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Step aside, boring tofu recipes. This braised tofu tastes like it came from a restaurant! The whole thing comes together in just 30 minutes, with the flavorful sauce soaking into the tofu as it cooks on the stove.
save this recipe!Tofu is such a fun ingredient because it can take on any flavor! Whether it be lemon pepper tofu or General Tso’s tofu, it will taste like the delicious sauce it’s coated in.
Or in this case, whatever sauce it’s cooked in. Braising is a method of cooking that involves cooking your ingredient – whether it be a vegetable, meat, or tofu – in a sauce slowly over low heat. It makes the end result so tender and packed with flavor!
Reader rating
“This is fantastic! I have been making either a tofu scramble or marinating tofu in various dressings and baking it until sort of crunchy and using it like croutons in a salad. This is a nice change!” —Gayle
Why you’ll love it
- In 30 minutes you will have a delicious and flavor-packed dinner on the table.
- Restaurant-quality flavors that are better than takeout feature in this tofu dish.
- Pantry staple ingredients like brown sugar and tomato paste are all you need to make this.
grab these ingredients
Most of these ingredients are probably already in your pantry – here’s what you’ll need for braised tofu! Jump to the recipe card for the full quantitites.
- Tofu: Extra firm tofu works best since it’s pan-fried at such a high temperature. It’s important to drain it and dry it well with paper towels.
- Garlic and Ginger: These are staples of Asian cuisine, adding antioxidants and punchy flavor. Fresh is always best!
- The Sauce: To add all the finger-licking goodness, you’ll need soy sauce, brown sugar, and tomato paste.
- Green Onions: These are also used to flavor the sauce and finish the dish.
- The Basics: To fry the tofu, you need any kind of oil, and to bring the sauce together, you need water and cornstarch.
Sarah’s Tip
I like to add a little more oomph to this dish by braising a soft vegetable at the same time as you do the tofu! Some good options are broccolini, chickpeas, cauliflower, and bell peppers, which can all be added to make this sort of like a braised tofu stir fry.
How to make this braised tofu recipe
Braised tofu might sound fancy and complicated, but I promise it’s super easy! Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll do, but be sure to jump to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full instructions.
- Pan-fry the tofu for 10-15 minutes.
- Suate the aromatics and then stir in the sauce ingredients.
- Make a slurry with the cornstarch and water, then add it to the pan.
- Braise the tofu by adding it back to the pan with sauce to cook, then enjoy it over rice or noodles.
Do I need to press the tofu?
You can press the tofu, but in my testing, I didn’t find it made much textural difference when dealing with extra firm tofu. Pressing the tofu did speed up the cooking process slightly, but not enough to warrant pressing the tofu as part of the recipe.
Why this Recipe Works
- Using the whole green onion: This adds so much flavor without adding another ingredient! Sure, you could use just the green part of the onion, but using the white part to flavor the sauce adds a more delicate onion flavor.
- Double the batch: You can easily double or triple the batch to make enough to freeze for busy weeks. It’s like having Chinese takeout ready in your freezer!
- Extra firm tofu: This prevents you from having to press the tofu, thus saving time and energy.
what to serve with braised tofu
This sweet and sour sticky braised tofu is perfect served with rice or vegetables. Here’s what I’ve been enjoying it with:
- Jicama Rice is a delicious and simple low-carb option to pair with braised tofu.
- Roasted Vegetable Medley can be cooked in the oven while you make the braised tofu.
Restaurant-Level Braised Tofu (30 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 1 14-oz block firm tofu, 396 g
- 1 Tbsp oil, 15 mL
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 4 green onions, sliced and divided into greens and whites
- ¼ cup soy sauce, 60 mL
- ¼ cup brown sugar, 50 g
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 30 g
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp water, 30 mL
- To serve: rice, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Rice: If serving with rice, start cooking that now.
- Tofu: Drain the tofu, then dry it well and cut into bite-sized blocks. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat then add tofu. Cook until golden brown and crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove tofu from the pan.
- Aromatic: If there's no oil left in your pan, add a splash. Add garlic, ginger, and the white parts of your sliced green onions. Cook until a bit soft and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Sauce: Stir in soy sauce, brown sugar, and tomato paste, bringing to a gentle simmer. In a separate bowl, stir together cornstarch and water. Add it to your pan and stir well, cooking at a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken.
- Braise: Reduce heat to low. Transfer tofu to the pan of sauce, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve warm over rice, topped with the reserved green parts of the green onion and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
This is fantastic! I have been making either a tofu scramble or marinating tofu in various dressings and baking it until sort of crunchy aand using it like croutons in a salad. This is a nice change!
So happy you’re liking it, Gayle! 😀
Better than take out!
Made it with stir fry vegetables, served it on a bed of rice and topped it with green onion and toasted sesame seeds! Sooooo good!
It’s a repeater fore sure 😋.
Yay! So happy to hear you loved it, Maureen! 😀
This recipe was amazing! I paired w stir fry veggies and rice. I used less brown sugar as I don’t like things too sweet and added some garden fresh chives and cilantro! Would absolutely make again
So happy to hear you loved it, Jackie! 😀
Scrumptious! Really a Beautiful presentation too! The sesame seeds and green onions really up the flavor. You’ll want to eat tofu everyday.
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit, Kathy! Happy eating! 😀
Can I sub–Monk Fruit Extract for the sugar and Arrow Root Powder for the corn starch?
Same monk fruit question for your strawberry smoothie recipie.
Thank you,
Ken
I think those would work!
This is SO GOOD!! I’m going to be making it a lot. I tore the tofu like you recommended in the lemon pepper tofu recipe.
I’m so glad you loved it! Tearing the tofu gives it such a great texture—love that you brought that trick over from the lemon pepper tofu. Can’t wait for you to make it again!
Even my husband liked this…. so very good. Great taste, such a healthy protein…. Served with sauted bok choy, snow peas with Hoisin Sauce…. definitely going in recipe box!
Thanks for the kind words, happy eating!
OMG!!! this is my favourite recipe of yours so far. Everything is a staple in my kitchen. I added sambal olek and carrots, peas, red peppers and celery. DELICIOUS!!! and fast
Love the sound of those additions! So happy you loved it Mag!
This worked exactly as written, thanks! I had never , ever , tried tofu..but i have made many healthy changes to my diet over the last 6 months..and knew I would like the sauce…so I tried it. .delicious! Might use extra firm tofu the next time …but definitely a keeper.
I’m so thrilled to hear you love the recipe, happy eating!
Oh, this is delicious! Only changes I made was adding a little gochujang, and some toasted sesame oil. I tore the tofu instead of cutting to give it rough edges to hold onto the sauce. I’m so glad I doubled the recipe. This one’s another keeper!
You just made my day, thanks Monica!