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. 😉
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
Servings 4Ingredients
- 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)
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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Nutrition
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How to Make Honey Sriracha Tofu – Step by Step Photos
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.
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.
You can see how much more liquid came out of the block of tofu after pressing for 30 minutes. Pour off the excess liquid.
Cut the block of tofu into ½-inch cubes and lightly pat dry with a paper towel.
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.
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.
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.
Pour the prepared honey sriracha sauce over the tofu.
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!
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!
Really easy, quick, and delicious. Going to be a new staple recipe for me!
This looks like something my youngest daughter would love!
Very easy and quick weeknight dish
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!
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! ;)
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.
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!
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?
Unfortunately, I’ve never cooked with arrowroot powder, so I’m not sure how it would behave in a recipe like this.
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!
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!
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. :)
Air fryer is GREAT for tofu!
Hi! Could you use maple syrup instead of honey to make it vegan?
Yes, that would probably work as well. :)
Looks so good !! Definitely will try this recipe. Where can I get a tofu press?
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. :)
Can this work for meal prep?
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. :)
Could I use chicken in place if the tofu?
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. :)