Honey Sriracha Tofu

$2.64 recipe / $0.66 serving
by Beth Moncel
4.81 from 57 votes
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I haven’t made tofu in a while but I can tell you one thing, I’m going to be making this Honey Sriracha Tofu recipe a lot from here on out. These tasty little honey sriracha tofu cubes are pan-fried until crispy on the outside and then drenched in a sweet and spicy sriracha glaze. It’s simple but so addictively good! They’re so delicious that I sat there eating the tofu right out of the pan, nearly polishing off the entire batch myself. 😬 Realistically, you’ll probably want to stretch this out to about four servings as part of a full meal, and I’ve got some great ideas for that below. 😉

honey sriracha tofu in a bowl with rice and cucumber
Serving suggestion: in a bowl with rice, cucumber, and sesame seeds.

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Ingredients for Honey Sriracha Tofu

This super simple tofu recipe only requires a few ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make this truly delicious honey sriracha tofu:

  • Tofu: Look for firm or extra firm tofu. The extra firm works a little better, but if all you have available is firm, you can simply press it for a little longer to get the extra-firm texture.
  • Sriracha: Sriracha is a one-stop shop for flavor. It adds heat, acidity, and salt to the glaze.
  • Honey: The sweetness of the honey perfectly compliments the spicy heat of the sriracha.
  • Soy Sauce: Soy sauce adds saltiness and a little bit of umami flavor to the glaze.
  • Crushed Red Pepper: For even more pops of spicy heat, we added a little crushed red pepper.
  • Cooking Oil: The tofu is pan fried in a small amount of cooking oil, as opposed to deep frying in a large quantity of oil. This keeps it budget-friendly and easy while still creating a crisp texture.
  • Cornstarch: Coating the tofu in cornstarch helps create a deliciously crispy layer on the surface of the tofu.
  • Green Onions: A few sliced green onions provide the perfect fresh pop of flavor on top of the sweet and spicy glaze.

Can I Substitute the Sriracha?

Sriracha is the main flavor in this recipe and it provides several flavor elements to the sauce like heat, acidity, garlic, and salt. You could potentially substitute it with another chili sauce, like chili garlic sauce, sambal oelek, or maybe even gochujang. But if you’re looking for a non-spicy option, it will take several ingredients to replace all the flavors contained in the sriracha. I suggest using this recipe for Pan Fried Sesame Tofu as a non-spicy alternative.

Make it Vegan

To make this honey sriracha tofu vegan you only need to swap one ingredient—honey. Substitute the honey with either brown sugar or agave nectar. Brown sugar is my top choice because I love the deep flavors that the molasses in the brown sugar provides.

Tips for The Best Tofu

If you’re new to cooking with tofu, here are a few simple tips and tricks to make sure your tofu has the best flavor and texture:

  • Press the tofu well. This removes the excess water which helps it crisp up and gives it a more firm texture and better mouthfeel. If there is too much water in the tofu the cornstarch coating will not crisp up as readily.
  • Freeze your tofu. Freezing and then thawing tofu changes the texture, giving it a more meaty feeling and allowing water to be more easily pressed out. So, if you remember, freeze the tofu ahead of time and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for a day before making your recipe. I freeze it right in the package it comes in.
  • Use non-stick cookware. Tofu can stick easily to other cookware and, because it’s fairly soft, it can tend to crumble. Using enough oil, a higher heat, and a non-stick surface will help the tofu fry up nice and crispy without sticking.
  • Don’t stir too often. Stirring the tofu too often will prevent it from forming a crispy brown exterior. Let it cook until golden brown and crispy on the bottom before flipping.

How to Serve Honey Sriracha Tofu

Do as I say and don’t do as I do (almost eat the entire batch straight out of the skillet). Use this honey sriracha tofu to top salads, like Crunchy Cabbage Salad or Cold Peanut Noodle Salad. Make it into a bowl meal with rice (or coconut rice) and cooling cucumbers (as pictured) and maybe some Peanut Lime Dressing. Or add it to some noodles like these Sesame Noodles with Wilted Greens or Garlic Noodles. You could even stuff it into a big tortilla with Crunchy Cabbage Salad and make it a wrap!

Honey sriracha tofu in the skillet with a spatula, ingredients on the sides
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Honey Sriracha Tofu

4.81 from 57 votes
This easy and delicious Honey Sriracha Tofu recipe is sweet, spicy, and sticky! Perfect for salads, bowl meals, noodles, wraps, and more.
Author: Beth Moncel
Close up of honey sriracha tofu in the skillet
Servings 4
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Press Time 30 minutes
Total 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 14 oz. extra firm tofu ($1.79)
  • 2 Tbsp sriracha ($0.22)
  • 2 Tbsp honey ($0.24)
  • 2 tsp soy sauce, divided ($0.04)
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper ($0.02)
  • 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.03)
  • 2 green onions, sliced ($0.22)
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Instructions 

  • Press the tofu for 30 minutes to remove the excess moisture. You can do this by either using a tofu press, or placing the block of tofu on a rimmed plate or tray, then topping with something flat like a cutting board and placing a heavy object on top (cast iron skillet or pot of water). After pressing for 30 minutes, pour off the extra liquid.
  • While the tofu is pressing, make the honey sriracha sauce. In a small bowl, combine the sriracha, honey, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and the crushed red pepper. Set the sauce aside.
  • Cut the pressed tofu into ½-inch cubes. Use a paper towel to lightly pat dry the tofu cubes.
  • Add the cooking oil and 1 teaspoon soy sauce to a large bowl. Lightly whisk the soy sauce into the oil. Add the cubed tofu and gently stir until the tofu is coated in oil and soy sauce.
  • Sprinkle 1 teaspoon cornstarch over the cubed tofu and gently stir. Repeat two more times, or until 3 teaspoon (1 Tablespoon) cornstarch has been added to the tofu.
  • Heat a non-stick skillet over medium. When the skillet is hot, add the prepared tofu. The tofu will fry in the oil that is coating the cubes. Cook the tofu, stirring only occasionally, until it is brown and crispy on all sides (about 10 minutes).
  • Pour the honey sriracha sauce over the tofu and continue to stir and cook for 1-2 more minutes, or until the glaze is thick and sticky.
  • Top the honey sriracha tofu with sliced green onions and serve.

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Equipment

  • Chef’s Knife
  • White Cutting Boards
  • Nonstick Fry Pans

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 161kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 8gFat: 9gSodium: 405mgFiber: 1g
Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
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Video

Close up of honey sriracha tofu in the skillet

How to Make Honey Sriracha Tofu – Step by Step Photos

Homemade tofu press with cutting boards and cast iron skillet

Drain one 14oz. block of firm or extra-firm tofu. Press the tofu for 30 minutes using either a tofu press, or a homemade press like in the photo above. To make the homemade press, place the block of tofu on a plate or rimmed baking sheet, then top with a cutting board and a heavy object, like a cast-iron skillet or pot of water.

honey sriracha sauce

While the tofu is pressing, prepare the honey sriracha sauce. Stir together 2 Tablespoons sriracha, 2 Tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper.

pressed tofu with liquid all around the dish

You can see how much more liquid came out of the block of tofu after pressing for 30 minutes. Pour off the excess liquid.

Cubed tofu on a cutting board

Cut the block of tofu into ½-inch cubes and lightly pat dry with a paper towel.

cooking oil and soy sauce in a large bowl

Add 2 Tablespoons of cooking oil and one teaspoon soy sauce to a large bowl. Whisk until they are somewhat combined, then add the cubed tofu and gently stir until the tofu is coated.

cubed tofu in the bowl with cornstarch

Add one teaspoon cornstarch to the bowl with the tofu and gently stir again. Repeat two more times until you’ve added 3 teaspoons (or one tablespoon) cornstarch and the tofu is coated.

cooked tofu cubes in a skillet

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is very hot, add the tofu. The tofu is coated in oil, so there is no need to add extra oil to the skillet. Cook the tofu, stirring occasionally, until it is golden brown and crispy on all sides.

honey sriracha sauce being poured over the tofu in the skillet

Pour the prepared honey sriracha sauce over the tofu.

finished honey sriracha tofu in the skillet garnished with sliced green onions

Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes more or until the sauce is thick and sticky. Top with sliced green onions and serve!

close up of honey sriracha tofu in a bowl with cucumber
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  1. Beth, you must tell people how addictive this is…seriously. Added a little more soy, a larger squirt of Siracha, dash more crushed red but that’s me. Removed from the pan and allowed to cool a bit. I started testing a piece here & a couple pieces there before realizing I had eaten half of it! Half!! I’m eating it as a healthier ‘grazing’ snack & forced myself to snap the lid on so I’d have some for today. Outstanding recipe, will def make again & anybody hating on tofu needs to try this. It’s addicting as I said….be warned.

  2. Delicious and easy!! I added broccoli and served over rice. So much cheaper and healthier than the local Chinese food takeout.

  3. TIP: Freeze your tofu. It will make it extra porous and absorb more of the sauce and flavor.

  4. Seriously so good! This was my first time cooking tofu and it was a very easy recipe to follow. My husband and I were both surprised at how good it was, he even says he would do tofu every week now lol! It does have a little kick but very tasty!

  5. This was so good! Served with garlic butter egg noodles and broccoli in a bowl together.

  6. I just made this. Super easy to make, too. It was delicious! Some heat with a sweet undertone. I cut the honey in half since I’m trying to lower my sugar intake.

  7. I just made this tonight! I accidentally added 1 tbsp soy sauce to the sauce and to coat the tofu (instead of 1 tsp) but it tasted great and I’ll make it this way in the future. Really delicious and easy.

  8. Really tasty. I multiplied the sauce up because i added a bunch of veggies but I went too hard haha. In a spicy food coma now.

    Original recipe as written is wonderful.

  9. The power of making crispy tofu might still evade me, but it still makes a tasty snack on regular tofu!

  10. I’ve been making this as a sheet pan meal. I mix the cornstarch, Tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce, and 1 Tablespoon of oil in a medium size bowl. Then coat the pressed tofu with the mixture and let it set while the oven preheats to 450. I line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. When th oven is hot spread the tofu out on half of the pan. I also add broccoli to the other half of the pan, drizzle it with a little oil. And bake for 20 to 30 minutes. While it’s cooking I mix the sauce ingredients together. When the tofu and broccoli are done I pour the sauce over and let bake for another minute or so, until the sauce is hot. I usually serve with rice as a bowl meal. Easy and tasty.

  11. Amazing recipe! I needed a sauce for my fried tofu and this was perfect. Will definitely be my go to from now on. Super easy and I had all the ingredients in my pantry. Thank you so much!

  12. This was SOOOO good! I made this with coconut rice and my husband went back for seconds. HE DOES NOT USUALLY EAT TOFU. I’m shocked and thrilled that he liked it. Thank you for this super yummy recipe!

  13. So good!! Mine was a little spicy for my taste but I really liked it! Will be making again

  14. I followed this recipe as written, and it was virtually tasteless. Way too little saltiness (probably needs at least a tablespoon of soy sauce in the sauce), but just unseasoned overall. If I was to try to tweak the recipe, I’d start with garlic. We dosed it with dipping sauce, but it was very disappointing.

  15. I made this recipe with the coconut rice that was recommended, and sans cucumber, and it was delicious! I halved the recipe because I buy nifty half-blocks of Tofu. I always eyeball most measurements, and made my sauce a bit too red pepper-heavy, but I survived! And since I keep frozen sliced green onions around, this was truly a recipe I could make with stuff I already have in my kitchen.

  16. Absolutely delicious. I served it with coconut rice and sliced cucumber as suggested, and it turned out great (with my nonstick pan). Before buying the nonstick pan, I had tried this same recipe with a regular stainless steel pan, and it stuck really bad and made a smoky mess. Learn from my mistake! Wait to try this recipe until you can get your hands on something nonstick :)

  17. I love this recipe, but I think the skillet/pan needs a little bit of cooking oil in it before you add the tofu because the oil on the tofu has corn starch mixed into it which means if you just pour your tofu onto a dry hot pan, it will stick.

  18. Is there something I can use instead of honey? I’m all out of honey but have the other ingredients and want to make it without a trip to the store. Apricot jam, agave, or something else?

    1. I often do a sauce similar to this with brown sugar, but apricot jam sounds so interesting!

  19. This is hands down the best fried tofu recipe/method I’ve made at home. It’s on constant repeat and I use the oil/soy/cornstarch method for tofu with different sauces too. Thanks so much!

  20. My teenagers absolutely love this recipe. I’ve made it 3 times, and after the first time I learned to double it! Great with rice and broccoli, or as a component in sushi bowls. Next time I plan to try baking the tofu first to crisp up before adding the sauce…had some trouble with it sticking in the skillet (might have been overcrowding or because the tofu hadn’t thawed completely).

  21. So so so good! There were no leftovers and there are just two of us! I served it with rice, and stir fried zucchini and onions. I am making this again for sure.

  22. I made this tonight for the first time and we really love it. Thanks for sharing this recipe with all of us!

  23. Just made this because I had a recipe calling for TJs baked sriracha tofu and it was too pricey for the amount I needed for teenage boys! So I made this instead and it is perfect! Thank you and yum!!!!!!

  24. This recipe is the bomb.com! I substituted the sirachi for bbq sauce& used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Soooo Delicious!!! I have been making it weekly.

  25. I’m interested in starting a blog, and am curious as to how much revenue can come out of blogging..

  26. Pleasing to the palate and the eye! A bit spicy, which makes it even healthier (inflammation wise)..will definitely make again!😋

  27. Turned out really good and so easy! Just really spicy. Will leave out the red pepper flakes or some sriracha next time. But will definitely make again. Always looking for new tofu recipes.

  28. I’ve never cooked tofu before but this turned out great. I ate it with rice and some quick pickle cucumber salad and it made a lovely meal.

    Beth’s recipes are always nutritious, affordable, and so easy to make! I can pick a recipe at random from the site and it always turns out so good.

  29. Could you cook the tofu in an air fryer? I just got one so I’m very new to what can go in it.

  30. Made this and it turned out delicious! I seasoned as directed and refrigerated the tofu until I was ready to cook it. I substituted the chilies with red pepper flakes and it was the perfect amount of spice. I made couscous and frozen vegetable stir fry with this dish. Definitely will make this again!

  31. I have made this 3 times but in the oven. I toss with the sauce at end and pop back in oven for 5 minutes. So easy and delicious. Tonight we will have over rice noodles and snow peas.

  32. Made this tonight for the first time and it was fantastic. Followed the recipe to the T and it came out perfectly. Served it with jasmine rice and roasted red, orange and yellow peppers with about 3 garlic cloves minced and a medium white onion. The heat definitely came through. Enjoy!

  33. Made enough to last all of last week; and it was sooo delicious! I made some extra sauce then added in some lo-mein noodles and green beans for a heavier stir-fry. I’ll be revisiting this recipe and checking out your other tofu meals!

  34. This was delicious, but more importantly, my family all loved it! And they never love anything I make, not all of them at once! Even my 15 year old who only eats ramen and cereal liked it! Thanks!!

    1. I cooked the tofu in my air fryer for 12 minutes at 360 and it came out great! 

  35. This was very good and I will definitely make again! Even my picky eater son, who never had tofu before, liked it, although he said it was a touch spicy for him.

  36. YUM! Been waiting to try this since you first published it, but with your “best of” list, I got it done yesterday. Soooo good! Thx Beth!

  37. Just wanted to share my own version because all the stores in my vicinity were spontaneously out of tofu :( instead I used pork belly, cut into 1 inch cubes, with a little bit less soy sauce and instead of sriracha used sambal oelek (it’s what I had on hand).
    I would definitely give this version a try too if pork belly is in your budget! It was smoky, spicy, sweet and very sticky (yum!)

  38. This was definitely spicy! But delicious! I made it basically exactly as directed except I didn’t have green onions so finely chopped some white ones. The tofu technique worked really well but I should have used a bigger bowl. Overall we all enjoyed it! Made the right amount for 3 adults in my house.

    1. I’m not sure without testing it. You definitely need some direct heat to reduce the sauce, though.

    1. The number of pieces just depends on the size that you end up cutting your tofu pieces, it probably won’t be the same every time. I estimated one serving to be one quarter of the total recipe, but again, that will vary depending on your appetite. :)

  39. My daughter is vegetarian so when I was browsing your tofu recipes and came across this and knowing I had all the ingredients already I had to make it. It is REALLY GOOD!!!  I love your recipes. Thank you for all you do!

  40. I’ve made this a couple of times and the technique for getting crispy tofu is great! Just be sure not to stir too early (like I did the first time) or the tofu won’t have browned and will just stick to the pan. I gave mine a solid 4 minutes on the first side to crisp up and that works best.

    I’ll also note that the sauce is flexible as long as you balance sweet+oil+hot sauce. I’ve had to swap a couple of times based on my pantry: maple syrup for honey and gochujang for sriracha. Both worked well although I’d recommend only doing 1.5 tbsp of the maple syrup..

    Thanks, Beth! Delicious.

  41. Made this for dinner tonight and will definitely be putting it in a regular rotation. So easy and really delicious!

  42. LOVE it!! Yes, it was spicy, but I was craving something hot and this fit the bill. I would definitely cut the sriracha and chili flakes if I were to make this for my non-spice loving family members. I’ve made this twice before. Once with your garlic noodles (which I probably could have eaten the entire batch by itself, it was so good) and once with white rice. I found it paired best with a plain rice, the garlic noodles were overpowered by the heat of the honey sriracha but with plain rice it was perfect!! Also definitely don’t skimp on the corn starch! Thank you for sharing this!

  43. Very good recipe! Just painfully too spicy for me. I will not add the chili flakes next time but do you have any recommendations for cutting the spice even more than that? Thanks :)

  44. Great recipe. This was my first time cooking with tofu. I used extra firm. Came out great. I found that equal parts Sriracha and Honey was too spicy so I ended up using more honey.

  45. I made this tonight. Spicy! but delicious. The whole family liked it. I left out the crushed red pepper because I’ve been cooking from Budget Bytes long enough to know Beth likes it SPICY. ;-) I wish I had cooked the tofu a little longer and moved it around in the pan more. Not all the cubes got brown and crispy on all sides. I was afraid to stir too much and break them up. Next time I’ll make sure they’re all browned. I served it with plain brown rice and stir fried bok choy, peppers and mushrooms.

  46. This has become my favorite tofu recipe. Perfect as written, I wouldn’t change a thing!!!

  47. Loved the flavors in the sauce. Pan frying the tofu didn’t work out for me. Hit mess. We ordered pizza. Tomorrow’s another day…

  48. This is REAL spicy but delicious. I like the method of adding the oil to the tofu first, so it doesn’t get sucked up too quickly by the first side in the pan. I served with cucumber and rice just like the photos, the cucumber was a nice cool compliment!

  49. I substituted one tablespoon of miso and a sprinkle of garlic powder for one of the tablespoons of sriracha and it was the perfect heat level for me! Just enough to be intriguingly warm but not ‘spicy’.   The cooking method for the tofu worked perfectly and I suspect there’s more tofu in my future as well! 

  50. Is 2 tbsp of sriracha correct? I found this so spicy as to be basically inedible. 

    1. Yes, that is how much I used. Your taste buds must just be much more sensitive to heat than mine. :)

  51. Doubled the sauce recipe and accidentally put too much red pepper so it was hot! But it was soooooo good. I threw carrots in the extra sauce to get that glaze and broke up pieces of seaweed to sprinkle on top. Great recipe!

  52. Made this last night and loved it. Added a touch of oyster and fish sauce to the honey sriracha sauce to add some umami and doubled the sauce since I also sauteed some carrots, broccoli, and snap peas. Turned out great! Love seeing new recipes pop up here. Thanks for another good one, Beth!

  53. This is the first time I’ve been able to cook tofu without it sticking to the pan and tearing up! For that alone, I give this recipe five stars! ;)

  54. Delicious and easy weeknight meal. Had cucumbers dressed with rice vin and olive oil for a little texture in the bowl. I might cut back on the honey a bit next time because it was a little sweet but it also could have just been the type of honey I used.

    ALSO TOFU PRO TIP: If you drain/freeze your tofu first and then boil for 10ish minutes, until it’s thawed through, you get a similar consistency (I might even say a better consistency) than pressing! I always just throw my tofu in the freezer straight from the grocery store so it’s ready to be boiled and used when I need it.

  55. I made this tonight with jasmine rice and braised green beans. Even my 9-year-old liked it; she’s normally picky about spicy food. So easy to make, instructions were easy to follow (as always!) and this seems like it’ll be a go-to for us, regardless of season. Well done again! 

  56. This looks incredible! If it weren’t already 6 o’clock, I would make this for dinner.

    I have some arrowroot flour that I need to use up. Is there any reason I shouldn’t use that instead of cornstarch?

    1. Unfortunately, I’ve never cooked with arrowroot powder, so I’m not sure how it would behave in a recipe like this.

  57. Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I often make tofu and Beth’s method of pressing between sheets of paper towel and topped with a cast iron skillet has been my go-to method for a long time; no need to buy a special press. I followed the recipe as written and it was fabulous. Probably won’t serve four as I ate at least one serving before I plated it. The honey and sriracha combination is spot-on. The honey gives a depth to the sriracha while the sriracha tempers the sweetness of the honey. This is a super-versatile dish. I was too lazy to make rice but did have some leftover steamed broccoli florets so I threw those in the pan at the end. Thanks for another hit, Beth!

  58. Any recommendations on making this without frying the tofu? I recently got diagnosed with gallbladder issues and need to keep my fat intake down, but this looks too good to pass up!

    1. Some people prefer to bake their tofu, although that generally uses oil to help it crisp up as well. I don’t have a recipe for baked tofu, but if you Google “baked tofu” you’ll find plenty of tutorials. You might be able to find some that use a little less oil. :)

    1. Amazon has a ton! I haven’t tried one yet because I just make do with the setup I described/showed in the step-by-step photos, but I hear they work great. :)

    1. The texture of the tofu definitely changes as it’s refrigerated (it gets softer and more wet), so this one is probably best eaten fresh, unless the texture change doesn’t bother you. :)

    1. You could definitely use a sauce like this on chicken. I would suggest doing a cornstarch egg mixture to coat the chicken, like in my Sesame Chicken recipe. :)