Vegan Spicy "Honey" Garlic Tofu

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4.84 from 6 votes

Vegan Spicy "Honey" Garlic Tofu

Crispy fried tofu in a sweet and spicy garlic sauce!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Servings:

Calories: 268kcal

Author: Lauren Boehme

Ingredients

For The Tofu

1 Block(15oz.) Extra firm tofu, drained and pressed*
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
2 teaspoons Garlic powder
2 teaspoons Baking soda
Pinch of Salt and pepper
1/3 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon Rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Gochujang paste or chili paste

For The Sauce

2 Tablespoons Gochujang paste
3 Tablespoons Agave or maple syrup
1 Tablespoon Soy sauce or Tamari for GF option
1 Tablespoon Rice wine vinegar
12 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon Sesame seeds
1/2 Cup Vegetable broth
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
1 teaspoon Water

Instructions

After you have drained and pressed the tofu, cut the tofu into cubes, or break it into chunks. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, garlic powder, baking soda, salt and pepper.
Add the water, rice wine vinegar and gochujang to the bowl and whisk until fully combined.
Put the tofu into the bowl and toss to coat. Set aside and let the tofu sit in the coating for about 10 minutes or more, while you make the sauce.
Now, make the sauce, in a medium sized mixing bowl, add the gochujang, agave, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, sesame seeds and broth. Whisk to fully combine. Set aside.
Now, heat about 1/2 an inch of vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium high. Once it is hot and small bubbles are forming in the oil, add about half the tofu at a time to the skillet. Fry, reducing heat as needed, making sure you don't burn it. Fry the pieces of tofu for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until the are golden brown and crispy.
Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel. Repeat with all the tofu.
Now, heat the sauce in a small sauce pan on medium. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water for the sauce until there are no lumps of cornstarch left. Pour that into the sauce. Whisk to combine and simmer for another minute or until the sauce has thickened.
Add the tofu to a large bowl and pour the sauce on top. Toss to coat.
Serve immediately with rice if desired.

Video

Notes

*If you need more information on pressing tofu, check out my TOFU COOKING GUIDE!

Yes, you can bake the tofu or use the air fryer, you just need to coat the tofu in panko after letting it sit in the wet batter. Bake at 425 for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Or use the air fryer at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition