Szechuan Tofu is a healthy and flavorful Asian inspired vegan meal that takes less than an hour to make.
This stir fry is packed with vegetables and crispy pieces of tofu coated in a spicy vegan Szechuan sauce flavored with chili, garlic, soy, and rice vinegar.
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A deliciously healthy vegan meal, packed with protein and vegetables, in under an hour? Yes, please! 🙌
Szechuan sauce is a quick sauce that requires a small handful of ingredients and adds so much flavor it's like a culinary superpower. The sauce is a delicious balance of sweet, savory, and spicy that goes with pretty much anything.
In this recipe, extra-firm tofu is tossed in a bit of cornstarch and then fried in oil to create a super crispy exterior while keeping the inside tender and creamy. Toss the tofu with tons of crisp-tender stir fried veggies, douse the whole thing in Szechuan sauce, pile it on some rice, and you're done.
Looking for a meaty version of this vegan szechuan recipe? Check out this delicious Chinese Chicken Dinner Recipe.
Szechuan Tofu makes a GREAT camping meal! Scroll down for more information about how to make this recipe work on a camp stove, Blackstone griddle, or open flame. Looking for a great camping cocktail to go with this stir fry? Check out this list of 21 Camping Cocktails.
Ingredients Needed to Prepare this Recipe
Szechuan sauce requires 8 ingredients that might already be in your pantry. After that, all you need is some extra firm tofu, cornstarch and vegetable oil, and a plenty of fresh veggies.
For the crispy Tofu:
- Extra-firm tofu. Extra-Firm Tofu contains less liquid than other varieties making it perfect for stir fries.
- Vegetable oil. You can also use canola oil.
- Cornstarch. A light coating of cornstarch is key to giving the tofu an extra crisp exterior.
- Salt and ground black pepper.
For Szechuan sauce:
- Soy sauce: If you're sensitive to salt, use low sodium soy sauce. To make this recipe gluten free, use tamari in place of soy sauce.
- Rice vinegar. I prefer to use unseasoned rice vinegar in this recipe.
- Chili Garlic sauce. Use as much or as little chili garlic sauce as you like in this recipe to control the heat level of the sauce.
- Toasted Sesame oil. I prefer the more intense flavor of toasted sesame oil in this sauce, but regular sesame oil will also work.
- Granulated sugar. You can also use brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey or even maple syrup if you prefer.
- Chinese five spice powder. Chinese 5-Spice Powder is crucial to the flavor of Szechuan sauce.
- Garlic powder.
- Cornstarch. A bit of cornstarch thickens the sauce so that it will coat the crispy tofu and stir fried vegetables.
For the stir-fry:
- Vegetable or canola oil. You can also use extra virgin olive oil, if you prefer.
- Medium yellow onion. Peel the onion and dice it into pieces about the size of kidney beans.
- Small dried red Chinese or arbol chilies. Small dried red chilies are usually found in the Asian or Mexican food isles of most major supermarkets. You can also order them on Amazon.
- Vegetables: I used red bell pepper, cabbage, asparagus and carrots. But, feel free to use any kind of vegetables you like in this stir fry.
- Ground black pepper or Szechuan peppercorns. Szechuan peppercorns (also known as Sichuan peppercorns) can be found in the Asian or spice isle of most major supermarkets. Or, order them on Amazon.
- Green onions: Thinly sliced, only using the white and light green parts.
- Kosher salt.
- Sesame seeds.
See recipe card for quantities.
Recipe Variations and Ingredient Substitutions
- Like it spicy? Dried red chilies come in a variety of heat levels. If you like your Szechuan spicy, select hot chiles and add as many of them as you dare.
- Instead of white sugar: It's important to add a bit of sweetness to the Szechuan sauce to balance out the savory and spicy flavors. But, If you don't like to use white sugar, feel free to use coconut or brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
- To make this dish gluten free: Swap out the soy sauce for gluten free tamari.
- Other veggies: Use any kind of vegetables you like in this stir-fry. Other great options include green beans, bok choy broccoli, cauliflower, or zucchini.
- Cooking low carb? Potato starch contains a lot less carbs than cornstarch, so if you're eating low-carb, swap out the cornstarch for potato starch in equal amounts.
- Add some crunch! If you want to add a bit more crunch, top plates of Szechuan Tofu with roasted, chopped nuts or sliced water chestnuts.
Step-by-Step Photos and Instructions
Step #1: Fry the Crispy Tofu
For extra crispy pieces of tofu, it's important to press out any excess moisture. If you have a tofu press, use that. If not, simply wrap the tofu in a towel, set something heavy on top (like a cast iron skillet), and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Cut the tofu into cubes and add them to a zip-top bag along with the cornstarch, and a bit of salt and pepper. Gently shake the tofu around in the bag until all the pieces are coated with cornstarch.
Add some vegetable (or canola) oil to a 12-inch skillet and set it over high heat until the oil is hot and shimmery. Add the tofu cubes, spreading them out in the pan in one layer.
Let the tofu cook until the bottoms of the pieces are golden brown. Use metal tongs to turn the pieces of tofu in the pan and continue to cook until they are golden and crispy on all sides.
Step #2: Mix up the Szechuan Sauce.
Dump all the ingredients for the Szechuan sauce into a bowl and whisk until combined.
Step #3: Sauté the Vegetables
Add some vegetable oil to a skillet and set it over medium high heat. Cook the onion for a couple of minutes then add the rest of the vegetables and sauté until they are crisp-tender.
Step #4: Add the Szechuan Sauce.
Pour the Szechuan sauce into the skillet with the veggies and cook until the sauce has thickened up a little bit.
Step #5: Add the crispy tofu.
Remove the skillet from the heat and add the crispy fried tofu. Toss it around in the skillet until everything is coated in sauce.
Step #6: Serve Szechuan Tofu over rice, sprinkled with some sesame seeds and chopped green onions.
Other ways to serve Szechuan Tofu: Serve Szechuan Tofu over any kind of rice - white, brown, or black. Or, serve over noodles, or any other kind of grain such as couscous or quinoa.
Equipment Needed to Make this Recipe
Szechuan Tofu is one of those simple meals that relies on basic kitchen equipment you most likely already have. Here's what you'll need:
- While not at all necessary for this recipe, a tofu press is a handy little piece of kitchen equipment if you cook tofu on a regular basis.
- A 12-inch non-stick skillet, like this one from Cuisinart.
- A small mixing bowl and wire whisk to mix up the Szechuan sauce.
FAQs
The only ingredient in this recipe that includes gluten is soy sauce. To make a gluten free Szechuan sauce, substitute Tamari for the soy sauce.
Absolutely!
Pork tenderloin, and boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs can be cooked per the recipe instructions in place of the tofu: cut into bite size pieces, toss in cornstarch, and fry in hot oil.
You can also use cooked chicken, pork, fish, or beef. Toss cooked protein into the stir-fry at the end of cooking just to coat it in the sauce and allow it to warm up.
Yes! Tofu is made from soy milk using a process that's similar to cheese making. The process does not require any animal byproducts, meaning tofu is 100% vegan.
Szechuan Tofu is a Great Camping Recipe!
Szechuan Tofu is one of those super easy recipes to make over a camp stove, on a Blackstone griddle, or even over an open fire.
- Prep veggies ahead of time, washing and cutting them, and putting them into a zip top bag or other airtight container.
- Save space by prep the sauce ahead of time, adding all the ingredients to an airtight container and storing it in the refrigerator or cooler.
- If cooking over an open fire, use a well seasoned cast iron skillet that's set over a cooking grate.
- To use a Blackstone griddle: The Szechuan sauce can burn if it gets too hot. So, cook the tofu and vegetables directly on the cast iron surface, then transfer everything into a skillet, setting the skillet on the cast iron surface, before adding the sauce.
Looking for a great cocktail to go with this stir fry? Check out this list of 21 Camping Cocktail Recipes!
📖 Recipe
Szechuan Tofu Stir-Fry
Szechuan Tofu is a healthy and flavorful vegan meal that takes less than an hour to make. This stir fry is packed with vegetables and crispy pieces of tofu coated in a spicy vegan Szechuan sauce flavored with chili, garlic, soy, and rice vinegar.
Ingredients
For the crispy Tofu:
- 18 ounces extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
For Szechuan sauce:
- ⅓ cup soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (or regular sesame oil)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (or coconut sugar, brown sugar, or honey)
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
For the stir-fry:
- 2 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and roughly diced
- 6-8 small dried red Chinese or Arbol chilies (or more if you want it extra spicy!)
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, thinly sliced
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 cup asparagus that’s been cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks that are about 2-inches in length
- ½ teaspoon salt (more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper or Szechuan peppercorns (more to taste)
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions, white and light green parts only
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Wrap the tofu in a clean, absorbent towel. Set something heavy on top – like a cast iron skillet – to press out extra moisture, and let it sit for 5 minutes. (You can also use a tofu press.)
- Unwrap tofu, cut it into 1 to 2-inch cubes and put the cubes in a zip-top bag along with the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Gently shake the tofu around in the bag until all the pieces are coated.
- Add the oil to a 12-inch skillet and heat it over high heat until the oil is shimmery. Add the tofu cubes, spreading them out in the pan in one layer. Let cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes, until the bottom of the tofu cubes are golden grown.
- Use metal tongs to turn the pieces of tofu in the pan so they get crispy and golden on all sides. Remove the tofu to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Mix all the ingredients for the Szechuan sauce in a bowl, stirring with a wire whisk to combine.
- Wipe out the skillet in which you cooked the tofu and add 2 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil. Add the onion and set the pan over medium high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and translucent, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the dried chiles, bell pepper, cabbage, asparagus, carrots, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until they are crisp tender. Be careful to not cook until they are mushy.
- Add the Szechuan sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened a bit. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the crispy tofu; stir to mix.
- Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve as is, or over cooked rice or noodles.
Notes
- Serve Szechuan Tofu over any kind of rice - white, brown, or black. It’s also delicious served over Indian Rice! Or, serve over noodles, or any other kind of grain such as couscous or quinoa.
- Homemade labneh (soft yogurt cheese), vegan yogurt, or vegan sour cream also makes a delicious topping for Szechuan Tofu.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 342Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2468mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 8gSugar: 12gProtein: 20g
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