After finally figuring out how to cook tofu and actually have it taste good (see my Sesame Tofu with Broccoli), I couldn’t wait to make more. I used the same easy pan fry method, but this time combined the crispy tofu cubes with tangy sweet chili sauce, sweet bell peppers, creamy avocado, green onion, and cilantro, and the result was amazing. These Sweet Chili Tofu Bowls are THE BOMB (flavor bomb, that is).
What is Sweet Chili Sauce?
Sweet chili sauce is a sweet and tangy sauce that is usually not very spicy (at least most brands sold in U.S. supermarkets aren’t). It’s one of those all-purpose sauces that is good on just about anything, or great for dipping anything in. It should be really easy to find at Asian markets, in most larger grocery stores (check the international foods aisle), and specialty stores like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.
If you can’t find it at any of your local stores, you can also try making it from scratch, although homemade tends to be a tad bit more spicy than the commercial bottle versions. Here is my recipe for Easy Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce, a traditional recipe for Thai Sweet Chili Sauce using fresh peppers from She Simmers, or a recipe without refined sugar for Clean Eating Thai Sweet Chili Sauce from ifoodreal.com.
Can I Substitute the Red Bell Pepper?
Red bell pepper can be on the expensive side, so if you want you can substitute regular green bell pepper. Pineapple would also be awesome in this stir fry bowl, so feel free to add that if you have it!
Sweet Chili Stir Fried Tofu Bowls
Servings 4Ingredients
- 14 oz. extra firm tofu ($1.99)
- 1 pinch salt ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil* ($0.04)
- 1 avocado ($0.97)
- 1 bell pepper (any color) ($0.99)
- 2-3 green onions ($0.17)
- 1 handful fresh cilantro (optional) ($0.25)
- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce ($1.66)
- 2 tsp sesame seeds (optional) ($0.10)
- 4 cups cooked rice ($0.88)
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the liquid in the package, wrap it in a clean, lint-free dishcloth or a few paper towels, and press it between two plates with a weight on top for 30 minutes (see detailed step by step photos and instructions here). Once the excess moisture has been pressed out, cut the tofu into 3/4 to 1-inch cubes.
- Season the tofu cubes with a pinch of salt. Sprinkle a tablespoon of cornstarch over top and then toss to coat. Repeat with the second tablespoon of cornstarch.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium flame. Once the skillet and oil are hot, add the tofu cubes and fry until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Place the fried tofu in a large bowl.
- Dice the red bell pepper and thinly slice the green onions. Pull the cilantro leaves from the stems and give them a rough chop. Slice the avocado.
- Add the diced bell pepper to the bowl with the fried tofu. Pour 1/3 to 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce over top, then stir until the bell pepper and tofu are coated in the sauce.
- To build the bowls, start with one cup cooked rice, then add 1/4 of the tofu and bell pepper mixture. Add a few slices of avocado to the side of the bowl, then sprinkle the sliced green onion, chopped cilantro, and sesame seeds over top. Enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
How to Make Sweet Chili Stir Fried Tofu – Step by Step Photos
Start with a 14oz. block of tofu. They’re usually packed in water, so you’ll want to remove the tofu from the water and press the tofu for about 30 minutes to remove the excess moisture. For detailed step by step photos on how to press the tofu, click over to this Sesame Tofu recipe.
A few of you told me about freezing tofu and how it changes the texture slightly, making it almost sponge-like so you can just squeeze it with your hands instead of pressing it. I tried that method this time. I could indeed squeeze the block with my hands to express the liquid, although it did begin to crack a bit (not bad for my first try with this technique). Squeezing it by hand also made the block a little misshapen, so I had to press it back into shape with my hands. This is the block sliced in half after squeezing.
Cut the pressed tofu into 3/4 to 1-inch cubes, then season with a pinch of salt. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp cornstarch over the cubes, then toss to coat. Repeat that with a second tablespoon of cornstarch, or until all sides have a good coating on them.
Heat 1-2 Tbsp of a neutral cooking oil (canola, vegetable, peanut, light sesame) in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the tofu and fry until golden brown and crispy on all sides. I used my stainless steel skillet last time, so I decided to experiment with a non-stick skillet. The non-stick obviously didn’t stick as much, but I think my last batch was a tad crispier (that could also be due to the freezing and pressing methods used this time).
While the tofu is frying (or after frying, if you don’t like to multi-task), dice a red bell pepper and slice 2-3 green onions. Pull a handful of cilantro leaves from the stems and give them a rough chop. Slice one avocado.
Place the fried tofu and diced bell peppers in a large bowl.
This is the sweet chili sauce that I used. I just noticed that this brand is gluten-free, which I’m sure a lot of you will appreciate! :D
Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce to the tofu and bell peppers, or enough to fully coat everything in sauce. Stir well.
Once the tofu and bell peppers are coated in sauce, it’s time to assemble the bowls. Start with 1 cup cooked rice, then add 1/4 of the tofu/bell pepper mixture. Add a few slices of avocado, then sprinkle green onion, cilantro, and a few sesame seeds over top. All done!
These Sweet Chili Tofu Bowls really do come together quickly and have quite a bit of flavor. My boyfriend, who had been joking about not wanting to eat tofu all week, remarked, “Mmm, a lot of different flavors in here!” #win
This looks crazy good and I was just thinking how I need to start eating less meat!
I love tofu, especially the fried kind. I learned about it when I lived in China. I’ve tried to replicate the authentic frying method here but it was not quite the same. I think one important difference is that in China they were frying it in a large amount of hot oil– basically flash-boiling it in oil which sears the edges. I am intrigued with your method, Beth. Can’t wait to give it a try.
Wow! Interesting. I’m just not all that confident that I can cook tofu. Maybe you offer tutoring services? I know it’s so healthy and want to try harder though!
This would be really good with pineapple added to it. There is a local healthy juice/salad bar that used to do the Spicy Hawaiian which was super similar to this, but with pineapple. They discontinued it of course. Now I can make it myself!! Thanks!
Does the tofu taste like paneer by chance? I’ve never tried it and am hesitant to say the least.
Not really. Tofu is kind of neutral in flavor, so you’ll taste more of the sauce or whatever you put on it. It’s funny, though, after I fried them I ate a couple cubes and kept thinking that they tasted like french toast! I think it was just the “fried” flavor, though. ;)
This looks yummy; I’ll substitute chicken for the the tofu as I have soy issues.
I love tofu–and I especially love your technique to crisp it up without deep frying it. Sweet chili sauce is a fave condiment at our house, and my 10 yr old grandson wants it with nearly everything from Thanksgiving turkey to his weekend omelet-not too spicy, not too sweet, and perfect as a dip with nearly any protein! Thanks much to Sally for pointing me to a recipe!
I made the Sesame Broccoli with Tofu last week and it was amazing! I’ve never fried tofu that successfully before! I will definitely be making this Sweet Chili Tofu this week.
Oh this looks so good! Colourful and delicious :) I hate how expensive red bell peppers are but they’re so worth it, especially for Asian-style dishes.
I haven’t tried that sauce before because I was always afraid it would be too spicy! I will have to get some so that I can try it with the crispy tofu.
I’ve never experimented with freezing tofu myself, because it just didn’t seem worth the effort. I tend to forget to take things out of the freezer to thaw. Do you think it’s worth it in this case to do the extra steps of freezing and thawing the tofu vs just pressing it?
I’m loving the tofu recipes. I with people were less afraid of tofu, it’s a great inexpensive source of protein and extremely versatile.
I’ve found that freezing/thawing tofu changes the texture significantly enough that I only do it if I have extra tofu that needs to be saved. I’ve read that some chefs freeze tofu specifically for that texture (spongy/chewy) but I personally prefer the raw, creamy/crumbly/lighter texture of tofu the way it is. It’s worth a try if you have extra tofu to save. You might like it. Beware, though, the tofu gets yellow-ish. It’s not bad, just changes color.
I’m not sure if I’ll do the freeze/thaw thing again because it takes a whole extra day, as opposed to a 30 minute press. :P I liked the texture both ways, but maybe liked the creamier non-frozen tofu a *little* better.
Freezing and thawing the tofu makes it easier to crumble. You can cook it with taco seasoning and then use it like ground beef, or saute it with veggies, soymilk, and nutritional yeast to make a sort of vegan scrambled eggs.
Yum! I need to try that.
Tofu turns yellow and gets crumbly when it has been frozen. I like it as an alternative to TVP, but I’ve never used it in a recipe like the one above.
I wonder if it depends on the brand or type. Mine wasn’t yellow or crumbly at all after freezing and thawing.
I’ve made the Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce from Life Tastes Like Food. It was very good.
Hi Beth! I recently made my own chili sauce — it’s really easy, and probably cheaper than buying it store made. You should look into publishing a recipe for it! This recipe looks delicious, though :)
I almost did, but I ran out of time! :) So I just posted links to a few different recipes around the web instead (they’re in the intro).
I’m definitely making this for dinner tonight, but you should know that if you know you’re going to use cubes or small slices, go ahead and cut the tofu before pressing it. The smaller pieces press more quickly and much more evenly than the giant block.
One of my favorite restaurants in town makes delicious tofu bowls. Now I can try making my own, can’t wait to try this recipe!
I studied abroad in Australia in college, where sweet chili sauce is a popular condiment. It’s extremely good as a dip for French fries (especially when mixed with sour cream)! It’s also pretty good in wraps. I never thought to use it as a marinade though.
It’s not used as a marinade here.
How is the texture of tofu this way or is texture based on the firmness you buy? I usually don’t mind the taste of tofu since it takes on whatever flavor you want, but I’ve had tofu at so many restaurants where it’s mush on the inside and that always weirds me out. Like it’ll be nice and firm and then you’ll bite in to it and it’ll kind of pop and be weird and mushy. Now I’m grossing myself out.
Hahaha Well, the frozen kind was a bit more tough. The non-frozen kind had a softer, almost creamier interior to the fried cubes, which I thought was a nice contrast to the crunchy exterior.