Spicy tofu, a Korean-style flavorful dish. It is so delicious and easily made with 5 ingredients. I love to serve it with rice and veggies.
I absolutely love Korean cuisine. It is so rich and deep in flavor! But although some dishes are inherently vegan, some others contain animal-derived ingredients. That's why I decided to make this wonderful spicy tofu... And it is so delicious!
Made with only 5 ingredients (gochujang among them, you'll easily find it through this affiliate link), it'll become a staple on your table. Besides, it goes so well with some rice and veggies! Truly the perfect weeknight dinner.
Ingredient notes
- Firm tofu: firm or extra firm tofu work best for this Korean spicy tofu recipe. Soft or silken tofu is not a good choice as it will fall apart easily.
- Brown sugar: feel free to use other types of sugar, like granulated, coconut, or cane sugar. Make sure the sugar you’re using is vegan.
- Soy sauce or tamari: I used soy sauce.
- Gochujang: You can find gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) at many Asian markets, but if you don't have one close by, you'll be able to easily get it through this affiliate link. Another option would be to use tomato paste with some cayenne powder or Sriracha instead of gochujang.
- Vegetable stock or water: I prefer to use vegetable stock because it enhances the flavor of this dish. However, water is okay too. I do suggest you make our oil-free version, but store-bought is also okay.
- Oil: feel free to use your favorite type of oil.
Dietary variations
- Make it gluten-free: use tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Make it soy-free: I’ve never tried it myself, but you could use seitan, chickpea tempeh, or even any other type of beans. Also, instead of soy sauce, feel free to add the same amount of water or vegetable stock and more salt.
- Make it oil-free: you can omit the oil and sautée the tofu in a non-stick skillet and cook the garlic and oil with some vegetable stock or water.
- Make it sugar-free: just omit the brown sugar.
How to make spicy tofu
- Bake or sautée the tofu.
- Mix the sugar, soy sauce, gochujang, and vegetable stock or water in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet and cook the garlic and onion over medium-high heat until golden brown, stirring frequently.
- Incorporate the cooked tofu and the sauce, stir, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Serve your spicy tofu immediately.
How to store spicy tofu
- Fridge: store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Reheat: it can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Add a little water or vegetable stock if needed.
Serving suggestions
Feel free to serve your spicy tofu with some rice and veggies, such as this delicious veggie stir fry.
Looking for more vegan tofu recipes?
Did you make this spicy tofu recipe?
Please leave a comment and rate it below. We’d love to hear from you!
This post contains affiliate links so you can easily find some of the products that we used to make this recipe. If you buy any of them through the links provided (without any extra cost for you), we'll get a commission. We're so grateful for your support!
Spicy Tofu
Ingredients
- 12 ounces firm tofu, sliced
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoon gochujang, see notes for alternatives
- ½ cup vegetable stock or water
- 1 tablespoon oil, I used extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- ¼ onion, finely chopped
Instructions
- You can sautée or bake the tofu.
- If you're going to bake it, preheat the oven to 400ºF or 200ºC and bake it for about 15 minutes on one side and for another 5 minutes on the other side. Cook longer if needed until golden brown.
- If you're going to sautée the tofu, heat some oil in a skillet, and when it's hot, add the tofu and cook over medium-high heat for both sides until golden brown.
- Mix the sugar, soy sauce, gochujang, and vegetable stock or water in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet and cook the garlic and onion over medium-high heat until golden brown, stirring frequently.
- Incorporate the cooked tofu and the sauce, stir, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Serve your spicy tofu immediately or store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. It can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Add a little water or vegetable stock if needed.
Notes
- You can find gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) at many Asian markets, but if you don't have one close by, you'll be able to easily get it through this affiliate link. Another option would be to use tomato paste with some cayenne powder or Sriracha to make the tomato paste spicy instead of the gochujang.
- Feel free to use other types of sugar, like granulated, coconut, or cane sugar. Make sure the sugar you’re using is vegan.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in January of 2017, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in June of 2022.
K says
I made this today, and it is so simple and delicious! I baked the tofu first, then added it to the sauce after. I let it reduce into a thicker sauce for a bit, as the sauce was quite thin. The tofu turned out amazing. I went back for more later, and as the tofu had been soaking up the sauce, it was even more flavorful! My family enjoyed it just as much. Thank you for the recipe!
Iosune Robles says
Hi! I'm so glad you liked our Koren Style Spicy Tofu recipe 🙂
Emily says
A good quick recipe. We baked the tofu then tossed it in the sauce with the already sautéed onions and garlic plus steamed broccoli. The sauce as written is quite thin, one would need to thicken it with a prolonged simmer/boil or by adding a corn starch slurry to make it an ideal consistency.
Iosune Robles says
Hi Emily! Thanks for your tip 🙂
Becky Michaels says
Made it! Turned out really great! Used a different spicy paste but did everything else the same, and it really worked out. I put in bell pepper and potato just after the onions began to soften, and then when I added the tofu and sauce I popped in some mushrooms and let the whole thing dinner for a bit longer. Everything was pretty spicy and the instructions on pan frying the tofu were great. Thanks!
Iosune Robles says
Hi Becky! Sounds so good 🙂
katie says
The only modification I did was sauté the onion and garlic in butter instead of oil. This is my new favorite tofu recipe! So easy and so delicious.
Iosune Robles says
Sounds so good 🙂 I'm glad you liked our recipe!
Mike says
This was DELICIOUS. At first I was going to make the home-made gochujang alternative but then remembered there's a Korean market around the corner from me. They had a whole selection of different gochujang types and brands. Went with the spiciest one and this recipe instantly went straight to the "Amazing" category on my recipe tracking sheet. Probably be making this recipe every couple weeks going forward.
We increased the onion and garlic slightly and our package of tofu was definitely a bit larger than what was called for. Not major changes and worked out perfectly.
Iosune Robles says
Hi Mike! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
Cristina Lopez says
Delicious
Iosune Robles says
Hi Cristina! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
Duncan Peter copley says
Absolutely beautiful, I make this all the time now!!!!
Iosune Robles says
Hi! So glad you liked it 🙂
Sommer says
Hi there, what made you decide to roast the tofu in the oven before pan frying it? Is it to save time? Thanks.
Iosune Robles says
Hi! We roast the tofu in the oven to cook it and then, we add it to the frying pan to mix it with onion and garlic and bring more flavor!
Amanda Caudill says
Such a simple recipe. I used soft tofu and left out the onion. It turned out amazing!
Iosune Robles says
Hi Amanda! That sounds good 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Amanda C says
Made it and doubled the recipe and it came out way too spicy for me. Husband loved it though! Had to use a bit of corn starch to thicken
Iosune Robles says
Hi Amanda! Yes, maybe, next time try to add less spicy 🙂 Have a nice day!
Christopher says
Simple and good! Added some cornstarch to thicken it up.
Thank you for the channel recommendation.
Iosune says
Hi Christopher! Thanks a lot 🙂 You're so welcome!
Mirabelle Dickhart says
It was all watery. Didn't thicken like yours, what happened
Iosune says
Hi Mirabelle! Did you use the same ingredients and follow the instructios to the T? Maybe you need to cook it longer or you need to add less water. I'm so sorry the recipe didn't work for you. Have a nice day!
rebecca leclaire says
Amazing !! I've been thinking a lot about becoming vegan... Recipes like this would make it an easy decision
Iosune says
Hi Rebecca! Thanks a lot 🙂 Going vegan is not that hard if you find recipes that you love. Have a nice day!
Elsa Maldonado says
I planning on making this recipe today as it look simple and quick to make
Iosune says
Hi Elsa! Thanks a lot 🙂 Hope you enjoyed it!
fhebie says
will try this for sure. i love eating tofu...
Iosune says
Hi Fhebie! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Cathy Yu says
I made this over the weekend for a potluck and it turned out great. Very very easy. I sprinkled salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder on the tofu before I baked it and also sprayed it with cooking spray. Here in the US we have Trader Joe's extra firm high protein tofu which works great for this recipe. Thanks so much!
Iosune says
Hi Cathy! I'm so happy to hear that 🙂 You're so welcome!
Sharon says
This dish was VERY good and VERY easy. I steamed some baby carrots and mixed them into the sauce and served it over rice. So satisfying.
Iosune says
Hi Sharon! Sounds great 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
Aika says
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I really love spicy foods and Korean recipes. Whenever I watch a Korean variety show or a Korean drama that involves eating, it makes me drool and crave for it too.
Iosune says
Hi Aika! You're so welcome 🙂 I love Korean food as well!
Caroline Teunissen says
That was delicious. Tasted so good and was super easy to make. First time I've cooked tofu, but was really happy with how it turned out.
Iosune says
Hi Caroline! Thanks 🙂 I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
TC says
Just made this yesterday and it was great! Thanks!
Iosune says
Hi TC! So glad you enjoyed it 😀
Christine says
My husband and I made this dish last night and it was delicious! Baking the tofu first and then frying it worked so well. I love the spicy flavor of gochujang!
Iosune says
Hi Christine! I'm so glad you liked it 😀 I love gochujang too!
Ber says
Hi! Thank you for this wonderful recipie. It looks awesome but I have always been cautious with soy products due to their bat reputation after some studies: https://www.google.com/amp/s/draxe.com/what-is-tofu/amp/?client=safari In your experience, do you think tofu is healthy? Thanks again!
Iosune says
Hi Ber! There are also studies about the health benefits of some soy products. Tofu has been consumed in Asia for centuries, so I think it's a healthy food if you eat it in moderation 🙂