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.
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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.
This was sooo good. One of the best tofu recipes I have ever had. I am not a huge tofu person but I try recipes every once in a while because it is a cheaper way to get protein in. Could see myself making this over and over. I doubled the sauce but used PBFit as the second helping of PB to save some calories. Also added some curry powder which I felt really enhanced the flavor.
This is one of my favorite BB recipes!! So simple but really delicious and healthy.
Really excited to try this tonight. We’ve been trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals at our house since my husband has high cholesterol. This looks both tasty and healthy. Thank you, Budget Bytes!
This was divine!! I have never cooked tofu before and have only eaten it twice, once I loved it and the second time I was not happy at all. I think your technique(a) is what made it yummy, that and well, that awesome sauce with fresh lime juice! Yum! I meal prepped this for myself for lunch for the week. I used some random veggies I had at home that needed to get used up (bell peppers and zucchini) and it was great!
Are most of the calories from the white rice? I was surprised to see such a high calorie count.
Just made this for dinner & absolutely loved it – a new favorite!!
This recipe is going on rotation because it’s delicious! I used PB2 for half the amount of peanut butter (just to save a little calories) and it was a hit with my fiancé. Thank you so much for this recipe!
I added a couple of Beth’s Pork Gyoza recipe to this recipe and my husband said it was one of the best things I’ve ever made. Thank you!
Do you think this could be made the same way but using chicken breast? Any recommendations for adjustments?
Hi, Deborah! I would say that chicken would go really great in this dish and could probably be made using a similar technique (also making sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly to at least 165*F), but since we haven’t tested this recipe using chicken and I can’t promise equally successful results, I don’t want to give you specific recommendations that might not work well. We do also have some similar recipes that you can reference to help build the dinner of your dreams! Here are the links:
Chicken in Peanut Sauce: https://www.budgetbytes.com/chicken-in-peanut-sauce/
Thai Peanut Chicken: https://www.budgetbytes.com/thai-peanut-chicken/
Spicy Peanut Sauce: https://www.budgetbytes.com/thai-peanut-sauce/
Good luck! ~Marion:)
I doubled the amount of sauce and loved it. :) My boyfriend was hesitant when I told him what I was making, and he ended up loving it and going back for seconds.
This was delicious!!! Such a good way to cook the tofu, and I loved the sauce. Just chiming in to say that I used crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy and it turned out just fine. It made it a little more difficult to mix the sauce, but it gave it a great texture.
I’m curious if crunchy peanut butter would work. I am definitely going to give this a try. It looks yummy.
Hi, Seth! I bet crunchy peanut butter would be AMAZING! (And then it would have those little bits throughout like a Pad Thai situation…) Since we haven’t tested it this way, I can’t PROMISE that it will work out just as well, but you should totally try and let me know! You might need to add a little bit more than 1/2 a cup to compensate for the lost creaminess of regular peanut butter — but I would just mix in the 1/2 cup first, see how it goes, and then add a tablespoon or so at a time until you reach the consistency you like. — Marion :)
So good, more tofu recipes please!
We will add it to our list! ~ Marion :)
I made this last night and loved it. There are a few tweaks I would do next time, but I followed the recipe pretty much exactly the first time so I knew if I liked it as-is. The sauce for the tofu didn’t totally coat all the pieces, as the tofu sucked it up very quickly. It still browned very nicely and came out with the right texture–I hadn’t tried the freeze and squeeze method before and maybe was a bit overzealous and some of my triangles broke a bit. :) I wanted a little more peanut sauce because I love it and wanted it to soak into my rice more. Could be because I use chunky natural peanut butter I grind myself at the co-op, but my sauce seemed thick. Still delicious! Next time I’ll double or 1.5 the peanut sauce. This was a total winner recipe for me and made for a good lunch as leftovers.
I’m going to try this. I’ve never had tofu. But you’ve never steered me wrong. I’m a little scared.
10 stars! Omg yum!!! My husband and I just sat down and scarfed this in silence lol. He said this needs to be on our favorites list and I couldn’t agree more. He can’t have citrus so I subbed some rice wine vinegar and it gave it a good amount of acid. I wanted to mention that since finding this website, we have saved a lot of money on our grocery bill and my husband keeps telling me he feels like he’s eating like a king. I just ADORE this website and recipes!!! Thank you for all the work you do.