Mapo Tofu Nachos
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1(14- or 16-ounce) package silken tofu
- 1½teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
- 2tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola oil
- 8ounces ground beef or pork (preferably 80 or 85 percent lean), roughly chopped to loosen
- 2½ to 3tablespoons doubanjiang (fermented chile bean sauce or paste)
- 1tablespoon douchi (fermented black beans, optional)
- 1teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
- 2teaspoons regular soy sauce
- 1rounded teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more as needed
- Fine sea salt
- 1large scallion, trimmed and sliced on a sharp bias into 2-inch-long pieces
- 1tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
- 5 to 6ounces corn tortilla chips (about 5 cups)
- 2medium scallions, trimmed and sliced on the bias into ¾-inch-long pieces
- 4ounces shredded Oaxacan, Monterey Jack or other mild-flavored melty cheese (about 1⅓ cups)
- ⅓cup sliced or coarsely chopped pitted olives, such as black, green or a combination (optional)
- 2whole pickled jalapeños, sliced (optional)
- ⅓cup coarsely chopped cilantro (optional)
For the Mapo Tofu Sauce
For the Nachos
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
881 calories; 53 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 22 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 66 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 36 grams protein; 777 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Prepare the mapo tofu sauce: If the tofu came as a block in water, discard the water. Cut the tofu into large chunks, then use a stand blender or immersion blender to whirl the tofu into an ivory smoothie.
- Step 2
In a medium (3- or 4-quart) pot over medium heat, toast the Sichuan peppercorns for 2 to 3 minutes, until super fragrant and slightly darkened. (A wisp of smoke is OK.) Let cool briefly, then pound with a mortar and pestle or pulse in a spice grinder.
- Step 3
Prepare the remaining sauce ingredients and set them near the stove.
- Step 4
Warm the oil in the pot over high heat. When shimmering, add the meat. Stir and mash into cooked and crumbly pieces, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2½ tablespoons doubanjiang, the douchi (if using), ginger and red-pepper flakes (if using). Fry about 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until the mixture is a rich reddish brown.
- Step 5
Reduce the heat to medium-low, then stir in the soy sauce and 1 rounded teaspoon sugar. Scrape in the blended tofu. (If there’s much left in the blender jar, add 1 tablespoon water and whirl to loosen it.) Stir to combine well, partially cover and bring to simmer. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, to develop flavor throughout. Expect orange oil to appear on top.
- Step 6
Taste the sauce and if needed, add the remaining ½ tablespoon doubanjiang (for heat), or a pinch of salt (for savoriness) or sugar (to tame heat).
- Step 7
Stir in the scallion, then add the cornstarch slurry and stir until thickened. Turn off the heat. Stir in half the crushed Sichuan peppercorns for a bit of zing. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to deepen flavor and color before using; a little lingering orange oil is normal. This recipe makes about 2½ cups, which is twice the amount that you’ll need for this recipe; save the rest for spaghetti, more nachos or another use. (You can cool the sauce completely then refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)
- Step 8
Prepare the nachos: Heat a toaster oven (or standard oven) to 350 degrees. Line the baking pan of the toaster oven (or a small sheet pan) with parchment or aluminum foil, leaving a little overhang on two sides so you may later easily transfer the nachos. Arrange half of the chips on the pan, laying them flat; some overlap is fine. Use a spoon to strew a heaping ½ cup mapo tofu sauce onto the chips. Sprinkle with half the scallions, half the cheese and half the remaining Sichuan peppercorns. Repeat with the remaining chips, a heaping ½ cup mapo tofu sauce, the remaining scallions, cheese and peppercorns.
- Step 9
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese completely melts and there is gentle sizzling. Remove from the oven, then lift the parchment paper or foil to remove the nachos from the pan, then use a spatula to carefully usher the nachos to a platter. Top with any combination of olives, pickled jalapeños and cilantro, if desired.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Lolly
Henceforth, I will always “usher” my nachos to the platter. So much more civilized.
Jessica
I absolutely love this! Thank you!! I feel light headed and giddy when I smell the fragrant Szechuan peppercorns toasting in the pan, and it only gets better from there. I’ve made this many times. I never add the corn starch anymore; mine is quite thick already. I also omit the red pepper flakes lest it become too spicy for my taste. I use fake meat like Beyond or Viva (favorite) or Quorn (least favorite). I use the Kim Kum Lee brand of chili bean paste. Also good on spaghetti.
Claire
here to see what the veg version ends up looking like :D
mr_eph
used beyond meat instead of ground beef. half of the 16oz block. lights out.
Nathan
I crumbled a block of regular tofu and browned in the skillet (adding soy sauce at the end) to sub for the meat and used vegan cheese to make it all plant-based and was very pleased with the result! The doubanjiang and douchi are of course very salty, and I added more soy sauce than what is suggested, so I didn't need any added salt. In fact, the lightly salted tortilla chips would work well with this. The combination of ingredients makes the tofu mixture taste like chorizo!
Jen
I would try brown lentils cooked in either mushroom broth or faux beef broth.
timothy
I made this vegan by using TVP instead of meat and omitting the cheese. It was delicious and very decadent; I can't even imagine how rich it would be with real meat and dairy.
Kat
Use 8 oz tempeh (crumbled), tvp soaked in stock, or any ground substitute.
Lily T
I made this with leftover mapo tofu from a local Chinese restaurant. Very delicious, especially if you reheat in a pan and fry eggs in the same pan.
Sarah T.
First, thank you for introducing a new take on a classic dish. Second, I will make again, paying closer attention to the steps and ingredients. I made exactly as written 8/2023 and give it 5/10 first attempt. Interesting flavors but nothing stood out and zero spice. I’m positive this can be 10/10, there’s just too many great flavors involved to not be! I’ll use non salted blue tortilla chips again as well as the fermented black beans (adding more), pickled jalapeños, and cilantro.
Katherine
I found this to be just too heavy to enjoy. In regular nachos, you have pico de gallo or salsa to give some freshness and acidity. Even after loading these up with cilantro for freshness, they were too much. Won’t make again,
Bonnie
Does anyone have a suggestion on how to make this gluten free? Any tips would be appreciated! My daughter was just diagnosed with Celiac’s and I’m trying to navigate her favorite dishes!
Juniper
Best with low (or no) salt nachos. Consider a spritz of lime at serving time. Excellent recipe. I used beef 20% fat, which was great, though I imagine either ground pork or crumbled firm tofu or tempeh would be too.
Netta
Love this recipe! Easily made gluten free as well. Another new favorite
Birdie Kalasky
We loooove this recipe. We save the extra sauce and use it for noodles of any kind, what’s nice is that this recipe is also so flexible, typically I’ll make a salad / nacho bowl. Also we use beyond ground meat. Yum!
Granddaughter of immigrants
The brand of sauce that @Jessica is talking about is Lee Kum Kee, which is found in a lot of non-Asian supermarkets.
Michael Sierchio
I love this! I am not against fusion, though most examples tend to argue against the practice. This works really well. I prefer to extract the málà from Sichuan peppercorns into oil – no grit. If you're nostalgic about the grit, go for it. The mapo supagetti is even better!
Jessica
I absolutely love this! Thank you!! I feel light headed and giddy when I smell the fragrant Szechuan peppercorns toasting in the pan, and it only gets better from there. I’ve made this many times. I never add the corn starch anymore; mine is quite thick already. I also omit the red pepper flakes lest it become too spicy for my taste. I use fake meat like Beyond or Viva (favorite) or Quorn (least favorite). I use the Kim Kum Lee brand of chili bean paste. Also good on spaghetti.
Lily T
I made this with leftover mapo tofu from a local Chinese restaurant. Very delicious, especially if you reheat in a pan and fry eggs in the same pan.
Pat Janisch
Soy Chorizo (I use Trader Joe’s) works great for nachos but tends to overwhelm the other flavors in this preparation.
Nathan
I crumbled a block of regular tofu and browned in the skillet (adding soy sauce at the end) to sub for the meat and used vegan cheese to make it all plant-based and was very pleased with the result! The doubanjiang and douchi are of course very salty, and I added more soy sauce than what is suggested, so I didn't need any added salt. In fact, the lightly salted tortilla chips would work well with this. The combination of ingredients makes the tofu mixture taste like chorizo!
timothy
I made this vegan by using TVP instead of meat and omitting the cheese. It was delicious and very decadent; I can't even imagine how rich it would be with real meat and dairy.
mr_eph
used beyond meat instead of ground beef. half of the 16oz block. lights out.
Tforficatus
excellent funky spicy creamy nachos. Thanks very much to the author. I like how the recipe is set up for a double batch of sauce!
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