Crispy Salt & Pepper Tofu

My salt and pepper tofu is straightforward to make and dangerously addictive! It’s made with crispy tofu chunks coated in a daring, peppery breading, pan-fried to golden perfection, and tossed with scorching aromatics, so each chew is bursting with taste. Higher than takeout and prepared in about half-hour!

I discuss loads about flip tofu — an in any other case fairly plain ingredient — into one thing critically scrumptious. There are such a lot of methods to do it! You may soak it in seasonings for killer marinated tofu, toss it right into a savory tofu stir-fry, or make golden, chewy baked tofu. However this salt and pepper tofu makes use of a brilliant easy approach with only a handful of fundamental elements. I borrowed the strategy from my fried tofu recipe, then added loads of salt and pepper (as you may need guessed from the title), a bit of Chinese language five-spice, and a mixture of spicy aromatics.

Soar to:

You’ve in all probability seen salt and pepper tofu on the menu at Chinese language eating places. It’s technically served as an appetizer… however I’ve undoubtedly been recognized to make a meal of it. (No disgrace!) With its crispy, salty, peppery coating, it’s loopy addictive, and surprisingly straightforward to whip up in your individual kitchen.

Substances You will Want

Beneath you may discover a listing of elements on this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the best way to the underside of the submit to see the total recipe, together with the quantity of every ingredient.

Vegetable oil. You should utilize plain previous vegetable oil, or one other high-heat impartial oil, corresponding to peanut, corn, or canola oil.
Cornstarch.
Black pepper. That is the pepper you in all probability have in your pepper shaker.
White pepper. White pepper is a tad milder and extra earthy than black pepper. It is a well-liked seasoning in Chinese language delicacies, and yow will discover it within the spice aisle of most grocery shops.
Salt.
Chinese language five-spice. It is a mix of warming spices together with cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel, and Szechuan peppercorns. Search for it within the spice aisle of the grocery retailer. And when you notice how a lot you adore it, give my five-spice tofu a strive.
Tofu. I like utilizing super-firm tofu, which has a terrific texture and is straightforward to work with. You may substitute extra-firm tofu, however might want to press it first.
Onion.
Recent chile peppers. We’re utilizing a jalapeño and a Fresno pepper, however be at liberty to substitute one other kind of recent sizzling pepper for both selection. Simply understand that this might make the warmth degree differ wildly!
Garlic.
Scallions.

How It is Made

Beneath is an in depth photograph tutorial on make this dish. Scroll all the best way down if you would like to skip proper to the recipe!

Step 1: Warmth your oil. Pour it into your skillet, getting a pleasant, beneficiant coating. You will need sufficient to submerge the underside halves of your tofu cubes if you add them. Place it over medium warmth to heat up when you make the breading.

Tofu cubes in a bowl of cornstarch breading with a spoon.

Step 2: Bread the tofu. Mix your cornstarch, black pepper, white pepper, Chinese language five-spice, and salt in a small bowl. Add a number of tofu cubes at a time, stirring and rolling them round to get them evenly coated.

Step 3: Fry the tofu. Your oil must be good and sizzling by now. Add the tofu cubes, ensuring to put them in an excellent layer and never touching (they will stick!). Fry them for a couple of minutes on either side, till golden brown, then take away them from the pan.

Sliced onions, red and green sliced hot peppers cooking in a skillet.

Step 4: Stir-fry peppers and onions. You will desire a skinny coating of oil for this step — so if there’s an excessive amount of, rigorously take away some. If there’s not sufficient, add some. Flip up the warmth and add sliced chile peppers and chopped onions. Stir-fry them till they are a bit softened and charred.

Sliced garlic and chopped white parts of scallions cooking in a skillet with hot peppers and onions.

Step 5: Cook dinner garlic and scallions. Push your peppers and onions to the aspect, then add sliced garlic and chopped scallions (simply the white and pale inexperienced elements). Sauté the garlic and scallions for a minute or two.

Salt and Pepper Tofu cooking in a skillet with onions and peppers.

Step 6: Add tofu. Add your fried tofu again to the skillet, then stir-fry all the things collectively briefly to warmth the tofu again up.

Salt and Pepper Tofu in a skillet with chopped scallions.

Step 7: Add scallions. Take the skillet off of warmth and add the inexperienced elements of your scallions. Stir them in.

White wooden surface set with plate of Salt and Pepper Tofu, bowl of limes, and scallions.

Step 8: Serve. Your salt and pepper tofu is able to take pleasure in. Dig in whereas it is sizzling and crispy!

Continuously Requested Questions

Is that this recipe gluten-free?

Yep! The recipe consists of no gluten-containing elements.

Is that this recipe spicy?

It’s! The chile peppers, in addition to the black and white pepper each add warmth. For a milder model, strive changing the chiles with a bell pepper, and lowering the quantity of black and white pepper to about ½ teaspoon every. This offers you a delicate warmth and taste that is extra smoky than spicy.

How is salt and pepper tofu served?

It is sometimes served as an appetizer, however it additionally makes a terrific essential dish with the precise accompaniments. Attempt pairing it up with my vegan fried rice or vegetable chow mein to make a meal of it!

How ought to I retailer and reheat leftovers?

Leftover salt and pepper tofu will preserve in an hermetic container within the fridge for about 4 days. My favourite option to reheat it’s to heat it up barely within the microwave, then switch it to a baking sheet and pop it below a broiler till it begins to sizzle and crisp again up.

Extra Chinese language Tofu Recipes

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Recipe

Salt and Pepper Tofu on a plate with hot peppers and onions.

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Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu

Course Appetizer, Essential Course

Delicacies American, Chinese language

Prep Time 10

Cook dinner Time 20

Complete Time 30

Substances

⅓ cup vegetable oil, or as wanted
½ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon black pepper (or as much as 1 ½ teaspoons in case you like plenty of warmth)
1 teaspoon white pepper (or as much as 1 ½ teaspoons in case you like plenty of warmth)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
⅛ teaspoon Chinese five-spice
1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package deal super-firm tofu, lower into cubes (½ to 1-inch)
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
1 Fresno pepper, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
3 scallions, white and inexperienced elements separated and chopped

Directions

Generously coat the underside of a medium nonstick skillet with vegetable oil and place it over medium warmth. Get the oil to no less than ⅛-inch deep. You need the tofu items to be about midway submerged if you add them.
Whereas the oil heats up, stir the cornstarch, black pepper, white pepper, salt, and five-spice collectively in a small bowl. Add a number of items of tofu to the bowl and dredge them within the combination.
As soon as the oil begins to shimmer, take away the tofu cubes from the bowl, shake off any extra breading, then add them to the skillet. Repeat this course of, putting the tofu cubes in a single layer so they don’t seem to be touching (Word 1). Fry the tofu items for 4 to five minutes on either side, till golden and crispy. Switch them to a plate when completed.
If you happen to nonetheless have plenty of oil within the skillet, very rigorously pour some out (Word 2), so you might have only a skinny coating. If the skillet is dry, you may add a couple of tablespoon. Elevate the warmth to medium-high, then add the onion, jalapeño, and Fresno peppers. Stir-fry the onion and peppers for about 4 minutes, stirring continually, till they start to melt and char (Word 3).
Push the onions and peppers to the aspect, then add the sliced garlic and white elements of your scallions to the skillet. Cook dinner the garlic and scallions for 1 to 2 minutes, till they start to brown and the garlic turns into very aromatic.
Return the tofu to the skillet. Stir all the things up and cook dinner the combination for one more 1 to 2 minutes, simply to heat the tofu again up a bit.
Take away the skillet from warmth, then stir within the inexperienced elements of your scallions. Serve.

Notes

Keep away from crowding the skillet. You may cook dinner the tofu in batches if wanted.
Do not pour it down the drain, as it might trigger a clog. A protected option to eliminate used oil is to pour it right into a used can from the recycling bin, let it cool, then compost it or seal it up and throw it within the trash.
Be sure to’re operating your air flow fan throughout this step. Sizzling peppers cooked over high-heat could be fairly irritating.
Recipe serves about 4 as a essential dish (with rice or one other aspect) or about 8 as an appetizer. Diet data is predicated on 4 servings.