Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu

Salt and Pepper Tofu on a plate with hot peppers and onions.

5 from 1 vote

My salt and pepper tofu is easy to make and dangerously addictive! It’s made with crispy tofu chunks coated in a bold, peppery breading, pan-fried to golden perfection, and tossed with sizzling aromatics, so every bite is bursting with flavor. Better than takeout and ready in about 30 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Chinese

Servings: to 8

Calories: 301kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

⅓ cup vegetable oil, or as needed
½ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon black pepper (or up to 1 ½ teaspoons if you like lots of heat)
1 teaspoon white pepper (or up to 1 ½ teaspoons if you like lots of heat)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
⅛ teaspoon Chinese five-spice
1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super-firm tofu, cut into cubes (½ to 1-inch)
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
1 Fresno pepper, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
3 scallions, white and green parts separated and chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Generously coat the bottom of a medium nonstick skillet with vegetable oil and place it over medium heat. Get the oil to at least ⅛-inch deep. You want the tofu pieces to be about halfway submerged when you add them.
While the oil heats up, stir the cornstarch, black pepper, white pepper, salt, and five-spice together in a small bowl. Add a few pieces of tofu to the bowl and dredge them in the mixture.
Once the oil begins to shimmer, remove the tofu cubes from the bowl, shake off any excess breading, then add them to the skillet. Repeat this process, placing the tofu cubes in a single layer so they are not touching (Note 1). Fry the tofu pieces for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. Transfer them to a plate when done.
If you still have a lot of oil in the skillet, very carefully pour some out (Note 2), so you have just a thin coating. If the skillet is dry, you can add about a tablespoon. Raise the heat to medium-high, then add the onion, jalapeño, and Fresno peppers. Stir-fry the onion and peppers for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until they begin to soften and char (Note 3).
Push the onions and peppers to the side, then add the sliced garlic and white parts of your scallions to the skillet. Cook the garlic and scallions for 1 to 2 minutes, until they begin to brown and the garlic becomes very fragrant.
Return the tofu to the skillet. Stir everything up and cook the mixture for another 1 to 2 minutes, just to warm the tofu back up a bit.
Remove the skillet from heat, then stir in the green parts of your scallions. Serve.

Notes

Avoid crowding the skillet. You can cook the tofu in batches if needed.
Don't pour it down the drain, as it can cause a clog. A safe way to dispose of used oil is to pour it into a used can from the recycling bin, let it cool, then compost it or seal it up and throw it in the trash.
Make sure you're running your ventilation fan during this step. Hot peppers cooked over high-heat can be quite irritating.
Recipe serves about 4 as a main dish (with rice or another side) or about 8 as an appetizer. Nutrition information is based on 4 servings.

Nutrition