This spicy Szechuan tofu recipe is flavourful, protein-dense, and a perfectly well-balanced meal. Serve it with your favourite veggies, brown rice, quinoa, rice noodles, or spiralized zucchini.
When you’re craving Chinese takeout, and prefer to enjoy a healthier version (think baked and not fried), let this Szechuan tofu be it!
Like my sticky tofu, Mongolian tofu, and air-fried tofu, you can expect flavourful results here, without oil, and without frying.
Jump to:
Ingredients + Substitutions
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this delicious Szechuan tofu dish.
- Tofu: Use extra firm tofu, and make sure to press it first to remove excess liquid. This will maximize the crispiness. You don't need a fancy tofu press, just follow my quick press method in the recipe card below.
- Stir fry veggies: For ease, I like using frozen veggies so you get a variety of flavours, without the prep. But you may use fresh vegetables if you prefer.
- Dried chilies: Use red dried chilies such as Chinese, Arbol, or Sichuan if you can find them. Or, another spicy dried pepper, and adjust to your taste. For less spice, choose mild peppers.
- Soy sauce: Use low-sodium soy sauce OR Tamari if you need a gluten-free option. You may also use coconut aminos if preferred.
- Maple syrup: I like maple syrup to keep the sauce refined sugar-free, but you may use brown sugar if you prefer.
- Garlic + ginger: Use fresh for the best flavour. Powdered also works in a pinch.
- Spices: Chinese five spice powder and red pepper flakes add flavour and heat to this Szechuan tofu dish. While this dish traditionally calls for Sichuan peppercorns, they can be hard to find, so I went with red pepper flakes instead.
- Rice vinegar: A less tangy and acidic vinegar with a subtle sweetness. (Also known as rice wine vinegar.)
- Shaoxing wine: A rice wine that’s vinegary, spicy, and a little caramelly in taste. If you cannot find it, you may use mirin (a sweet cooking wine), but reduce the maple syrup.
- Cornstarch: To help crisp up your tofu as well as thicken the Szechuan sauce. You may also use tapioca starch or brown rice flour with similar results.
Instructions
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Cut the tofu into half-inch cubes and press it using my quick-press method listed in the recipe card below.
Then place it in a bowl with the soy sauce and gently stir. (photo 1)
Add the corn starch and gently mix to coat the cubes. (photo 2)
Arrange them in a single layer and bake until golden brown. (photo 3)
Meanwhile, mix the Szechuan sauce ingredients in a small bowl. (photo 4)
Sauté the veggies for 2-3 minutes and pour in the sauce. (photo 5)
Simmer to thicken the sauce, and then add the baked tofu. (photo 6)
Serve your Szechuan tofu with brown rice, spiralized noodles, vermicelli noodles, quinoa, or your choice.
Then garnish with green onion, peanuts, scallions, salt + black pepper, and/or sesame seeds.
Variations
Some fun ways to change up this Szechuan tofu dish:
- Szechuan chickpeas: Use the same sauce and stir fry veggies and then simmer it with 3 cups of canned or cooked chickpeas.
- Szechuan soy curls: Rehydrate approx. 4 ounces of soy curls in broth and then pan fry with the Szechuan sauce for 5-6 minutes.
- Orange tofu: Use the same method to bake your tofu, but use this delicious orange sauce.
- Sweet + sour: Use the same method to bake your tofu, but use this amazing sweet and sour sauce.
- For the veggies: I find frozen mixes to be easiest, but you may use fresh and any combo you’d like. Some great options include cabbage, green or red bell pepper, mushrooms, cauliflower, asparagus, onion, watercress, broccoli, and/or green beans.
Or check out this super CRISPY tofu you can make in your air fryer.
Storage
Your Szechuan tofu will taste best when freshly made. As it sits in the sauce, it will start to lose its crispy exterior. Plan to enjoy it straight away.
If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and reheat them on the stovetop.
Although the flavour will still be amazing, the texture will lose some crispiness the longer it sits.
Expert Tips
- Try and cut your tofu cubes as uniformly as possible for even cooking and crispiness.
- Arrange the cubes in a single layer with space in between each piece. They shouldn't touch each other on the baking tray in order to get the maximum crisp level.
- If you don't have a convection oven, it may take an extra few minutes to get crispy results. Bake until desired crispiness level is reached.
- For the best texture, plan to enjoy your Szechuan tofu immediately. The longer it sits in the sauce, it will begin to lose its crispy exterior.
More delicious tofu recipes
If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don't forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.
Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
For the tofu stir fry
- 12 ounce (350 grams) extra firm tofu
- 1.5 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or Tamari for gluten-free
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 6-8 cups frozen stir fry veggies
- 6-10 dried red chilies Chinese, Arbol, or Sichuan if you can find them, or another spicy dried pepper (adjust to your heat preference)
For the Szechuan sauce
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup filtered water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 cloves garlic peeled + minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or crushed Szechuan peppercorns (but they can be hard to find)
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice
- 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch
For serving (optional)
- brown rice, noodles, or quinoa Or spiralized vegetable noodles
- sesame seeds
- green onion or chives
Instructions
Press the tofu
- Cut your tofu into half-inch cubes. Then arrange some paper towels or a clean dish towel on a cutting board and place the cubes in a single layer on top. Now add another clean dish towel on top of the cubes and another cutting board, flat plate, or baking sheet on top. Finally, place something very heavy on top like a cast-iron skillet or heavy books. Press like this for 15 minutes.
Prepare the tofu
- Preheat the oven to 425℉/218℃ convection bake and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once the tofu is pressed, place the cubes in a medium bowl with the soy sauce and gently mix. Then add the cornstarch and gently stir to coat the pieces.
- Arrange the tofu in a single layer on your baking sheet, leaving space in between each cube. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until desired crispiness is reached.
For the Szechuan sauce + veggies
- While the tofu is baking, combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
- Preheat a cast iron pan or wok on your stovetop, and then add the frozen veggies to stir fry for 2-3 minutes (don't overcook them, they taste best when still a little crisp). Then add the sauce and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes with the veggies to slightly thicken the sauce.
- Add the baked tofu cubes to the pan with the veggies and toss to coat them.
- Serve with grains of your choice or spiralized vegetable noodles. Then top with green onion and sesame seeds if you'd like.
Notes
- Try and cut your tofu cubes as uniformly as possible for even cooking and crispiness.
- Arrange the cubes in a single layer with space in between each piece. They shouldn't touch each other on the baking tray in order to get the maximum crisp level.
- If you don't have a convection oven, it may take an extra few minutes to get crispy results. Bake until desired crispiness level is reached.
- For the best texture, plan to enjoy your Szechuan tofu immediately. The longer it sits in the sauce, it will begin to lose its crispy exterior.
Nutrition
FAQ
A mix of sweetness and spiciness best describes the flavour. It’s commonly made using soy sauce, peppercorn, ginger, chili, vinegar, garlic, and sugar.
Many sauces use honey as its sweet element, which is not vegan. So make sure to choose a vegan alternative to honey, such as maple syrup.
Carol Ann McCollum says
Sounds sooo yummy! Need to limit my sodium & potassium. How would you lower those in this recipe? Thank you! Looking forward to trying this!
Rosa says
Hi Carol, for the sodium, you can reduce the soy sauce and add more water instead. As for the potassium, the veggies are contributing to that, so choose vegetables that are low in potassium, such as asparagus and cauliflower.