This spicy Szechuan tofu is easy to make and loaded with flavor. Pair it up with rice for a scrumptious vegan dinner that's better than takeout!
I love remaking some of my favorite dishes from Chinese restaurants. Whether it's lo mein, chow mein, General Tso's tofu, or Kung Pao tofu, recreating these classic dishes is always a fun challenge, and I always end up with a delicious dinner at the end of the process.
Szechuan tofu is a dish that I've ordered so many times and absolutely loved, but never got around to tackling until now. Szechuan cuisine is known for spicy, bold flavors, with generous use of aromatics, so I was a little intimidated at the prospect of attempting to capture that level of deliciousness in a recipe of my own.
I'm happy to say that this turned out to be a seriously scrumptious tofu stir-fry — every bit as delicious as those I've gotten in restaurants. It's pretty easy to make too! The key is heavy use of pungent spices and flavors like garlic, ginger, Chinese five spice, and Szechuan peppercorns.
Read on to learn about exactly what you'll need and how to throw this flavor-packed meal together.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if needed.
- Brown sugar. Use organic brown sugar to keep the recipe vegan. Conventional sugar is often processed using animal bone char.
- Sambal oelek. This is a spicy red chili paste that can be found in the international aisle of most supermarkets. The recipe gives you some leeway as to how much you'd like to use, depending on your spice preference. If you're unsure, start with less and add more when the dish has finished cooking. Sriracha sauce can be substituted if samabal oelek isn't available.
- Toasted sesame oil. Look for this in the international aisle of your grocery store.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Cornstarch.
- Chinese five spice. This is a mix of cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel and Szechuan peppercorns. Most stores carry it in the spice aisle.
- Peanut oil. You can use another high-heat oil if you prefer, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or corn oil.
- Super firm-tofu. Extra-firm tofu will also work in this recipe, but it will need to be pressed before cooking.
- Red bell pepper.
- Scallions. You might also know these as green onions.
- Szechuan peppercorns. Look for these in the international section of the grocery store, or try an Asian market. (An alternative spelling of their name is Sichuan peppercorns.) Black peppercorns can be substituted in a pinch, but will give your stir-fry a slightly different flavor.
- Toasted sesame seeds.
- Cooked rice. Noodles are a great alternative if you're not up for rice.
Tip: Dried red chile peppers are another ingredient that you'll find in authentic Szechuan tofu. I prefer to use sambal oelek because it gives me more control over the heat level, but feel free to go with dried chiles if you'd like. Add them at the same time as the Szechuan peppercorns.
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!
Stir your Szechuan sauce ingredients together first: soy sauce, brown sugar, sambal oelek, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, and Chinese five spice.
Coat the bottom of a wok or skillet with oil and add cubed tofu. Cook the tofu pieces for a few minutes, turning them just once or twice, until the become golden brown and crispy. Move the tofu to a plate.
Tip: Cook your tofu in batches if you can't fit it all in a single layer in the bottom of your wok.
Add some more oil to the wok, then add chopped bell pepper. Stir-fry the bell pepper, very briefly, just until the pieces start to become brighter in color. Add the white parts of your scallions (save the green for later), and ground Szechuan peppercorns. Stir-fry for a minute longer.
Return the cooked tofu to the wok, then pour the sauce over the tofu. Be super careful not to pour the sauce directly on the hot surface, or it will sputter. Mix everything up and stir-fry the mixture for about 1 minute, just until the sauce thickens and coats the tofu and pepper pieces.
Take the wok off of heat and add toasted sesame seeds and the green parts of your scallions.
Your Szechuan tofu is read to enjoy! Pile it onto plates with some rice and dig in.
Prep-Ahead Tips
- The sauce can be mixed in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
- The bell pepper can be chopped in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover Szechuan tofu will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days.
More Tofu Stir-Fries
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📖 Recipe
Szechuan Tofu
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- â…“ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons organic brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sambal oelek, or to taste (Note 1)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
For the Stir-Fry
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
- 1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super-firm tofu, diced (about ½-inch)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and chopped
- 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, ground with a mortar and pestle (Note 2)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- Stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl or container. Set aside.
- Coat the bottom of the wok (or nonstick skillet) with half of the oil and place it over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the tofu cubes in an even layer (Note 3). Cook the tofu cubes for about 10 minutes, flipping the pieces once or twice until they're browned and crispy on multiple sides. Transfer the tofu to a plate when done.
- Add the remaining oil to the wok and raise the heat to medium-high.
- Give the wok a minute to heat up, then add the bell pepper. Stir-fry the pepper just until it begins to deepen in color, about 1 minute.
- Add the white parts of the scallions and Szechuan peppercorns to the wok. Continue to stir-fry the mixture for about 1 minute more, until the bell pepper becomes tender-crisp.
- Return the tofu to the wok and carefully pour the sauce over the tofu. Continue stir-frying the mixture until the sauce thickens and coats the tofu and bell pepper, about 1 minute.
- Remove the wok from heat.
- Top the stir-fry with sesame seeds and the green parts of your scallions. Serve with rice.
Notes
- Two teaspoons will give you a relatively mild dish, and is a good place to start if you're unsure of how much heat you can tolerate. When in doubt, start with less and add more when the dish has finished cooking.
- You can substitute black peppercorns if Szechuan peppercorns aren't available.
- You can cook the tofu in batches if it won't all fit in the bottom of your wok.
- Nutrition information does not include rice.
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I made this last night and it was fantastic. I will definitely make it again.
I have made this recipe twice now and its simple and delicious. I swapped potatoes for bell peppers, which made it a bit dryer but the flavor is great. I really like spice, so we put 4x the amount of pepper for a nice numbing flavor.
Very good and easy to prepare. Easily the tastiest tofu recipe we’ve found yet!