Kung Pao Tofu 

By Ham El-Waylly

Updated May 31, 2024

Kung Pao Tofu 
Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Total Time
1 hour
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(840)
Notes
Read community notes

Fiery from dried chiles, tingling with Sichuan peppercorns and studded with peanuts, this kung pao tofu recipe is a vegetarian take on kung pao chicken, the classic Chinese American restaurant staple. Though variations on this dish abound, this version swaps in tofu for chicken, treating the tofu similarly. Pressing the tofu removes excess moisture, leaving more room for flavor to penetrate and giving it a denser, chewy texture. The cornstarch coating helps the tofu brown, makes it crisp and acts as a sponge for the savory, spicy, tingly sauce. 

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings
  • 1(14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu
  • ¼cup soy sauce
  • 2tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2tablespoons rice wine or sake
  • 1tablespoon black vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
  • 2teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • ½teaspoon freshly ground white pepper or ¼ teaspoon finely ground white pepper
  • 3garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • 2teaspoons cornstarch (for the sauce) plus ¼ cup (for the tofu)
  • Salt
  • Grapeseed or other neutral oil, as needed
  • 1red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch squares
  • 2celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch slices
  • 4scallions, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
  • 4whole Tianjin chiles or chiles de árbol, crushed
  • ⅓cup roasted peanuts
  • ¼cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
  • White rice, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

301 calories; 17 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 1045 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.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Drain the tofu, wrap in a clean kitchen towel, set on a plate and put a cast-iron skillet or other weighty object on top. Let it press for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.

  2. Step 2

    While the tofu is pressed, prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin, rice wine, vinegar, sesame oil, white pepper, garlic, ginger, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and ⅓ cup water until combined.

  3. Step 3

    After the tofu has been pressed, unwrap it and cut into ¾-inch cubes. Transfer tofu to a medium bowl, season with salt and coat in ¼ cup cornstarch; set aside.

  4. Step 4

    In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add enough neutral oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When it starts shimmering, add the tofu. Cook until one side is golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes, then flip. Cook until the other side is crisp and golden brown, another 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.

  5. Step 5

    Add the red bell pepper, celery and scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the red bell pepper starts to soften while maintaining some bite and the vegetables char, about 4 minutes. Add the Sichuan peppercorns and chiles and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tofu and sauce, and stir to coat; make sure the sauce simmers and thickens, about 2 minutes. Finish with the peanuts and cilantro, stir again, then serve immediately with rice.

Ratings

5 out of 5
840 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Mare

My hoisen was really sweet so I eliminated the sugar but made as written otherwise. Next time I’ll double the sauce—it was so good we’d eat it on cardboard!

Jackie

Made this tonight exactly as written except for the chili’s since I did not have them. Used a heaping teaspoon of garlic chili sauce and some chili crisp instead. It was amazing.

leskap19

We went to a dinner party at a traditional restaurant last weekend. The vegetarian option was kung pao tofu. Give them credit for not trying to pawn off a pile of pasta and steamed veggies as the only veggie option. Still, somehow, they managed to make it bland! I came home and made this as a counterpoint and it is fantastic!!! I think it was even better heated up at work the next day! Thank you for not being afraid of flavor!

Janet

With a recipe like this, it’s easy becoming a vegetarian! Sauce was perfect albeit a bit salty. Next time I will omit salt and use low salt tamari or soy. I added a yellow pepper and mushrooms. Used a splash of dry white wine and black pepper as substitutions for saki, white pepper. Also chopped one red jalapeño. Perfect! Why would I order carry out?

Alexa

This was great! I didn’t have the peppercorns so I just used an Asian red pepper flakes. The tofu was great and the red peppers held their bite. A great vegan option!

Courtney

SUPER GOOD, will totally make this again. I'd like to try it with other proteins. The Sichuan peppercorns are a very interesting sensation that I enjoyed, but wished maybe I'd only put in half.

Zabby

Halved the recipe but kept the sauce amounts. Added some asparagus into the mix as I had some. Fantastic!

Keith.

I thought the sauce was too sweet

CM

Phenomenal!! It's hard to stop eating this, it is SO good. Just make sure to get the pan RIPPING hot, as Ham says!!

Christine VB

Easy? I don’t consider anything with 21 separate ingredients easy. But good? Yes! Even my meat-eating husband loved this. Everything came together when I saw garlic scapes at the farmers market. I substituted scapes for both garlic and scallions and it took the dish to another level. By the way, my extra firm tofu was indeed extra firm and almost no liquid came out when I drained it, so I think I will skip that step next time.

Judy

Just delicious. I used green beans in place of the celery and they were great. This sauce could work with all kinds of vegetable combinations. Love it!!

Ellen dP

We loved this. I omitted the hot chiles because I am sensitive to them. But it was still excellent.

Mare

My hoisen was really sweet so I eliminated the sugar but made as written otherwise. Next time I’ll double the sauce—it was so good we’d eat it on cardboard!

leskap19

We went to a dinner party at a traditional restaurant last weekend. The vegetarian option was kung pao tofu. Give them credit for not trying to pawn off a pile of pasta and steamed veggies as the only veggie option. Still, somehow, they managed to make it bland! I came home and made this as a counterpoint and it is fantastic!!! I think it was even better heated up at work the next day! Thank you for not being afraid of flavor!

jlo

This was so good I made it twice in one week. Served with cucumbers tossed with sesame oil and seasoned rice vinegar, over riced cauliflower. 5 stars for sure.

Aviva Goldfarb

Delectable! Spicy and perfect. Used 2 bell peppers, no celery.

KG

Toast the Sichuan peppers lightly until they just start to get smoky. Then grind them in a mortar and pestle before using. Leave out the sugar if you want a less sweet dish. Make in a very hot pan to get ideal results, wok, cast iron or stainless steel all work.

Okaru

Excellent recipe. I froze the drained tofu, thawed, then cut coated it in cornstarch, then baked it to get a chewier texture. Otherwise, followed the recipe exactly.

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