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.
Great recipe and sauce! I made the recipe as written, but decided to marinate the tofu in the sauce for a couple hours (maybe 4?) after pressing it. This still worked fine with the cornstarch when frying the tofu blocks. We also added snap peas, and used the same sauce from the marinade after adding the vegetables.
Only quabble with this recipe would be to maybe press the tofu for longer, as it didn’t quite feel dense enough. Otherwise really great!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I just ate it and it was delicious. The cornstarch method really did a great job producing crispy tofu. I will definitely be making this again.
beth this recipe is incredible. thank you so much!!
My teenager is a recent vegetarian and I’ve never done well with tofu. This recipe is delicious! Thank you!
this is an amazing recipe, yes, but I just wanted to say kudos to you for being so supportive of your child! they may not know it yet but they are lucky to have you :)
Just made this for dinner. It was so so good! I liked it more than some of the restaurant fried tofu dishes I have tried. Will make again!
I’ve been trying to cook meatbfree meals a few times a week. This is a family favorite. All 4 kids love it.. even my active teenage boys who always want some sort of meat! I use fresh broccoli and serve over cauliflower rice. A 10!
Thank you.
Really not sure how people are calling this salty. The comment about salt made me nervous so I omitted the pinch of salt over the tofu with the corn starch but I think it would have been fine. I used less brown sugar (1 T instead of 2 T) and I really thought this was great. Served over Jasmine rice and used fresh broccoli (sauteed with a little more garlic and some black pepper) instead of frozen.
I was really hoping to like this tofu dish because I’m seriously unable to eat meat or eggs anymore, the thought of it being an animal’s flesh has been keeping me from eating meat. Unfortunately, this recipe probably ruined it for me as your recipe is way too salty-and I’m actually a salty food lover. I wanted to see if I would like this because I’ve always dislike the texture of tofu but it’s too chewy and the sauce is so briny it just tastes like salt. I tried your recipe for Teriyaki Sauce and it was sickeningly salty too. I have always made these sauces without using a written recipe, both sesame and teriyaki, you have to use closer to equal parts water and soy sauce, not 2 tablespoons of water to a 1/4 cup of soy sauce.
This is the first tofu recipe I’ve made where I actually can’t get enough of the tofu (not vegetarian, just trying to incorporate more meatless meals). I make the sauce almost as written, except I use honey instead of brown sugar and cut it to 1 T. I’ve also added chili garlic paste. I’ve made the tofu as written, but lately I’ve been using my air fryer, which works great.
Oooooooo what temp and how long in the air fryer?
I made this dish last night and it enjoyed the leftovers tonight. YUM! This is one of my favorite dishes from your website! Unfortunately, I was so hungry last night that I rushed and skipped the cornstarch, but I didn’t care. It was fantastic anyway. I also added a small can of water chestnuts and a few chopped carrots. I didn’t have brown sugar or rice vinegar, so I used fish sauce with the low sodium soy sauce and some sesame seeds with EVOO. Letting marinate overnight made the difference, I think. Awesome dish – thank you! :) Can’t wait to try it with your suggested way of stirfrying the tofu.
Followed the recipe to a T, except I used frozen cauliflowers because I didn’t have broccoli at home. When I tasted the “raw” sauce, I wasn’t a fan and it didn’t seem like it was gonna be enough – when it was done, it was the perfect amount and very tasty. What a sneaky recipe! :) I really enjoyed this meal, and I am pretty sure I will come back to it when I am in a tofu mood. Thank you for sharing!
This was great! I followed it to the letter except I used fresh broccoli and a wok. Nice thick sauce. I thought it wasn’t going to be enough sauce, but it was. Follow the directions and enjoy!
Super delicious and simple! I’ve never cooked tofu or a stir fry successfully before but to my surprise this was really restaurant quality. I made this for myself and used about 1 lb. of fresh broccoli (still could’ve used more), gluten free soy sauce, brown rice, and only had the patience to press the tofu for about 10 minutes but it was still good! Leftovers were not great though since the tofu gets soggy.
My husband hates broccoli so I’m going to try it tonight with mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and bell pepper. I’m also going to try slicing the tofu into thin strips instead of cubes like others suggested. I think it will help get it even crispier and carry more flavor.
I love this recipe. I had better luck draining the tofu for a full day before to get as much moisture out. I also like it a tad bit sweeter so I add a little more brown sugar. Talk about addicting! I could eat the whole batch if I let myself!
Woah! Best tofu for me too. I’ve used cornflour before frying (but maybe too little in the past), this turned out really well. I used a variety of vegs and a squeeze of honey in the pan near the end. Delicious! Made with rice and wiped it clean! Thanks very much.
turned out good for me
best tofu I’ve ever made.
i need to adjust on the sause a bit to fit my tastes. but my husband and i gobbled it down. i think I’ll use less ginger and lemon and maybe more sweetner.