Absolute FIRE Firecracker Tofu (Perfect for Beginners!)

Welcome back to YumJunctions! In this post, we are going to make some Firecracker Tofu. Let’s get it.

To start off with this recipe, you need to have a pound of firm tofu. Now, this was actually my first time working with tofu, and it is funny how hard it was to get this out of the package! It literally took me a good little minute to get that out. When I finally did, it was very soft and spongy. Since it was my first time working with it, I really did not know what to expect. But I am here to tell you, it turned out absolute FIRE.

Why You’ll Love This

If you have never cooked tofu before, this is the perfect recipe to start with. It literally is just as they say, whatever you season or flavor it with is the flavor the tofu takes. It absorbs everything.

You are going to love the spiciness from the hot sauce and the Sriracha, that little bit of tang from the apple cider vinegar, and the saltiness from the soy sauce. Everything comes together and meshes really well. Plus, you can easily split the batch if you have someone in your house who does not like heat like you do.

What You’ll Need

Special Equipment

• Heavy cutting board (for pressing tofu)
• Paper towels or a clean kitchen towel
• Baking sheet and parchment paper
• Large non-stick skillet or wok

For the Crispy Tofu

• 1 lb firm or extra-firm tofu
• 3 tbsp arrowroot flour (or cornstarch)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• Cooking spray

For the Stir-Fry and Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bag (12 to 16 oz) broccoli stir-fry mix (broccoli, sugar snap peas, carrots, cabbage)
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (like Frank’s RedHot)
• 1 to 2 tbsp Sriracha (to taste)
• 1/3 cup sugar substitute (like monk fruit or Swerve brown sugar)
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger (or about 1 tsp fresh minced)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 6 fresh Thai chilies, chopped (optional, for extra heat)

For Serving

• 2 green onions (scallions), chopped
• Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Let’s Get Cooking!

1. First, We Gotta Get the Liquid Out

Take your tofu block and slice it up into about half-inch cube pieces. Do not really worry about uniformity or anything, it is all going to look the same once it is done and mixed in.

We want to get a lot of the liquid out of this so it will not just be mush. Put down some paper towels on your counter, put your tofu cubes flat on top, and put another paper towel over them. To get some weight on it, take your heavy cutting board and sit it right on top. Let that sit for about 5 to 10 minutes. After that, the napkins will be soaked. It pulls so much liquid out of the tofu.

2. Season the Tofu

Place your pressed tofu into a bowl and season it with the arrowroot flour (this mimics cornstarch), a tablespoon of sesame oil, and a tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce. Shake all that up gently to combine until the tofu is evenly coated.

3. Bake for the Crisp

Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spray it with cooking spray, and lay all of your tofu flat on the tray in a single layer. Cook that for about 20 minutes. You will want to start checking around that time frame, if it is golden and crispy enough on the edges for you, then you are good.

4. Sauté the Veggies

While the tofu is cooking, get your pan ready. Put some olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, pop in the minced garlic, and sauté that up for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Then, toss in that bag of broccoli stir-fry mix and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. You just want the veggies crisp-tender, not soggy.

5. Build the Sauce

Now we are making our own little sauce for it. Lower the heat slightly and add your ingredients straight in, the hot sauce, some Sriracha that we just slammed in there, ginger, sugar substitute, apple cider vinegar, pepper, and some soy sauce (which I actually forgot to add at first when I made this, but dropped in later). Stir well to combine.

6. Bringing It All Together (Be Gentle!)

After you mix all the sauce ingredients and veggies together, fold your baked tofu into the mix. The tofu will come out a bit firm from the oven, but it will still be soft to the touch, like, if you squeeze it, you could smash it like a cooked bean. So, be very gentle with tossing this around because you do not want it to bust up into mush. Keep the veggies as crisp and crunchy as possible in here. Let it cook for 1 to 2 minutes until everything is glazed.

7. Splitting the Heat (My Favorite Trick!)

Here is the trick if you have a mixed household, at this point, the dish is pretty much done. Take out half of the tofu and veggies for whoever does not like the heat.

Then, for the other half, chop in six Thai chilies and mix that in. Let that cook for another minute or two, and you are done.

8. Serve

Plate the tofu and veggies. Garnish with chopped green onions and crushed red pepper flakes. Serve immediately and enjoy.

If you love this, also try

If you love this spicy sweet tofu bowl, you will also love my:

• teriyaki chicken rice bowl for a similar sweet Asian glaze with chicken
• stir-fried napa cabbage with shrimp if you want a lighter stir-fry with crisp veggies
• kimchi fried rice for more spicy, fermented heat
• veggie-loaded rice bowl for a veggie-forward meal you can easily swap tofu into

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FIRE Firecracker Tofu (Perfect for Beginners!)

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: MainCuisine: Asian-American FusionDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories (estimate, will vary with tofu brand, sweetener, and exact veggie mix).

220

kcal

Total time

35

minutes

A sweet, tangy, and fiery plant-based dish featuring crispy baked tofu and crunchy stir-fry veggies, tossed in a homemade hot sauce and Sriracha glaze.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed

• Heavy cutting board

• Paper towels

• Baking sheet

• Parchment paper

• Large skillet or wok

• Ingredients

• 450 g (1 lb) firm or extra-firm tofu (pressed and cut into cubes)

• 24 g (3 tbsp) arrowroot flour or cornstarch

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) sesame oil

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) low-sodium soy sauce

• Cooking spray

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)

• 340 g (about 1 bag, 12 oz) broccoli stir-fry veggie mix

• 60 ml (1/4 cup) hot sauce

• 15 to 30 ml (1 to 2 tbsp) Sriracha, to taste

• 65 g (1/3 cup) sugar substitute

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) low-sodium soy sauce

• 5 ml (1 tsp) apple cider vinegar

• 1 g (1/2 tsp) ground ginger

• 1 g (1/4 tsp) black pepper

• 6 fresh Thai chilies (chopped, optional)

• 2 green onions (chopped, for garnish)

• Crushed red pepper flakes (for garnish)

Directions

• Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. Place on paper towels, cover with more paper towels, and set a heavy cutting board on top. Press for 5 to 10 minutes to remove moisture.
• Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
• Place pressed tofu in a bowl. Add arrowroot flour, sesame oil, and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Toss gently to coat evenly.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray, and spread tofu in a single layer. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden and crispy on the edges.
• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Add the stir-fry veggies and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp-tender.
• Stir in hot sauce, Sriracha, sugar substitute, remaining 1 tbsp soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, ginger, and black pepper. Mix well to form a glaze.
• Gently fold the baked tofu into the skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through and coated in the glaze.
• (Optional) Remove half the portion if cooking for mild heat preferences. Add chopped Thai chilies to the remaining pan and cook for 1 minute.
• Garnish with green onions and crushed red pepper flakes. Serve hot.

Notes

• The Tofu Trick
  If you do not have a tofu press, the cutting board and paper towel trick works great. Getting that liquid out is crucial so it does not bust up into mush in the pan. I used firm tofu, but extra-firm works even better.
• Splitting the Heat
  If you have family members who do not like it spicy, build the base sauce first, toss the tofu, and then scoop their portion out before adding the Thai chilies.
• Veggies
  You want to keep the veggies as crisp and crunchy as possible, so do not overcook them in the sauce.
• Storage
  Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The tofu will lose a bit of its crunch in the fridge, but the flavors actually mesh together even better the next day.