Whip up this ridiculously tasty 30-minute tofu stir fry: mix in your fave veggies, drizzle our magic sauce, and done: better-than-takeout! 🍜🥢
If you liked this, check out our fried tofu, marry me tofu pasta, BBQ tofu, and tofu cacciatore.
Introduction
Stir-frying, a beloved cooking method from China, has gone global. Now everyone is sizzling away in kitchens from America to Europe.
Similar to sautéing, it’s traditionally done in a wok, but you can totally rock it at home with a nonstick pan or cast iron skillet (nonstick works best for tofu).
There are two key stir-fry styles: Bao, which is hot, fast, and sauce-free; and Chao, which starts with oil and ends with a flavorful sauce.
Our tofu stir-fry follows the Chao method – tossing tofu and veggies in a quick, crave-worthy sauce for a dish that’s bursting with flavor, texture, and vibrant color.
It’s seriously one of the best stir-fried tofu dishes you’ll ever try. And it’s SO easy!
Ingredients
Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
- Tofu: Go for firm or super firm tofu.
- Olive oil: Substitute coconut oil or avocado oil.
- Veggies: we use scallions, broccoli, bell pepper, and mushrooms. You can substitute other veggies like green beans, baby corn, carrots, onions, spinach, kale, bok choi, cabbage, peas and snap peas.
- Stir fry sauce: soy sauce or tamari, vinegar, sugar or honey, sesame oil or vegetable oil, fresh ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, vegetable broth, pepper, and cornstarch.
Instructions
Step 1: Prep the ingredients.
Prep is everything! Once you start cooking, this stir-fry flies so chop, mix, and whisk before the action starts. Your future self will thank you! 🔥🥢
- Tofu: Drain, pat dry, and tear into bite-sized chunks.
- Veggies: Quarter mushrooms, dice bell pepper (about 2/3 inch), and cut broccoli into small florets.
- Sauce: Whisk together soy sauce, veggie broth, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, cornstarch, and black pepper.
Step 2: Stir fry.
Heat half the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add tofu, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, flipping occasionally, until golden. Remove and set aside.
Wipe the pan, add remaining oil, and stir-fry mushrooms, bell pepper, and broccoli over medium-high heat for 3 minutes until slightly browned.
Add the scallion whites and tofu, stir-fry for 1 minute.
Tip: Less time = crunchier veggies; more time = softer.
Step 3: Add the sauce.
Lower the heat to medium, pour in the sauce, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste and adjust salt.
Serve hot over rice, topped with sesame seeds, scallion, greens, and a drizzle of sesame oil.
Optional: Toss with cooked noodles and 1/2 cup broth for a sauce noodle dish.
Tips
- Tear the tofu by hand; don’t cut it with a knife. Rough edges mean more surface area and crispier bits.
- Use a nonstick pan or a well seasoned wok. Tofu really stick to pans so nonstick is essential.
- Use a large pan and don’t overcrowd it. Overcrowding = steaming which makes the veggies soft and sad.
- Don’t stress the tofu! Let it sit and sear, at least 3 minutes per side, then flip! Think of it as like a tofu tanning session.
- Good prep – high heat – fast hands: Ingredients must be prepped and ready to throw in one after the other. No pauses!
- Cornstarch is key for a glossy, creamy, restaurant-worthy sauce. Don’t skimp it.
More Easy Asian Recipes
If you tried this Tofu Stir Fry recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Tofu Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil sub avocado, coconut, or vegetable oil
- 16 ounces tofu firm or extra-firm
- ⅓ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1 bell pepper red or yellow, diced
- 6 mushrooms white or brown, quartered
- 2 cups broccoli cut into small florets
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
Stir Fry Sauce
- ⅓ cup soy sauce reduced-sodium
- ⅓ cup vegetable broth reduced-sodium
- 2 tablespoons vinegar rice, white, or apple cider
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 2 teaspoons ginger grated
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or fresh chili
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients.Tofu – Drain, pat dry, and tear into bite-sized chunks.Veggies – Quarter mushrooms, dice bell pepper (about 2/3 inch), and cut broccoli into small florets.Sauce – Whisk together soy sauce, veggie broth, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, cornstarch, and black pepper.
- Stir Fry: Heat half the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add tofu, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, flipping occasionally, until golden. Remove and set aside.Wipe the pan, add remaining oil, and stir-fry mushrooms, bell pepper, and broccoli over medium-high heat for 3 minutes until slightly browned.Add the scallion whites and tofu, stir-fry for 1 minute.
- Add the sauce: Lower the heat to medium, pour in the sauce, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste and adjust salt.Serve hot over rice, topped with sesame seeds, scallion, greens, and a drizzle of sesame oil.Optional: Toss with cooked noodles and 1/2 cup broth for a sauce noodle dish.
Video
Notes
- Olive oil: Substitute coconut, avocado, or vegetable oil.
- Broccoli: Substitute green beans, peas, kale, bok choy, or cabbage.
- Mushrooms: Substitute eggplant, zucchini, and spinach.
- Bell pepper: Substitute carrots, or baby corn.
- Soy sauce: Substitute tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free.
- Rice vinegar: Substitute apple cider or white vinegar.
- Sugar: Substitute honey or maple syrup.
- Sesame oil: Substitute vegetable oil.
- Vegetable broth: Substitute water.
- Tear the tofu by hand; don’t cut it with a knife. Rough edges mean more surface area and crispier bits.
- Use a nonstick pan or a well seasoned wok. Tofu really stick to pans so nonstick is essential.
- Use a large pan and don’t overcrowd it. Overcrowding = steaming which makes the veggies soft and sad.
- Don’t stress the tofu! Let it sit and sear, at least 3 minutes per side, then flip! Think of it as like a tofu tanning session.
- Good prep – high heat – fast hands: Ingredients must be prepped and ready to throw in one after the other. No pauses!
- Cornstarch is key for a glossy, creamy, restaurant-worthy sauce. Don’t skimp it.
- Do I need to press the tofu? You can press the tofu if you have the time but in our tests we noticed that the if you use extra-firm tofu and pat it dry well, the difference is minimal.
- Can I bake or air-fry the tofu? Sure thing! Bake or air fry ahead of time then toss it with the stir-fried veggies. Here are our baked tofu and air-fried tofu recipes.
- Shy is my tofu soggy? Probably too much moisture. Pat dry tofu, avoid overcrowding the pan, cook fast on high heat.
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for three days. Reheat in the microwave or on a pan with a dash of water.
- Freezer: You can freeze leftover stir-fried tofu. However, its texture will change slightly. Thaw in the microwave. Reheat in a pan with some sauce to boost flavor.
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
Thank you!! It was so easy and tasted great!
Me encantan vuestras recetas y el entusiasmo con que preparáis los platos. Yo preparaba el tofu siempre de la misma forma, hasta que os he conocido. Gracias,
Very very nice indeed
I’ve made this at least 5 times since finding the recipe. It’s sooo good and made me actually enjoy tofu!
Hi Alecia, oh that’s fantastic, I’m very happy you enjoyed it!
Thanks so much for your feedback 🎉
Great recipe! Prepared as written and loved all the fresh veggies and the flavorful sauce. Quick, easy, and tasty! Will definitely do again.
This is my favorite stir fry recipe I’ve found to date! So easy to follow and super delicious. Comes together quickly, we serve over white rice.
Wonderful, Kayla. I’m really happy you enjoyed the stir fry🎊
Thanks so much for your feedback. All the best,
Louise
Thank you so much for this recipe, more so for the nutrition breakdown.
Commented on your YouTube video, but wanted to give it 5 stars here as well! My first time cooking tofu & this recipe was a homerun! Just took a bit longer to mix the cornstarch lumps out of the sauce, but so worth it. Will look at your other recipes too, thanks!
Hi Nora,
Fantastic, I’m delighted you had a successful first try at tofu. The cornstarch slurry is a scrumptious stir fry sauce!
Thank your for your kind comment and support – here as well as on YouTube ❤️
All the best,
Louise