I had a huge triumph today. I finally successfully made tofu. I’ve tried cooking with tofu in the past and could never really get it to be the right flavor or texture. When I cooked it in a skillet it would fall apart, when I baked it in the oven it would be bland and lifeless. Today, though, today was 100% success! This Pan Fried Sesame Tofu with Broccoli had texture, it had flavor, and none of that bland mushiness that I’ve always ended up with in the past!
Use Cornstarch for Crispy Tofu
I was almost to the point where I believed that I’d never get tofu right, but I got inspired the other day and started looking up tutorials. I found this tutorial on How to Make Crispy Tofu without Deep-Frying over at TheKitchn.com and decided to give it a try.
The technique involves pressing out excess liquid, seasoning with salt (or marinating), coating with cornstarch, and then shallow pan frying until golden and crispy all over. I really wasn’t prepared for just how nice and crispy the tofu would turn out. It was simply amazing. Just as good as deep-fried (IMHO)!!
Now that I know how to do this, I can’t wait to experiment with more flavors. I seasoned this tofu with just a pinch of salt, knowing that I was about to drench it in yummy sesame sauce, but I still couldn’t stop popping the naked cubes into my mouth. They were so good even on their own! I can only imagine how good they’ll be with other flavors. Stay tuned because that is definitely going to be happening in my kitchen in the near future.
Pan Fried Sesame Tofu with Broccoli
Servings 3Ingredients
SAUCE
- 1/4 cup soy sauce ($0.20)
- 2 Tbsp water ($0.00)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil ($0.33)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar ($0.22)
- 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger ($0.10)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds ($0.15)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.04)
STIR FRY
- 14 oz block extra-firm tofu ($1.99)
- Pinch of salt ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil (vegetable, canola, peanut) ($0.04)
- 1/2 lb frozen broccoli florets ($1.00)
- 3-4 green onions, sliced ($0.23)
- 4 cups cooked rice ($0.88)
Instructions
- Place a few folded paper towels or a clean, lint-free dish cloth on a large plate. Remove the tofu from the package and place it on the towels. Place more towels on top, cover with a second plate, and then weigh the top plate down with a few canned goods or a pot filled with water. Press the tofu for at least 30 minutes to extract excess water (refrigerate if pressing for longer).
- While the tofu is pressing, prepare the sauce so that the flavors have time to blend. In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, grated ginger, minced garlic, sesame seeds, and cornstarch. Stir until the brown sugar and cornstarch are dissolved, then set the sauce aside.
- Cut the pressed tofu into 1-inch cubes, then season with a pinch of salt. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp cornstarch over the cubes, then toss to coat. Repeat with the second tablespoon of cornstarch, or until the tofu cubes have a nice even coating of cornstarch.
- Heat a large skillet over medium flame. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp oil and tilt the skillet until the bottom is coated in a thick layer of oil. Add the dusted tofu cubes and let cook until golden brown on the bottom. Use a spatula to turn the cubes to an uncooked side, and cook until golden brown again. Continue this process until brown and crispy on all sides, then remove the crispy tofu to a clean plate.
- Add the frozen broccoli to the hot skillet and briefly stir fry until slightly browned on the edges. Don’t worry if it’s not thawed through yet, it will warm through after adding the sauce. Lower the heat to medium-low.
- Give the bowl of sauce a good stir, then pour it into the skillet with the broccoli. Stir and cook until the sauce begins to bubble and thicken (this should happen very quickly). Once thickened, turn off the heat and stir in the cooked tofu cubes.
- Serve the tofu and broccoli over a bed of cooked rice, topped with sliced green onions.
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How to Make Sesame Tofu – Step by Step Photos
Start with a 14oz. package of extra-firm tofu. Yes, I realize this photo is of just “firm” tofu. I was so starry-eyed by the sale sign that I accidentally bought firm instead of extra-firm. Good news is that the only difference is the amount of moisture, so I just pressed my tofu for extra time. Read more about the different tofu varieties here.
Take the block of tofu out of its water filled package. Place some folded up paper towels or clean, lint-free dish towels on a large plate. Place the tofu on the towels, then cover with another set of towels and another plate. Place something heavy on top, like canned goods or a pot with water (a pot with water can be tricky to balance). If you use harsh detergents to wash your dish towels, paper towels might be a better idea. Let the tofu press for about 30 minutes for extra-firm tofu. I had just firm tofu, so I let it go for an hour. If you let it press for extended time, just be sure to put it in the refrigerator. Some people let theirs press all day, it just depends on the texture that you like.
While the tofu is being pressed, prepare the sauce so the flavors have a little time to mingle. In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 Tbsp sesame seeds, and 1 Tbsp cornstarch. Set the sauce aside.
Once the tofu is pressed, cut it into one-inch cubes. If you still feel quite a bit of moisture on the surface, dab it a bit with a dry paper towel. Reducing the surface moisture is part of what helps these little guys get crispy. Season the cubes with a pinch of salt.
Sprinkle 1 Tbsp cornstarch over the cubes, then toss the cubes to coat. Repeat with a second tablespoon of cornstarch, or until the cubes have a decent coating on all sides.
Heat a large skillet over medium flame. Once the surface is hot, add 2 Tbsp of any neutral oil (this can be canola, vegetable, peanut, untoasted sesame oil, etc.) Tilt the skillet to cover the surface of the skillet, then add the cornstarch dusted tofu cubes. Let them cook until golden brown on the bottom. (P.S. waiting until the skillet is hot before adding the oil really helps prevent the cubes from sticking. Using a non-stick skillet or cast iron will also help prevent them from sticking).
Once they’re golden on the bottom, use a spatula to turn them to a new side. Continue cooking…
Keep repeating the process until they’re golden brown on all sides. They should be CRISPY and pretty darn wonderful. Once crispy on all sides, remove them to a clean plate (I just reused one of the plates from pressing).
Add the frozen broccoli right to the skillet, no need to thaw. There should still be some oil in the skillet, too. The tofu absorbed some, but not all of the oil.
Stir fry the broccoli just for a couple of minutes, or until it gets a touch of brown on the edges. Turn the heat down to medium-low (it’s okay if the broccoli is not thawed through at this point, it will continue to cook with the sauce).
Give the bowl of sauce a good stir just before pouring it into the hot skillet. Stir and cook the sauce until it begins to bubble and thicken (this should happen fairly quickly).
Once the sauce is thick and glossy, add the cooked tofu back to the skillet.
Stir to coat the tofu in the sauce.
Spoon the Pan Fried Sesame Tofu and Broccoli over a bed of cooked rice, then top with sliced green onion. NOM.
Seriously, these little crispy tofu bites were so good I could eat the whole lot, sans-sauce. I’m a tofu convert.
This recipe looks delicious! Will this work with liquid aminos? I’m guessing I won’t need to use the full 1/4 cup since it is salty. Thanks!
I’ve never cooked with liquid aminos, so unfortunately I’m not sure how you might need to adjust the recipe. :)
How does this work for leftovers? Please advise for technique with fresh broccoli
I enjoyed the leftovers quite a bit, even though the tofu doesn’t stay crispy. For fresh broccoli, you’ll want to boil or steam the florets for a few minutes before adding to the skillet.
Too sweet. Eliminate brown sugar and its superb.
This is a regular in our house. So delicious and easy to make! Love it!
Great recipe. I modified it by cooking the tofu, and stir fried onions, broccoli, some mushrooms, and corn kernels . Mixed it all with a tbsp of cooked brown rice n andve it a stir sprinkling some salt and pepper I’m going to make the sauce next time and this going to be a regular meal. Thanks
Second time I make it and my tofu never gets crispy at all. It’s like the cornstarch just gets absorbed and then does nothing. I give up!!
You should drain the tofu longer!
This recipe is amazing. I cut down on the sugar and ended up using apple cider vinegar as I didn’t have rice vinegar but it is SO good. It smells amazing and tastes great even many days later (I made the whole recipe on Sunday and had it for lunch every day of the week). Obviously the tofu looses its crispiness when let to cool and then microwaved but still a very solid and yummy recipe even then.
I’m eating this right now as I reply.
The sauce smells amazing! But next time I will reduce the amount of rice vinegar and soy sauce and add more water. The punch of the vinegar and soy sauce is a bit too much for me.
This is a go-to recipe for me! I always have the ingredients on hand, and it’s so quick to prepare! Even my meat eating husband will gobble this up! Last night I tried using Butler Soy Curls in place of the tofu, and it was fantastic, too! For the soy curls, I just reconstituted them, squeezed the water out, then browned them in my skillet without the cornstarch, then proceeded as directed. Thank you for all your great recipes!
Really love this recipe. It’s a winner in our house and we’ll be cooking it regularly. Thank you!
Made this tonight it was very good. Definitely will be making it again.
This is my favorite stir fry sauce and tofu cooking method that I have found. I make this at least twice a month, and I vary up the veggies often.
I am an absolute novice, but this is an amazing recepie! – My favorite on Budget Bytes (or any other site) for sure! I loved it just as it was, but then I wondered how it would taste if I added pineapple. So I put some in right after pouring the sauce onto the broccoli and, oh nellie! What a perfect complement it was to all of the other flavors! Who needs take-out? Thanks so much! Gerry
I’m Chinese-Canadian and I freaking LOVED this recipe. The tofu is so crispy and awesome. I actually found pressed tofu at my local grocery store (I’m blessed with living in a multicultural city) so I skipped the tofu pressing. It cost about the same as extra firm tofu. It turned out perfect. I only felt there might be too much ginger so I’ll be putting half a tablespoon next time. Otherwise, I love this recipe! I used a pound of fresh broccoli instead and it was awesome.
I don’t know about all those folks complaining about the blandness of the tofu. Uh, that’s just how tofu tastes??? I love the natural flavour of tofu so just salting it before the cornstarch is perfect for me. Balances out the flavourful rich sauce. That’s why we Chinese love eating things with plain rice! We need to balance out the flavour with plainness so we’re not overwhelmed with salt or seasonings. It’s not right for my palate if it’s too much. Going out to a restaurant was a special occasion when I was a kid. Chinese restaurant food is not an indicator of what home-cooked Chinese is like. And this felt like home for me.
Even Beth said she was gonna experiment with other marination or seasonings later on.
I’ll probably be obsessed with this recipe for a while and make it a few times a month as part of my meal prep.
A friend of mine made a version of the fried tofu, but she marinated the tofu cubes in soy sauce before coating them with corn starch and saute-ing them until brown and crisp. Served them on toothpicks with cocktails – delicious!