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    Home > Recipes > Tofu

    Sweet and Sour Tofu

    Published: Apr 13, 2022 · Modified: Oct 8, 2022 by Iosune · This post may contain affiliate links · 145 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Side photo of a plate of sweet and sour tofu witht the words sweet and sour tofu
    Photo of a plate of sweet and sour tofu with the words sweet and sour tofu

    Sweet and sour tofu, made in just 30 minutes. A plant-based version of this classic Chinese food that is much healthier than take-out!

    Photo of a plate of sweet and sour tofu

    Tofu is a staple in my kitchen. I use it a lot and, lately, I've been obsessed with this delicious sweet and sour tofu. It’s a great meat alternative, especially when you’re trying to recreate meat-based dishes because, if you cook it properly, you can get a similar texture.

    This sweet and sour tofu recipe is super flavorful and ready in just 30 minutes. Besides, it is way better and healthier than take-out. It makes the perfect dinner!

    Contents hide
    1. How to make sweet and sour tofu
    2. Sweet and sour tofu ingredients and tips
    3. Looking for more tofu recipes?
    4. Did you make this sweet and sour tofu recipe?
    5. Sweet and Sour Tofu

    How to make sweet and sour tofu

    • Mix the soy sauce and apple cider vinegar in a bowl until well combined.
    • Incorporate the tofu cubes and let marinate for at least 5 minutes.
    • Drain the tofu and transfer â…“ of the tofu cubes to a freezer bag with 2 tablespoon of cornstarch and toss to coat. Repeat this step with all the remaining tofu and cornstarch.
    • Heat half of the oil in a skillet and when it’s hot, incorporate the tofu cubes. Cook over medium-high heat until all sides are golden brown. Remove the tofu from the skillet and set aside.
    • Heat the other half of the oil in the skillet and add the veggies. Cook over medium-high heat until golden brown. Set aside.
    • To make the sauce just mix all the ingredients until well combined.
    • Pour the sauce into the skillet or pan and cook until it thickens.
    • Mix the tofu, veggies, and sauce in the skillet, stir, and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
    • Serve your sweet and sour tofu immediately.
    Photo of sweet and sour tofu in a pan

    Sweet and sour tofu ingredients and tips

    • Soy sauce or tamari: I used soy sauce, but tamari is a good gluten-free alternative. If you don't consume soy, coconut aminos is a great substitute. You could also add the same amount of water or vegetable stock and add more salt.
    • Apple cider vinegar: you could also use white vinegar or lemon juice instead.
    • Firm tofu: firm or extra firm tofu work best for this sweet and sour tofu recipe. Soft or silken tofu is not a good choice as it will fall apart easily.
    • Cornstarch: I’ve only made this recipe using cornstarch, but any type of starch should work.
    • Extra virgin olive oil: I’m Spanish, so I use extra virgin olive oil to cook most of my dishes. However, any type of oil will work. I always use extra virgin oils when possible because they’re healthier. 
    • Carrot.
    • Green bell pepper.
    • Red bell pepper.
    • Onion.
    • Sugar: I used brown sugar, but feel free to use the type of sugar you want, or even other sweeteners like maple or agave syrup.
    • Tomato paste: it can be replaced by tomato puree, ketchup, or tomato sauce.
    • Water.

    Looking for more tofu recipes?

    • General Tso's Tofu
    • Marinated Tofu
    • Sesame Tofu
    • Teriyaki Tofu
    • Tofu Stir Fry
    Side photo of a plate of sweet and sour tofu

    Did you make this sweet and sour tofu recipe?

    Please leave a comment below, share it, or rate it. You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST. I’d love to see what you cook!

    Square photo of a plate of sweet and sour tofu

    Sweet and Sour Tofu

    Sweet and sour tofu, made in just 30 minutes. A plant-based version of this classic Chinese food that is much healthier than take-out!
    4.90 from 56 votes
    PRINT PIN RATE
    Course: Main Dish, Tofu
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Author: Iosune


    Ingredients 

    US Customary - Metric

    For the sweet and sour tofu:

    • 2 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • 10 ounces firm tofu, cubed
    • 6 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
    • 1 carrot, chopped
    • ½ green bell pepper, chopped
    • ½ red bell pepper, chopped
    • ½ onion, chopped

    For the sweet and sour sauce:

    • 4 tablespoon sugar, I used brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
    • 6 tablespoon water
    • 2 teaspoon cornstarch
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    Instructions

    • Mix the soy sauce or tamari and apple cider vinegar in a bowl until well combined.
    • Incorporate the tofu cubes and let marinate for at least 5 minutes.
    • Drain the tofu and transfer â…“ of the tofu cubes to a freezer bag with 2 tablespoon of cornstarch and toss to coat. Repeat this step with all the remaining tofu and cornstarch. Add more cornstarch if needed.
    • Heat half of the oil in a skillet and when it’s hot, add the tofu cubes. Cook over medium-high heat until all sides are golden brown. Remove the tofu from the skillet and set it aside.
    • Heat the other half of the oil in the skillet and when it’s hot, incorporate the veggies (carrot, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and onion). Cook over medium-high heat until golden brown. Set aside.
    • To make the sauce just mix all the ingredients until well combined.
    • Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook until it thickens, stirring frequently.
    • Mix the tofu, veggies, and the sauce in the skillet, stir, and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
    • Serve your sweet and sour tofu immediately with some sesame seeds on top (optional).
    • Keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

    Notes

    • Some people add pineapple to this sweet and sour tofu recipe, but I don’t. If you want to enjoy this dish with pineapple, just sautée it with the veggies.
    • Feel free to use any type of vinegar, starch, oil, veggies, or sweetener you have on hand.
    • Tomato paste can be replaced by tomato puree, ketchup, or tomato sauce.
    • The amount of sodium is not a real measurement because you’d need to marinate the tofu for hours for it to absorb all the soy sauce.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 63.8g | Protein: 14.6g | Fat: 20.1g | Saturated Fat: 3.2g | Sodium: 1114mg | Fiber: 4.7g | Sugar: 31.6g

    Update Notes: This post was originally published in May of 2018, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in April of 2022.

    More Tofu Recipes

    • Tofu Steak
    • Vegan Tofu Ricotta Cheese (4 Ingredients)
    • Crispy Baked Tofu (5 Ingredients)
    • Easy Tofu Stir Fry
    14.0K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. chelsie says

      January 16, 2023 at 8:57 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely loved this recipee and how quick it was ! Thankyou so much for sharing ! xoxo

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        January 17, 2023 at 9:57 am

        Hi Chelsie! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you liked it!

        Reply
    2. Ahmad says

      September 24, 2022 at 4:03 am

      Cant wait to try it !

      Reply
      • Adriana @ Simple Vegan Blog says

        October 17, 2022 at 10:23 am

        Hope you enjoy it Ahmad!

        Reply
    3. Janet says

      May 24, 2022 at 2:36 pm

      Hi, for the sweet and sour tofu and the stir fry. Can the tofu baked instead of fried? Thanks. Janet

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        May 25, 2022 at 10:38 am

        Hi Janet! Feel free to bake it 🙂

        Reply
    4. Siri says

      March 21, 2022 at 8:14 pm

      5 stars
      Go to recipe for some years now, when I have tofu and some mixed veg. I've always made a little extra sauce (x1.5 more roughly) because it's so good! Tried it with noodles and rice and it was delicious! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
      (also used the tofu part with other recipes!)

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        March 23, 2022 at 9:52 am

        Hi Siri! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂

        Reply
    5. Lea says

      August 22, 2021 at 2:06 am

      I love a good tofu recipe and this one looks amazing!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        August 24, 2021 at 3:35 pm

        Hi! Thank you so much 🙂

        Reply
    6. Erika Miller says

      May 12, 2021 at 2:04 am

      5 stars
      This as so delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        May 12, 2021 at 9:47 am

        Thanks for your kind comment Erika 🙂

        Reply
    7. Monika B says

      February 24, 2021 at 7:02 am

      5 stars
      Simple and delicious. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        February 24, 2021 at 9:08 am

        Hi! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂

        Reply
    8. Sarah says

      January 10, 2021 at 8:20 pm

      5 stars
      Fab recipe. Added extra hot chilli powder to the cornflour as we like it hot. Worked really well. Added a bit more soy sauce and some sriracha to the sauce. Served with Pad Thai noodles with bean sprouts, water chestnuts, spring onions and soy sauce. Loved it, was very sophisticated, thank you.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        January 15, 2021 at 11:29 am

        Sounds so good 🙂

        Reply
    9. Cat says

      January 07, 2021 at 10:24 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious! I warmed the tofu back up on the oven rather than in the sauce so it stayed crispy. Thanks for the great recipe!! X

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        January 15, 2021 at 11:19 am

        Thanks for your comment 🙂 Have a nice day!

        Reply
    10. Ant says

      December 05, 2020 at 7:54 pm

      5 stars
      I had to improvise a little as I had no peppers, but added green beans instead and a couple of cloves of garlic.

      I steamed the carrots (sliced lengthways) before frying them off with the onions and garlic.

      The beans I added to the top of the rice, and not in the pan so they kept their shape a little more. The tofu i marinated for about 10-15 minutes before frying off, setting aside and then reading once the onion was tender with the carrots.

      The sauce was fantastic - we did add pineapple (the kids loved the pineapple). And for my wife and myself I topped with some sliced chillies and sesame seeds.

      Will definitely make this again.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        December 10, 2020 at 12:06 pm

        Thanks for your comment! Sounds amazing! Have a nice day 🙂

        Reply
    11. Daniela says

      December 01, 2020 at 10:09 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe, I made the sauce x1.5 and adjusted a bit more to taste and it was great with some rice.
      I'll be making this again, but I'll try to put the tofu last in the sauce so it stays a bit crispier.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        December 04, 2020 at 8:18 am

        Hi Daniela! So glad you liked it 🙂 That's a good idea!

        Reply
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