Um, YUM! I just have to say that this Peanut Tofu is going to become a new staple in my house. It’s pretty easy to throw together, it’s a beautiful mix of colors and textures, and it’s absolutely deeeelicious! It’s definitely one of those meals that will give you that, “I can’t believe I made this myself” moment.
Freeze or Press Your Tofu
Lately, I’ve become a huge fan of freezing and then thawing my tofu before using it in a recipe. The freeze-thaw process changes the texture of the tofu, making it less jelly-like and more structured. The best part is that the texture change allows you to simply squeeze the tofu like a sponge to expel the extra liquid in seconds. To freeze the tofu, I just place the whole package (unopened) in the freezer, then the day before cooking I transfer it back to the fridge to thaw.
If you don’t pre-freeze your tofu, you’ll want to press it well before using it in this recipe. Either use a special tofu press or create one in your kitchen using items you already have on hand. I like to place the tofu on a rimmed baking sheet, then top with a cutting board and something heavy like a cast iron pan or a pot full of water. Let the tofu press for at least a half hour to get rid of the excess liquid.
Is This Peanut Tofu Spicy?
Yes, I used a lot of sriracha in the peanut sauce, so this dish has a decently spicy kick! While you can experiment with reducing the sriracha by half, I wouldn’t eliminate it entirely because the sriracha also provides extra acidity and garlic to the flavor profile, and the other ingredients would need to be adjusted to compensate.
How to Serve Peanut Tofu
I served my peanut tofu and vegetables over a bed of rice, but you could also serve them over rice noodles or even some cooked ramen.
Peanut Tofu
Servings 4Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter ($0.58)
- 2 Tbsp sriracha ($0.22)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.08)
- 1 lime (2 Tbsp juice) ($0.50)
- 2 tsp soy sauce ($0.04)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth ($0.07)
Tofu Stir Fry
- 14 oz. extra firm tofu* ($1.79)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.06)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil ($0.06)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.03)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil, divided ($0.08)
- 16 oz. frozen stir fry vegetables ($2.25)
For Serving (optional)
- 3 cups cooked rice ($0.62)
- 1 handful cilantro ($0.20)
Instructions
- Make the peanut sauce first so the flavors have time to blend. Whisk together the peanut butter, sriracha, brown sugar, 2 Tbsp lime juice, soy sauce, minced garlic, and vegetable broth.
- Press the tofu for 30 minutes to expel the excess water or use previously frozen tofu and squeeze the water out with your hands. Cut the tofu block into 24 triangles (12 squares, then cut diagonally into triangles).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and cornstarch. Add the tofu pieces and gently toss until they are coated in the mixture.
- Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add the tofu and cook until browned on all sides (about 10 minutes total). Remove the tofu from the skillet.
- Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil to the skillet then add the frozen stir fry vegetables. Cook over medium heat until heated through.
- Add the cooked tofu back to the skillet with the vegetables, then pour the prepared peanut sauce over top. Stir to combine and heat through.
- Slice any remaining lime into wedges. Top the peanut tofu with the lime wedges and fresh cilantro (if desired) before serving over cooked rice or noodles.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Peanut Tofu – Step by Step Photos
Make the peanut sauce first so the flavors have a little time to blend. Whisk together ½ cup natural peanut butter, 2 Tbsp sriracha, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp lime juice, 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic, and ½ cup vegetable broth. Set the sauce aside.
Press one 14oz. block of extra firm tofu for about 30 minutes to expel the excess water (or freeze then thaw the tofu in the days prior and squeeze out the water by hand). Cut the thickness of the tofu block in half, then cut it into 12 triangles (when stacked) to make 24 pieces.
Next, whisk together 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, and 1 Tbsp cornstarch in a bowl. This will coat the tofu with flavor and help it crisp up a bit more in the skillet.
Add the tofu pieces to the cornstarch and oil mixture then gently fold until the tofu is coated in the mixture.
Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the tofu and cook until browned on each side (about 10 minutes total). Remove the tofu from the skillet.
Add another 1 Tbsp cooking oil to the skillet, then once hot add one 16oz. bag of frozen stir fry vegetables. Continue to cook over medium heat just until the vegetables are heated through.
Add the cooked tofu back to the skillet with the vegetables, then pour the prepared peanut sauce over top. Stir everything to combine and heat through.
Cut any remaining limes into wedges. Top the peanut tofu with cilantro (if desired) and the lime wedges before serving.
We made this last night for dinner and it was a hit. Everyone liked it and it wasn’t too spicy (I chose the less spicy version of siracha we have). We will definitely be making this again.
Excellent dish, absolutely love the flavors of sweet richness and a little spice. Sauteing the tofu this way makes all the difference in a stir fry dish like this. Will absolutely repeat this one!
I’ve always liked your spicy coconut stir fry, so expected to enjoy this one too and wasn’t disappointed. I actually like it even better because it requires so little prep! Just had it tonight and already looking forward to next time. Thank you!
This was delicious! Substituted the peanut butter with tahini and it came out great! We will definitely be making this again!
This was amazing, and will definitely become a regular in our house. I found the sauce to be just a little too sweet for me with the full 2 Tbsp of brown sugar, maybe it’s my peanut butter. Ended up adding another 1-2 tsp of tamari and another Tbsp of lime juice to cut that sugar. Next time will cut the sugar in half. I used fresh broccoli florets and a red bell pepper instead of frozen veg just because I already had them on hand.
I made this more family oriented by reducing the sriracha to about 1 tsp. Added 1.5 tbsp of black vinegar, some additional garlic and a bit more salt to taste. The sauce was really close to a peanut butter curry served at a local Thai/Lao restaurant. I’ll try a little bit of curry powder next time to see if that improves it. Also, if there is time to prep definitely use fresh broccoli, carrots, and zucchini – stir fry until the colors brighten on the vegetables then continue the recipe as directed.
Tell your family to stop being little bitches ;)
BETH! I have a pro-tip for the freeze-thaw tofu– open the tofu and cut it up BEFORE you freeze it (just in a regular zip lock is fine for freezing). It thaws SO MUCH faster, so if you forgot to take it out of the freezer the night before you arent trying to thaw a whole brick in one go. I love the texture of the frozen/thawed tofu as well, so I thought I’d share this tip!
Thanks for the tip. I’m having major problems cooking the tofu. I tried the freezer method but I’m not sure if it fully thawed in the fridge although I left it for a day. I squeezed out some water but the tofu started crumbling once I started frying it. What am I doing wrong?
Just made this; so yummy. The grocery store has been out of firm tofu for a week so I used a 12 oz pack of the pre-marinated baked tofu and used less soy sauce. I added a few extra fresh veggies, didn’t have lime so used lemon and it was so good. I’ll definitely make this again for my vegan daughter.
Just made this! It was really simple and I love the flavors. Peanut is a little too overwhelming for me – I might experiment with substituting a portion of it with tahini or maybe hoisin to balance it out a bit more.
I made this exclusively with tahini this time because we had it on hand and needed to use it up. I think the texture may end up being a little more grainy than if you used peanut butter (or maybe that was just the tahini that I had) but it was still very good! I’ve made other peanut sauces in the past and also felt like the peanut butter was too overpowering, but the tahini was great!
I loved how easy and tasty this was. I’ve tried cooking tofu a few times, and I can never quite get it right. I did the freeze and squeeze method, and it dried very well, but when I went to cook it, the tofu was always sticking to the bottom of the pan and never got crispy. Any tips on cooking the tofu?
Thanks!
A good non-stick pan will help immensely, but also I have good luck NOT turning the tofu until the side on the pan starts crisping up in the oil. Like be patient and wait.. go chop vegetables, or take a sip of wine, or whatnot; negligence is your friend in this instance. As my dad once said “dont patronize it.” I find that once it cooks a bit more, the tofu dries and shrinks a little, pulling away from the pan, and that helps with sticky tofu.
We eat a tofu stirfry once a week. I tried to cook it on the stovetop for years, and never could get it right. Now I use a baking sheet lined with a silicone liner (like Silpat, you could also use parchment paper) and roast the plain tofu pieces at 400 for maybe 25-30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes till the outsides are crispy. You do have to watch it towards the end because you still want some “spring” in the center of the pieces. Then add into the stirfry. It definitely adds more cook time and isn’t as good as “true” stir fried tofu but is pretty hands off and gets the job done. You can also do that step in advance and store the tofu in the fridge till you’re ready to make the stirfry.
Made this for dinner last night and it is a huge winner. I cooked the tofu in the air fryer (400 degrees for 10 minutes, shake halfway through) and added a little extra Sriracha to the sauce because I love spicy food, but those are minor changes. Tasty, dirt cheap ($5 for the entire meal with lots of leftovers, so less than $1 per serving), and really easy to make!
Another winner! Made this recipe tonight with minor substitutions based on what I had on hand. Quick, easy and came out just as pretty as the picture!
Erin we have recently become vegetarian and going towards vegan and this is the stuff I crave now! Thanks for adding these kids of dishes to your repertoire. ❤️
Looks great! I’ve been trying new recipes with home delivery services and had something like this recently that I loved! I like to try them with the service then find recipes to continue to make at home. Can’t wait to try this! I loved the tofu, my husband not so much so I will double the sauce and make some with chicken for him. Can’t wait!
This was so yum! I didn’t squeeze out the water or anything from my tofu beforehand and it turned out fine. Also added in some tempeh, and served with some rice and lettuce from the garden.