Better than takeout and almost as easy! This sweet and sour tofu is made with crispy tofu and red bell pepper chunks in a tangy pineapple sauce.
I love a good takeout remake recipe. Perhaps you've noticed?
Well, sweet and sour tofu was always a go-to takeout order of mine. It's always delicious! Crispy tofu in gooey sweet, tangy sauce? Can't beat it!
But actually, you can beat it — the takeout version that is. You can beat it by making your own! Because this recipe is not only way easy to make, but it's also better than any version I've ever gotten delivered. For one one thing, you get to eat it as soon as it's done cooking, when the tofu is crispy and the sauce is piping hot!
For another thing, it's just GOOD. My version includes a scrumptious sauce, sweet peppers, and pineapple, which makes pretty much anything better.
And it's EASY! Almost as easy as picking up a phone to place your order.
Let's talk about just how easy, shall we?
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Vegetable broth. I used Better Than Bouillon in roasted vegetable flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar. Rice vinegar can be substituted for this.
- Maple syrup. You can also use another liquid sweetener, like agave.
- Soy sauce. Substitute gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free version of this dish.
- Sriracha sauce. This is totally optional — just use it if you'd like a little heat.
- Garlic.
- Fresh pineapple. Canned pineapple could be substituted in a pinch.
- Red bell pepper. You can switch up the bell pepper with your favorite veggies if you'd like, but keep in mind that the cook-time might be different. Firmer veggies will generally need to simmer longer, while softer veggies will cook in less time.
- Water. Make sure it's chilled.
- Cornstarch.
- Peanut oil. Or another high-heat oil.
- Tofu. Extra firm or super firm works best!
- Toasted sesame seeds. Or substitute chopped roasted cashews or peanuts.
- Scallions. Also known as green onions.
How It's Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Make the Sauce
- Mix up your broth, vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce, sriracha (if using), and garlic in a saucepan.
- Stir in the pineapple chunks and diced bell pepper, place the pot over heat, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it cook for about 15 minutes.
- Now stir the cornstarch and cold water together in a small container, then stir it into the mixture on the stove.
- Bring the mixture back up to a simmer and wait for it to thicken up a bit before removing the pot from heat.
Tip: You'll probably end up with some leftover pineapple. Put it in a batch of fried rice, stuff it in a sandwich, or make a vegan pineapple upside down cake!
Fry the Tofu
- While the sauce simmers, place some cornstarch in a small bowl. Add some diced tofu and gently stir it around to coat it in cornstarch.
- Heat some oil in a nonstick pan — it should be at least ⅛ inch deep.
- Add the cornstarch-coated tofu cubes and fry them for a few minutes on each side, until they're golden and crispy.
- When the tofu has finished frying remove the cubes from the skillet and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Tip: For a lighter version of this dish, skip the cornstarch and cook your tofu using this method, which uses less oil.
- Now mix up the tofu and the sauce! I like to return the tofu to the skillet after removing the oil, then pour the sauce over it.
- Serve your sweet and sour tofu with a sprinkle of scallions and sesame seeds, and a side of rice — I really like it with coconut rice.
Leftovers & Storage
Sweet and sour tofu is best served right away. The tofu won't stay crispy for long! If you do have leftovers though, they'll keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days. The breading on the tofu will probably get soggy, but it will still taste good!
More Asian-Inspired Tofu Recipes
- General Tso's Tofu
- Crispy Baked Teriyaki Tofu
- Kung Pao Tofu
- Tofu Stir-Fry with Garlic Sauce
- Crispy Orange Ginger Tofu with Broccoli
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
Pineapple Sweet and Sour Tofu
Better than takeout and almost as easy! This sweet and sour tofu is made with crispy tofu and red bell pepper chunks in a tangy pineapple sauce.
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup diced fresh pineapple
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch (or as needed), divided
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed at least 15 minutes and cut into ½ inch cubes
- ¼ cup peanut oil (or high-heat oil of choice)
- 2 scallions, chopped
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
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Stir the vegetable broth, cider vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce, sriracha, garlic, pineapple, and bell pepper together in small saucepan and place it over medium heat.
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Bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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While sauce simmers, whisk the cold water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch together in a small bowl. Set it aside.
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Begin preparing the tofu. Heat about ¼ cup of oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. The oil should be about ⅛ to ¼ inch deep.
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Place the remaining 4 tablespoons of cornstarch in a small bowl. Add a few tofu cubes and gently stir to coat them in cornstarch.
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When the oil is hot, arrange the tofu cubes in the skillet. Continue dredging tofu cubes in the cornstarch and adding them to the skillet in an even layer, being careful not to overcrowd the skillet. You can cook the tofu in two batches if you don't have enough room.
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Cook the tofu cubes for about 10 minutes, turning them about halfway through cooking.
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When the tofu cubes are golden and crispy on both sides, remove them from the skillet and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
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Once the simmer time for the sauce is up, stir in the water and cornstarch mixture. Bring the sauce back up to a simmer and allow it to cook for another minute or two, until it thickens up. Remove the pot from heat. Taste-test the sauce and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
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Pour the sauce and pineapple mixture over the tofu. Stir to coat the tofu and remove the skillet from heat.
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Combine the tofu with the sauce and pineapple/pepper mixture, either by adding it directly to the pot, or mixing everything in a separate container. Stir gently to distribute the ingredients and evenly coat the tofu with sauce.
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Divide the sweet and sour tofu onto plates and serve with rice. Top with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition information does not include rice.
Made this last night and LOVED it! Thank you so much for sharing. The flavors were delicious and perfectly balanced. Such an easy recipe, perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Thanks so much for letting me know! So glad you enjoyed it! I loved how easy this was too. :)
This was a great recipe! I love the two-step preparation method -- fry tofu in one pan and simmer sauce and fruit/veggies in the other. The flavors were perfect. Put it on top of brown rice. I didn't add the cashews or green onions on the top and it was still a wonderful dish.
Awesome! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!!
I am very fond of both pineapple and capers on pizza. With lots of other veg, of course. You should give it a try.
Made this tonight and it was really good! Will definitely make again.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Evan!
Made this just now and it’s absolutely delicious! I love sweet and sour but have never found a receipe that has inspired me until this one, so easy to make as well, yum 😋 thanks so much I love your blog and everything I’ve tried has been delicious 😊 looking forward to making a few of your recipes for Xmas, you have by far the most tastiest and simple receipes, did I mention how happy I am to have found your blog!! Ha ha thanks again 😊👍🌟💖✨🌈
Yay!! I'm so happy to hear all of that!! I hope you enjoy the Christmas recipes too!
This was INCREDIBLE! We had our fill of our usual staples, and loved the first recipe of yours we made so much that we're working our way through tons more. I've loved so many, but this was a huge favorite. It tastes exactly like one of my favorite take-out dishes!
Yay!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much Sara!
So I made this with tweaks here and there. Regardless, it was definitely delicious! Gah!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it!
I had tofu pressing in the fridge today and then this email came for this sweet and sour tofu. OH MY! Am I ever glad I tried it out. I am the only plant based eater in the house and the rest of the family devoured them! Will become a repeat favourite in our household
The recipe great, thank you for the instructions.
My six year old said this is the best thing she’s ever eaten. Her favorite food is tofu, so that’s high praise! This recipe is a keeper!
Soo good and my non vegan family loved it too ! 😋
We are in love with your recipes, I wanted to try this one but would prefer a non-fried version , How could we get the same texture without oil.
Thanks for posting such great recipes.
Glad you're enjoying them! You could try baking the tofu. I haven't had success with getting baked tofu crispy without any oil at all, but you could reduce it by a lot by using a method like I did for this recipe: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/teriyaki-tofu/
We’ve been vegetarian for 24 years and looking for new recipes. Wow, wow wowza! This has to be one of our top 10 meals! Amazing 🤩