Only Edition was some sauteed green pepper and garlic it was really good thanks for the recipe
Addition that is sorry.
Mostly I ate Tofu with either noodle or in soup. I will try this recipe next weekend and also add some pineapple for giving flavour.
Cheers!!
What a fun recipe! I love the combo of sweet pineapple and spicy jalapeno. When I was done cooking and had removed my pan from the heat I saw my 1.5 cups of pineapple still sitting on the counter – whoops! I stirred it in and it’s perfectly tasty, but I love how cooking pineapple makes it even sweeter so I guess I’ll just have to try this recipe again soon and do it properly 🙂 I served this over your coconut rice recipe – perfection! Thanks!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I served it with coconut rice too – such a great combination!