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. 😉
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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
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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Equipment
- Chef’s Knife
- White Cutting Boards
- Nonstick Fry Pans
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!
Can’t stop making this… or eating it. So easy and so delicious.
Super yummy and super easy!
Could you cook the tofu in an air fryer? I just got one so I’m very new to what can go in it.
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!
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.
Love it thx!
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!
Thank you again and again. Your recipes are my daily go-to’s.
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!
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!!
Any suggestions for how to cook this in an air fryer?
Unfortunately, I don’t have an air fryer so I can’t advise. :(
I cooked the tofu in my air fryer for 12 minutes at 360 and it came out great!
Did you add the sauce first or cook a bit then add the sauce?
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.
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!
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!)
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.