mabo tofu

This easy mapo tofu recipe features soft tofu coated in a spicy and savory sauce with deep aromas from the garlic, green onion, and chilies. This incredibly flavorful tofu dish pairs perfectly with a bowl of steamed rice, and comes together quickly using a simple list of ingredients.

Easy 15-Minute Mapo Tofu

(450 grams) package soft tofu

vegetable oil

garlic (minced)

onion

chili (crushed)

chicken (pork, beef, or finely chopped mushrooms)

tbsp Doubanjiang (spicy bean paste)

chicken stock (or water)

oyster sauce (or soy sauce)

tsp each dark soy sauce, sugar, and ground sichuan pepper (see notes below)

cornstarch (mixed with 2 tbsp water,

tsp sesame oil

Cut tofu into small 1-inch cubes. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a generous pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, add your tofu, and cook for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add garlic, white parts of green onion, and dried chili and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add minced meat and cook for about 2 minutes while breaking up the meat with a spatula.

Add doubanjiang and fry for another minute, stirring well to combine. Add chicken stock and season with oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and ground sichuan pepper. Stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes.

Add cornstarch slurry and stir continuously until thickened. Season with salt if needed, and carefully stir in your tofu. Remove from heat and add sesame oil to finish.

Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with reserved green onions, and serve immediately over a bowl of steamed rice. Enjoy!

Healthy, nutritious popular Sichuan mapo tofu recipe made with minced meat, tender tofu, and savoury spicy mapo sauce. Serve it with a bowl of plain rice or noodles. Super delicious!

Spicy Sichuan Mapo Tofu

200 gram Tofu block (Firm or medium-firm tofu

Chicken mince (Or beef, pork,

tbsp Garlic (Finely chopped)

2-3 Spring onions (Cut thin slices)

Water (Warm water/ low-sodium chicken stock

tbsp Oil (Vegetable or neutral flavour oil)

tsp Corn starch ((mixed it with 2 tbsp of water))

soy sauce ((

Shao Xing wine (Chinese cooking rice wine

Chilli powder (Or paprika powder)

tbsp Crushed chillies (dried crushed chilli flakes)

Sichuan peppercorns (Crushed or grinded)

tbsp Fermented black beans (Douchi

2-3 tbsp Chilli bean paste (La Doubanjiang

tsp Sugar ((optional))

Prepare and gather the ingredients, before you heat the wok. First, heat the wok/pan over medium heat, drizzle oil and saute the garlic and ginger for a few seconds until fragrant.

Next, add the fermented black beans and follow with the crushed chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. Cook for a few seconds until fragrant. Stir in chilli powder and chilli bean paste.

Place the minced meat and stir fry everything well until the meat is dry and crisp up.

Then pour the warm water in and bring it to simmer. Season the dish with soy sauce, Shao Xing wine, and sugar.

Now add the tofu cubes and stir it gently to combine well with the sauce. Continue cook with low medium heat for another 10 minutes or until the tofu is cooked through.

Add cornstarch slurry to the sauce and stir it gently. Once the sauce starts to get thicken, turn off the heat and finish with chopped spring onions.

Serve immediately while hot with plain rice or noodles.

Classic Chinese mapo tofu combines tender tofu and ground meat in a bold, savory sauce. Using packaged sauce gets this version on the table in just 20 minutes, with a few simple additions that add tons of fresh flavor.

Quick Mapo Tofu (Using Packaged Sauce)

oz mapo tofu sauce (see notes!)

14-16 oz block soft tofu (or silken tofu)

oz pork

neutral oil (I use avocado oil)

yellow onion

green onions (greens sliced thin, for topping)

tbsp garlic

tbsp ginger paste (or freshly minced ginger)

sesame oil

tsp MSG

Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

While the onions cook, open and drain your tofu. Slice the tofu block into 1 inch cubes and set aside.

Add the ground meat to the pan with the onions and continue to cook, breaking the meat up and mixing frequently until cooked through, about 4 more minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute until fragrant, then add the packaged sauce. Mix until the sauce is evenly distributed and comes to a gentle simmer. Add a splash of water as needed if the sauce is too thick (I usually add 2 to 4 tbsp).

Gently fold the tofu into the sauce rather than stirring aggressively. Soft tofu breaks apart easily, and gentle folding helps keep the cubes intact. Let simmer on medium-low for ~3 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the tofu is warmed through.

Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil and MSG now if using. Serve immediately alongside white rice (I use jasmine), and top with the thinly sliced green onion.

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Easy 15-Minute Mapo Tofu

Spicy Sichuan Mapo Tofu

Quick Mapo Tofu (Using Packaged Sau...

Top 3 mabo tofu recipes from across the web

The most viewed mabo tofu recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Easy 15-Minute Mapo Tofu

Spicy Sichuan Mapo Tofu

Quick Mapo Tofu (Using Packaged Sau...

The most viewed mabo tofu recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine